{"id":5586,"date":"2026-07-01T09:14:48","date_gmt":"2026-07-01T09:14:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/?p=5586"},"modified":"2026-07-27T10:02:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-27T10:02:29","slug":"art-beyond-borders-growing-strong-arts-ecosystems-through-human-connection-and-cultural-exchange","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/news\/art-beyond-borders-growing-strong-arts-ecosystems-through-human-connection-and-cultural-exchange\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Beyond Borders: Growing Strong Arts Ecosystems Through Human Connection and Cultural Exchange"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

When people talk about sustaining the arts, funding is often the first thing that comes to mind. Grants, sponsorships, and ticket sales all matter. But they are only part of the picture. Through two recent panel discussions organized through the Chakto II program, we explored another important part of building strong arts ecosystems: relationships, collaboration, and cultural exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On 9 June 2026, Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) <\/a>was in partnership with Institut fran\u00e7ais du Cambodge<\/a> to host two public discussions on Programming and How Works Are Selected<\/strong> and Producing and Supporting Performing Arts Works<\/strong>. Arts leaders, producers, festival directors, and cultural organizers from across Asia-Pacific shared how artistic work grows from the relationships that connect artists, audiences, presenters, and communities across borders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A key message from the conversations was that cultural institutions play a vital role in creating the conditions for artistic work to travel, evolve, and engage diverse audiences over time. Programming, production, partnerships, and international exchange were discussed not as separate functions, but as interconnected elements of a healthy arts ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jeff Khan, Creative Director of Asia TOPA<\/a> in Australia, spoke about how the festival connects Australia with the wider Asia-Pacific. Instead of looking inward, Asia TOPA creates opportunities for artists and audiences to discover new perspectives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Jeff, meaningful artistic engagement begins with curiosity about a rapidly changing world. \u201cHow much has the world changed?\u201d<\/strong> he asked, explaining that this question often serves as the starting point for curating festivals and developing international partnerships. Equally important, he noted, is the opportunity to \u201chear from people you never hear from,\u201d expanding perspectives through encounters with unfamiliar voices, stories, and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Shireen Abdullah, Director Producer from Singapore’s Esplanade \u2013 Theatres on the Bay<\/a>, supporting artists means much more than presenting finished performances. It also means creating spaces where artists can meet, learn from mentors, and build professional networks. These experiences may not always be easy to measure, but they often leave a lasting impact on artists\u2019 creative journeys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Yoko Kawasaki, Co-Artistic Director of Kyoto Experiment<\/a> in Japan, shared a similar perspective. She described festivals as a space where artists, researchers, and communities come together to ask questions rather than provide answers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFestival is not where you show something is right, or something is stronger.\u201d Yoko said. Instead, festivals create space for the freedom to express, experimentation, dialogue, and new ways of thinking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These ideas feel especially relevant for Cambodia\u2019s performing arts sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As more Cambodian artists share their work internationally, opportunities to connect with presenters, producers, and fellow artists become just as important as financial support. Professional networks, cultural exchange, and mentorship help artists develop new ideas and reach new audiences. That is why we continue to create opportunities where Cambodian artists can meet professionals from across Asia and beyond. These exchanges strengthen individual artists while also helping our performing arts sector grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rama Thaharani, Director of Indonesia’s Kelola Foundation<\/a>, spoke openly about another challenge many arts communities share. Across Southeast Asia, artists often work in isolation and disconnected networks. Building stronger arts ecosystems means helping people find one another, collaborate, and share opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also reminded us that long-term sustainability cannot rely only on international funding. Strong local support, public investment, and cultural policies all have an important role to play in helping the arts thrive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Beno\u00eet Bradel, Director of Passages Transfestival<\/a> in France, reflected on another important part of creating art: people. He shared that ambitious artistic projects begin with curiosity, but they become possible through the commitment and collaboration of artists, producers, presenters, and partners. Even with limited resources, strong relationships can help bring new ideas to life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the most memorable moment came from Peangdao Jariyapun, a core member of the Bangkok International Performing Arts Meeting (BIPAM)<\/a> and an independent producer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Looking back on years of working with artists across Asia, she summed up the value of cultural exchange in just a few words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The beautiful friendship we have.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those friendships often lead to future collaborations, touring opportunities, and even funding. More importantly, they build trust. And trust creates the foundation for lasting artistic communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These conversations reflect our own belief that healthy arts ecosystems grow through meaningful human connection. They also align closely with our 2026\u20132030 strategic priorities, which focus on strengthening Cambodia’s arts sector through learning, collaboration, and exchange.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As our Country Director, Yon Sokhorn<\/a>, reminded us, “Meaningful professional encounters are essential to the growth of artistic ecosystems.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through the ongoing collaboration of Chakto II, we continue to create spaces where artists, producers, festival directors, presenters, and cultural leaders from Cambodia and across Asia-Pacific can meet, exchange ideas, and build meaningful connections. Each conversation and collaboration strengthens the relationships that help arts communities grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a changing world, these connections matter more than ever. By bringing people together through artistic exchange, Chakto II creates opportunities for learning, collaboration, and shared creativity\u2014helping build a more connected and vibrant arts ecosystem in Cambodia and beyond.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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When people talk about sustaining the arts, funding is often the first thing that comes to mind. Grants, sponsorships, and ticket sales all matter. But they are only part of the picture. Through two recent panel discussions organized through the Chakto II program, we explored another important part of building strong arts ecosystems: relationships, collaboration, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":5572,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5586","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\/5586"}],"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=5586"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5586\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5609,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5586\/revisions\/5609"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5586"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5586"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cambodianlivingarts.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5586"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}