CLA supports 16 elderly masters—legends of their craft before the Khmer Rouge—to pass on their skills to a new generation, providing them with jobs and a living wage, basic medical care, and technical assistance. It also supports nearly 300 students, providing them a small monthly stipend, instruments, and costumes. Through the arts, CLA nurtures confidence and leadership and promotes peer-learning, intergenerational understanding, and healing.

As part of its mission to inspire contemporary artistic expression, CLA commissions artists to create new works that dovetail traditional and contemporary styles, bringing new life to ancient forms.

CLA empowers arts students and masters to develop performance skills and social networks that will help them to make a living through the arts. Since 2003, the number of performances by masters and students has increased by 400% due to CLA’s support; consequently, some performing groups earn from $200-$4,000+ more in income each year from performances alone.

Studio CLA is the Cambodian Living Arts recording studio based in Phnom Penh; it works to document and record the repertoire, skills, and techniques of CLA's aging masters in order to make this knowledge available around the world and into the future. It also engages in some commercial projects designed to support the livelihoods of Khmer musicians.