The Cambodian Artists Project aims to strengthen Cambodian communities
in Cambodia and the United States by:
• Supporting both traditional and contemporary Cambodian performing
arts as they are researched, shared, and presented in Cambodia and other
countries.
• Filling the need for network building among Cambodian communities
through support for professional development, creative sharing, and collaboration.
• Refining and sharing this program as a replicable model of international
collaboration to the field.
Network development and Grant making/Program
Support are the two main areas of activity.
Network Development
Cambodian Artists Project Network Development is an area that builds professional
skills, facilitates information sharing, and supports transnational artistic
communities in Cambodia and in the United States. Network Development
is formally comprised of a series of convenings and conferences, but also
is a system that encourages ongoing communication between individuals,
organizations, and communities in the U.S., Asia, and beyond.
In Cambodia and in the U.S., Network Development activities consist of
annual meetings and conferences in which the following activities are
planned:
• Professional Development: workshops on proposal writing, documentation,
partnership development and other topics may be addressed.
• Creative Exchange: studio time with choreographers, puppeteers,
dramatists, and others may lead to exchanges on how work is conceived,
made, and presented.
• Demonstrations and Performances: Completed work or work in progress,
with particular interest in projects that have received CAP grants, will
be presented during the conference.
Cambodia Network Development Current Activity
Each February, trustees, administrators, grantees, and participants of
the Cambodian Artists Project will convene at the Royal University of
Fine Arts and other locations to engage in workshops, discussions, demonstrations,
and showcases by artists, practitioners, and leaders. Over the course
of three years, the annual meeting will develop in size and complexity.
In the first year (2004), core participants will come from RUFA (Royal
University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh) and community-based organizations.
In the second year, participation will expand to include artists, cultural
leaders, and administrators from the Mekong region. In the third year,
participation will expand to include international representatives.
US Network Development Current Activity
Regional meetings will be focused on the work of traditional performing
arts practitioners from Asian cultures. Meetings are anticipated in California
for West Coast participants (working with the Fund for Folk Culture) and
in New England for participants east of the Mississippi. Similar to the
Cambodia activity, meetings and conferences will occur in the U.S. over
the next two years, which will combine with the international conference
mentioned above in the third year.
Grant making/Program Support
Information about grant programs supporting activity ranging from cross-disciplinary
collaboration to traditional and contemporary performance to international
exchange is in development and will be publicly available later this year.
