Cambodian Living Arts and the Cambodian Youth Arts Festival

The nature of my fundraise has changed. The festival dates had to be moved due to a Cambodian governmental conflict, leaving me unable to participate in the workshops I was so looking forward to teaching. I am therefore refocusing the fundraiser from a sponsorship request to a full-fledged campaign to raise $2000 for Cambodian Living Arts.

I will still be heading to Phnom Penh, as the concert I was to give during the festival will now become the kickoff event! I am very excited to be reprising selections in a concert on August 3 from the acclaimed Khmer-American rock opera Where Elephants Weep with my dear friend and co-star Marc de la Cruz.

Cambodian Living Arts still needs your help more than ever to realized their vision of a Cambodia that will be remembered not for the Khmer Rouge and the Killing Fields, but as a mecca for a flourishing artistic culture.

I champion these efforts because I have witnessed how instrumental Cambodian Living Arts is; I have personally met the students and youth whose lives are touched by CLA-- as well as seen firsthand how vulnerable to the poverty and rampant drug and sex trade the culture is.

It is CLAs vision that has me so inspired and willing to trek halfway around the world to participate in this and add whatever I can.

If you would like to help, you can click on the secure link above to contribute.

Thank you for your time and generosity!

Best,

Diane

A year ago, you were all so kind to support me in my endeavor to raise money for Cambodian Living Arts. I am still so touched whenever I've read your notes of encouragement. Well, I am happy to report that a wonderful opportunity has arisen for me to collaborate with Cambodian Living Arts once again: I have had the honor of being asked to join the teaching artists staff of the Cambodian Youth Arts Festival, the first and largest of its kind to be staged in Phnom Penh!

CLA has been so kind as to offer housing sponsorship for my time with the festival, but unfortunately they are not able to shoulder the tremendous cost for transportation to Cambodia. I am hoping to reach out to my own community to help sponsor me for this endeavor

For 6 days, I will be joined by national and international artists who will be on hand to give collaborative workshops, student -led group creative work, as well as performances around Phnom Penh. I am looking forward to reprising selections from Where Elephants Weep; This was the groundbreaking CLA commissioned Khmer-American rock opera that had been nationally televised in Cambodia and heralded as the largest cultural event since the Khmer Rouge. It was due to this project that I received some national visibility there; an advantage in this arena for the impact I may bring to these students.

The festival itself is being modeled after the large scale summer festivals of artists in Ireland in the 60s, those responsible for the renaissance of Gaelic culture after many years of civil unrest and poverty. The idea is to instill a national self-confidence through the arts, as it begins to answer the question of what it means to be Khmer. It is CLAs vision and hope that this festival will be looked back upon as a catalyst for leveraging the growth of the nation; and that in 20 years, Cambodia will be remembered not for the Khmer Rouge and the killing fields, but be seen as a mecca for a flourishing artistic culture.

I champion these efforts because I have witnessed how instrumental Cambodian Living Arts is; I have personally met the students and youth whose lives are touched by CLA- as well as seen firsthand how vulnerable to the poverty and rampant drug and sex trade the culture is. It is CLAs vision that has me so inspired and willing to trek halfway around the world to participate in this and add whatever I can.

If you would like to help, you can click on the secure link above. Thank you for your time and generosity!

Love,

Diane