Field study

• Siem Reap Art School of Cambodia

Zhang Jing, deputy director of the CRIHAP, gave a present to Ouk Sothea, principal of the Siem Reap Art School of Cambodia



Students from the school gave a performance

Siem Reap Art School of Cambodia was built by the Cambodian Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports and Italy Children Care Center in 2000, with an aim to ensure Cambodian children’s right to learn about their culture and cultivate future art talent. With many students, the school now offers traditional Cambodian courses such as classical dance, folk dance and traditional songs. The students are selected from villages according to a certain criteria, with ages ranging from 10-13. During their four years at the art school, they also keep up with their studies in public school. The teachers are carefully chosen and many of them are famous dancers in Cambodia.

The classical dance troupe, The Royal Ballet of Cambodia, is one of the country's oldest and most sacred dance groups. It dates back to the first through the sixth centuries. In 2003, it was proclaimed as one of the "Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity" by UNESCO.

Folk dance consists of various dancing forms closely associated with the traditional rituals of different Cambodian ethnic groups.

Pinpeat music originates from the sixth century. It is used in the dance performances and religious rites and played on instruments that include the roneat, drums, sralai, khloy and chhing.

Mask making started in the Khmer Angkor Dynasty, using materials such as paper, lay and resin, and is divided into three categories: monkey, giant and human.