GapArt

Volunteer art & performing arts project, rural Cambodia

Use your painting, fine arts or performing arts skills to work with primary school children in rural Cambodia, South East Asia.

Art and Performing Arts – rural Kampong Speu

Bordered by the Cardamon Mountains and kept green by the waters of the Praek Thnat river, Kampong Speu is one of the most beautiful provinces of Cambodia. Other areas have developed rapidly in recent years but due to the low population Kampong Speu has not. Although it is close to the capital Phnom Penh it remains largely unchanged and true to its traditional Buddhist way of life. This is charming but does mean that schools tend to be few and far between and educational standards low.

The school we work with is near the town of Krong Chbar Mon and provides an education for over 400 children aged 5 – 12. The facilities are spartan and with a teacher to pupil ratio of approximately 80:1 the potential for learning is restricted. However, there is a huge amount of enthusiasm for painting and performing arts and we would like a group of volunteers to help deliver this.

We need volunteers with an interest in the performing arts to put on a series of workshops with the children, ideally leading to a staged production. We need a second group of volunteers with painting and fine art skills to produce a set of wall murals for the otherwise bland and uninspiring walls.

Volunteers will live within walking distance of the school and would have every opportunity to become involved in the life of this wonderful, traditional community.

For further details, see our Cambodia country page. Then simply contact us or complete the application form.

Cambodia is renowned for its beautiful silks and textile designs. Unfortunately it is also infamous for having one of the highest disability rates in the world. This is partly due to diseases such as polio that are associated with poverty but also from the ghastly legacy of landmines that have been a menace in some of the Northern provinces since the Khmer Rouge era.

Our project here is a little centre based in the capital, Phnom Penh. It teaches textile skills to young women, disabled from either polio or landmines. Over the course of two years they are trained to produce beautiful clothing, furnishings, jewellery and craft products out of Cambodian silk. The centre is financed entirely through the sale of their work, and whenever money becomes available, more women are invited to join the programme.

The project needs volunteer with textile and/or design skills to work alongside the women giving them guidance and helping with their training. Support is also needed with the simple sales and marketing of their products.

For further details, see our Cambodia country page. Then simply contact us or complete the application form.