It was a usual pain for arts and culture NGOs to raise fund to support the operations and projects, and it has been more remarkably difficult for arts manager since the global economic crisis. In Cambodia, more specifically, at its current pace of development arts and culture are not perceived to have a nature of urgency to be gain attention, not to mention the lack of human resources in the arts. The US based Rockefeller Foundation is a vital funding funding institution that support the arts organizations, but it has cease its contributions for the arts. Thus, this made funding a more promising difficulty faced in the arts scene of Cambodia.
Photograph by Teng Somongkol
Unlike health, education and other social sectors, which still have good chances of obtaining fund from the UN and government agencies, the field of arts and culture has always faced challenges in fundraising efforts. Amrita Performing Arts, a US NGO dedicated to the revival and development of Cambodian performing arts, claims that has been working to shift its mission in order for them to be able to continue working in the arts. This organization is focusing on working with a smaller group of young dancers to create contemporary works of dance and theater. In spite of the shifting, it still keeps its mission of mounting professionally staged productions; however, it is believed to be less frequent. Before this financial hardship, this organization brought a number of Cambodian productions to international stages around the world including the United States. Now, the director of this organization stated that the era of foundation-funded tours may come to an end.
The French Cultural Center is probably the biggest and most active arts institution in Cambodia, whose running of projects are based on the business of French language training the center is managing. The center has also been focusing on sustaining the quality of this language teaching and additionally equipping itself with up-to-date facilities, in which way it can keep it dynamic business operations and enhance generating incomes, which will be used to support its cultural activities. Nonetheless, the proceeds from the training have not been enough, and funding from the French Embassy in Phnom Penh was provided to augment the cost of its projects. Fortunately, the French Cultural Centers in countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong are also receiving financial support from the local French companies. Remarkably, the smaller geographical size of Cambodia than that of Indonesia does not mean it is consuming less finance. Cambodia is using 5 times more fund than Indonesia. To survive the current situation of world’s economic, this center has cut down on number of its activities so that it can keep the financial requirements logical.
Located in Battambang, Phare Ponleu Selpak is a French organization that runs an arts school and professional circus and theater groups. This NGO also provides social service to students and financially support a public school of more than a thousand school children from poor families. It has secured its funding to ascertain that it is financially sufficient till 2010.
Epic Arts recently opened its arts center in Kampot after its existence and several years of community arts activities. It works with the disabled people using arts as a means to changing their attitude and build confidence and hope within them. This NGO is working very closely with its fundraising advisor to develop a long-term strategy before the effects of financial crisis touch its funding.
Cambodian living arts has its main focus on collaborating with the masters to transfer the knowledge of arts to the next generation. Its funding has been possible because of the support from the individual donors and family foundations; however, since they only support in what they have already believed in, but not new projects, it has been a challenge to find new donors for new projects.
This writing is based on the ‘Drama of Funding’ article byMichelle Verchon and Kuch Naren on the Cambodia Daily issued on June 27-28, 2009
Fundraising for Arts encounter hardship
It was a usual pain for arts and culture NGOs to raise fund to support the operations and projects, and it has been more remarkably difficult for arts manager since the global economic crisis. In Cambodia, more specifically, at its current pace of development arts and culture are not perceived to have a nature of urgency to be gain attention, not to mention the lack of human resources in the arts. The US based Rockefeller Foundation is a vital funding funding institution that support the arts organizations, but it has cease its contributions for the arts. Thus, this made funding a more promising difficulty faced in the arts scene of Cambodia.
Unlike health, education and other social sectors, which still have good chances of obtaining fund from the UN and government agencies, the field of arts and culture has always faced challenges in fundraising efforts. Amrita Performing Arts, a US NGO dedicated to the revival and development of Cambodian performing arts, claims that has been working to shift its mission in order for them to be able to continue working in the arts. This organization is focusing on working with a smaller group of young dancers to create contemporary works of dance and theater. In spite of the shifting, it still keeps its mission of mounting professionally staged productions; however, it is believed to be less frequent. Before this financial hardship, this organization brought a number of Cambodian productions to international stages around the world including the United States. Now, the director of this organization stated that the era of foundation-funded tours may come to an end.
The French Cultural Center is probably the biggest and most active arts institution in Cambodia, whose running of projects are based on the business of French language training the center is managing. The center has also been focusing on sustaining the quality of this language teaching and additionally equipping itself with up-to-date facilities, in which way it can keep it dynamic business operations and enhance generating incomes, which will be used to support its cultural activities. Nonetheless, the proceeds from the training have not been enough, and funding from the French Embassy in Phnom Penh was provided to augment the cost of its projects. Fortunately, the French Cultural Centers in countries including Cambodia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong are also receiving financial support from the local French companies. Remarkably, the smaller geographical size of Cambodia than that of Indonesia does not mean it is consuming less finance. Cambodia is using 5 times more fund than Indonesia. To survive the current situation of world’s economic, this center has cut down on number of its activities so that it can keep the financial requirements logical.
Located in Battambang, Phare Ponleu Selpak is a French organization that runs an arts school and professional circus and theater groups. This NGO also provides social service to students and financially support a public school of more than a thousand school children from poor families. It has secured its funding to ascertain that it is financially sufficient till 2010.
Epic Arts recently opened its arts center in Kampot after its existence and several years of community arts activities. It works with the disabled people using arts as a means to changing their attitude and build confidence and hope within them. This NGO is working very closely with its fundraising advisor to develop a long-term strategy before the effects of financial crisis touch its funding.
Cambodian living arts has its main focus on collaborating with the masters to transfer the knowledge of arts to the next generation. Its funding has been possible because of the support from the individual donors and family foundations; however, since they only support in what they have already believed in, but not new projects, it has been a challenge to find new donors for new projects.
This writing by Kang Rithisal is based on the ‘Drama of Funding’ article
by Michelle Verchon and Kuch Naren on the Cambodia Daily issued on June 27-28, 2009
