When visiting Cambodia, a performance by the Phare Circus is definitely worth seeing. Unlike traditional circuses, the Phare Circus relies entirely on human physical expression. It is a unique show that blends drama, music, dance, acrobatics, juggling, and contortion into a captivating performance.
Mentioning the Phare Circus and its performances inevitably involves referring to the nonprofit educational organization it belongs to — Phare Ponleu Selpak.
Under the Khmer Rouge’s brutal regime, several young Cambodian men who had taken refuge in refugee camps along the Thai-Cambodian border found healing through art with the help of an art therapy teacher from France. After the regime’s fall, they returned to Cambodia and co-founded Phare Ponleu Selpak, a nonprofit organization that offers free art education and skills training to children who suffered during those turbulent times, hoping to help them heal and develop livelihood skills.
Over the years, Phare Ponleu Selpak has evolved into Cambodia’s premier cradle of artistic talent. Students who train here go on to perform with Phare Circus, whose revenue in turn funds the school’s operations. Countless underprivileged children have gained access to education here, forging their paths forward in the performing arts.
Phare Circus features many signature productions, all inspired by the real-life experiences of their creators and performers. Through these performances, audiences witness Cambodia’s history and present, where painful struggles intertwine with resilient hope.
“Sokha”: This production embodies Phare Ponleu Selpak’s founding philosophy through the perspective of a child it helped. The protagonist, haunted by nightmares from Cambodia’s brutal Khmer Rouge regime, finds salvation at a school offering free education, meals, and arts training to underprivileged children. After ten years of study, she takes the stage – healed through art, empowered with sustainable income, and now passing that healing to audiences through her performance.
“Sokrias”: It is a profoundly powerful work, centered on a disfigured young man in a remote Cambodian village, telling a story of rejection and redemption.
“White Gold”: This captivating production uses Cambodia’s “white gold” – rice – as its central theme to weave a poignant tale of cultural heritage, social transformation, and personal growth. The performance features a unique live-painting element, where artists create one-of-a-kind works on stage during each show. These original artworks are auctioned post-performance, with proceeds directly supporting Phare Ponleu Selpak’s educational programs.
