AsiaLIFE

Now a regular feature on the Cambodian art calendar, as Sylvia Nam discovers this year’s Tini Tinou Circus Festival comes at a cost.

Organised by the local Battambang-based NGO Phare Ponleu Selpak, the sixth annual 2009 Tini Tinou International Circus Festival will take place over the course of three weeks between mid-March and early April. Literally “here and there” tini tinou also means “exchange.” True to its name, this year’s festival features aerial works and clowns of all stripes and colours through the work of companies from a dozen countries, spanning four continents.

From Apr. 2 to 5, artists from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Japan, Romania, Germany, France, Belgium, Canada and Australia will dazzle audiences with a spectacle of air and acrobatics involving flying trapeze, cradle swinging, juggling and tightrope walking. There will also be some community events introducing the audience to the work of Phare. Holding Tini Tinou in Battambang aligns with the festival’s goal to decentralise the arts and bring creative solutions to the provinces. However, those unable to make the journey to the Kingdom’s second city can see the festival’s preview in Phnom Penh on Mar. 27-28, preceded by two weeks of workshops providing skills and knowledge-sharing between professionals, senior artists and their young pretenders.

An Original Story

The circus arts have a longer heritage in Cambodia evidenced by bas-reliefs on the thirteenth century Angkorean Bayon Temple that depict figures tumbling, as well as doing contortions and balancing acts. The Royal University of Fine Arts in Phnom Penh has been the home of the National Circus School of Cambodia since 1986. With its assistance Phare formed its own circus school in 1998.

First began in 2004 under the auspices of the Association Française d'Action Artistique as part of its CircAsia programme, the Tini Tinou Festival was designed to promote contemporary circus arts throughout Southeast Asia. Initially organised by the French Cultural Centre, Phare took over responsibility for running the festival in 2006. Translating into the light (or brightness) of art, Phare provides vocational training to disadvantaged youth through its schools of music, visual and circus arts. Having originated in 1986 at the Thai border refugee camps, Phare was formally founded in 1994. The organisation used art to help young refugees overcome the trauma of war and later on to keep young people creatively active and off the streets.

Now Phare houses a public school, library, and orphanage serving over 1,800 students and youth forging socio-cultural development through vocational training and education. The circus troupe has gained international repute and performed throughout Asia, Africa and Europe. Consisting of artists from 14 to 25 years of age, the troupe will perform Puthou as well as unveil two new pieces during the main portion of the festival.

The Art of Sustainability

For the first time in its six-year history, the organisers will be charging for tickets to the festival. While this year’s event has the support of various sponsors, including the French Embassy and the French Cultural Centre, financial shortfalls have forced the organisers to introduce a tiered ticketing system. A single-day pass is US$10 for foreigners and 3,000 riel for Cambodians, although the local Battambang community will get in for free. There are also discounts for children and special rates for four-day passes (see below). It waits to be seen whether, in the current global economic crisis, Tini Tinou’s new pricing policy will set an example other artistic events will be forced to follow.

Schedule of Events

Mar. 27: Show at the French Cultural Centre. 7pm. Tickets: US$8 (US$4 for students and those under 25 years)
Mar. 28: Phnom Penh Parade. 4.30pm. Starts at Friends Restaurant on Street 13. Free.
April 2-5: Battambang Festival. 5 to 11pm daily. Non-Cambodians: US$10/single day, US$20/four-day pass (US$4/US$8 for youth under 16 years). For Cambodians: 3,000 riel/single day, US$3/four-day pass. Local Battambang community: Free.
Tickets available at the French Cultural Centre, The Shop, Meta House, and Monument Books.

For more information on this year’s event, contact Dorothée Alémany, Tel:  089 906 104, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it