PROGRAM LAUNCH “CHAKTO” A WRITING AND CREATION SUPPORT PROJECT FOR YOUNG CAMBODIAN TALENTS

Phnom Penh: The “Chakto” program, a project to support Cambodia’s cultural and creative industries, is now officially launched. This program, funded by the Fonds Équipe France Création of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, is supported by the French Embassy in Cambodia and the French Institute in Cambodia, in partnership with major players in the Cambodian cultural sector: Sipar Publishing, the Anti-Archive film production company, Kongchak Studio, and the Cambodian Living Arts NGO. This program kicked off in October 2024 and will unfold for a year.

The “Chakto” project aims to strengthen the skills of young Cambodian talents in four key areas: graphic novels and comics, cinema, music, and dance. This program places particular emphasis on the importance of writing in the creative process, a fundamental element for the development of cultural and creative industries. The program aims to train a pool of professionals through targeted training, adapted to local needs and sustainable development objectives in the cultural and creative industries.

Program Launch "Chakto" a writing and creation support project for young Cambodian talents“We chose Chakto for the name of the program as it reflects both the creativity of the project and highlights the Khmer language and culture. “Chakto” means four, a word with great importance in the Cambodian culture, as it evokes the four cardinal points, the Chaktomuk theater, situated at the junction of four rivers, and the historic name of the city of Phnom Penh. Just like its name, Chakto is thus at the crossroads of the four disciplines, having them interact and mutually enrich each other,” says Fanny Pagès, Deputy Director and Cultural Attachée of the French Institute in Cambodia.

The “Chakto” project is divided into three main steps: training to strengthen local artistic skills, developing entrepreneurial skills in the cultural sector, and organizing a regional seminar dedicated to cultural and creative industries.

Program Launch "Chakto" a writing and creation support project for young Cambodian talentsTraining is the starting point of the program. Participants, from various creative backgrounds, benefit from intensive professional workshops led by French mentors, experts in their respective fields. These sessions are designed to provide young artists with the tools they need to refine their technical skills and broaden their creative horizons.

Once the training phase is over, it’s time for production. The trained talents take action by creating their own artistic projects. Depending on their specialty, they embark on creating comic strips, writing scripts for short films, composing music, or creating choreographies, thus contributing to the diversity of artistic forms in the program.

Finally, the projects will be presented to the Cambodian public through a dedicated event to allow these young creators to make their works known. This dissemination process aims to strengthen their visibility while actively participating in Cambodia’s growing cultural sector.

Photo by: Supplied 

Program Launch "Chakto" a writing and creation support project for young Cambodian talents

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here