{"id":4709,"date":"2025-03-03T10:15:12","date_gmt":"2025-03-03T10:15:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/?p=4709"},"modified":"2025-04-05T05:17:47","modified_gmt":"2025-04-05T05:17:47","slug":"cla-champions-creative-arts-and-culture-through-awards-and-grants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/news\/cla-champions-creative-arts-and-culture-through-awards-and-grants\/","title":{"rendered":"CLA Champions Creative Arts and Culture Through Awards and Grants"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Cambodian Living Arts celebrated artistic vibrancy and creative expression during the annual Amatak Award 2024, which serves as a vibrant intersection for beneficiaries, supporters, stakeholders, and the arts community<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The annual Amatak Award stands as a cornerstone platform for Cambodia Living Arts<\/a> (CLA), celebrating the remarkable achievements of Cambodian artists and cultural workers who have flourished through scholarships and grants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The celebration, which took place on December 4, 2024, at Raintree, not only recognised exceptional recipients through award presentations but also demonstrated CLA’s commitment to nurturing creative communities and a thriving cultural ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the event, artists shared their stories, contributing significantly to building a more inclusive and dynamic cultural landscape in Cambodia, bridging traditions with contemporary creative expressions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It serves as a key platform for young creatives to express their artistic voices, as well as recognise the grantees and artists\u2019 achievements and showcase new works and creativity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event also promotes inclusivity and diversity through the participation of artists from Cham, Indigenous, LGBTQ+ and other diverse communities, whose unique perspectives and creativity enriched the cultural dialogue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, its aim is to show how artistic voices and stories are powerful, with the artists helping to shape a more inclusive and vibrant cultural landscape in Cambodia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe make a difference in our community and reflect social change through the arts,\u201d CLA said. It supports young creatives through scholarships and grants, which are demonstrated through their talents. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since its inception in 2022, the Amatak Award has become a key platform for CLA, honouring outstanding contributions while bringing together CLA’s beneficiaries, supporters, stakeholders and the wider arts community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Shaping Cambodian society<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Yon Sokhorn, CLA Programme Director, explained that the Amatak Award event is more than a celebration; it is a testament to the creativity, dedication and resilience of Cambodia\u2019s artists and cultural crossworkers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThrough this annual event, we honour remarkable contributions and reaffirm our commitment to strengthening the arts and cultural sector, ensuring it continues to thrive and inspire,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ceremony featured excerpts of creativity and new works supported by CLA through its diverse grant programmes, along with the presentation of awards to recognise the exceptional contributions of scholarship and grant recipients, Sokhorn said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The event highlighted the ongoing impact of CLA\u2019s programmes in empowering Cambodia\u2019s creative community and fostering a dynamic cultural ecosystem filled with artistic showcases and stories that celebrate the resilience and talent of Cambodia\u2019s creative community. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Amatak Award serves as a powerful reminder of the vital role the arts play in shaping society and advancing Cambodia\u2019s cultural legacy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Presenting new \u2018rap style\u2019<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Besides the Amatak Award, CLA\u2019s grant programmes are offered to individuals and grassroots initiatives that require financial assistance for creativity, critical reflection and capacity building. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sang Sok Serey, a Cambodian rapper and receiver of CLA\u2019s Dam Dos Grant, said she first learned about the organisation from a friend before engaging actively with its activities.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Serey noted that CLA plays a vital role in promoting and raising awareness about the arts. The Dam Dos project focuses on RapNews, an initiative that transforms news into rap rather than speaking or reading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The approach benefits those who may not enjoy reading, particularly those who are not able to read or are visually impaired. They can listen to the news and gain knowledge while being entertained at the same time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cCLA plays a crucial role in promoting arts, particularly by supporting artists. It also fosters creative arts and offers grants, training, workshops and scholarships,\u201d Serey said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Without the grant, she said that she would not be able to complete her project or compensate her team. “I would like to encourage artists who have a clear goal but face financial challenges to reach out to CLA for support,” Serey said.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Indigenous talent on international stage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Yon Mondeth, an artist who graduated from the Royal University of Fine Arts with a degree in classical guitar, received a CLA New Creation Grant in 2024. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mondeth\u200b is an indigenous Brao from Pao village, Ta Veng Krom commune, Ta Veng district, Ratanakkiri province. \u201cWith the grant, I will use my skills to promote and preserve indigenous traditional music and Khmer traditional music as well,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Indigenous communities often lack opportunities to showcase their culture and capabilities to the public, particularly Cambodians. This limits awareness of their tradition and heritage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mondeth explained that the New Creation Grant Project 2024 has allowed him to highlight love and perseverance in caring for natural resources and the environment, and to promote the preservation of indigenous culture and traditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The grant also enabled him to showcase indigenous culture to the public. “Initially, I was not able to perform due to lack of funds to pay artists and arrange for the necessary instruments. However, with the grant, I could demonstrate my capabilities and share our indigenous culture with ASEAN countries in Thailand,” Mondeth said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said as an artist, he was eager to showcase indigenous culture and art, particularly the diverse traditions of indigenous living to the public. \u201cI will seek more opportunities to enhance my ability to promote indigenous communities\u2019 work to Cambodians and on the international stage,\u201d Mondeth stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Embracing Artistic Identity and Cultural Dialogue<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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According to CLA, it embraces artists\u2019 identity, contributes to discussion about arts and culture, and values people\u2019s perspective, including those from outside the arts community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cEveryone should be able to join the conversation about arts and culture. We are always open and supportive to people who want to learn or get involved. We actively connect with young people,\u201d it said.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Founded in 1998 with a mission to catalyze a vibrant arts sector, CLA initially focused on reviving and preserving traditional performing arts on the verge of disappearing. During that period, CLA supported master artists in passing their knowledge to over 300 students in various art forms across Cambodia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By the 2010s, CLA shifted toward nurturing a new generation of young artists by offering scholarships, fellowships, fair-paying jobs through regular performance platform, professional development programs, and a five-year pilot arts education program in select public schools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since 2017, in response to limited resources for artists and cultural workers, CLA has provided small grants, creative skills workshops, and support for new works. Today, CLA supports artists and organizations across all art forms, with an emphasis on strengthening and developing the entire arts sector.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cambodian Living Arts celebrated artistic vibrancy and creative expression during the annual Amatak Award 2024, which serves as a vibrant intersection for beneficiaries, supporters, stakeholders, and the arts community The annual Amatak Award stands as a cornerstone platform for Cambodia Living Arts (CLA), celebrating the remarkable achievements of Cambodian artists and cultural workers who have […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":4714,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4709","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4709"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4709"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4709\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4790,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4709\/revisions\/4790"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4709"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4709"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4709"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}