ricca ricca*festa 2017 Event Report

We learned the different ways to a creation either with existing materials or taken out from the performers during the process.
Dara Huot (Cambodia)

Background

  • Ratha YA represented Phare in 2016 TYA network meeting in Ricca Ricca* Festa, introduced by  CLA and Mr. Hugo Brown.  http://tya-asia.com/en/home-en/
  • Dara and Momoko coordinated the TYA research trip in FEB 2017
  • Dara is invited representing Phare to TYA Network Program July 21st to 30th, 2017
  • There are 25 productions in this festival in 2017 as well as workshops, lectures and talks.
  • Ticket price is average at 15 USD for adults and 10 for children/babies.

Missions:

  • Learn from theater productions in the festival and bring we have learned to Phare and Cambodia
  • Build Relationship and network of TYA for future collaborations
  • Market and sell Phare’s performances to the festivals, networks present at the festival.

Major take-aways/opportunities:

  • Dara is interviewed by Asian Performing Arts Network, article to be published here: http://performingarts.jp/, a good place to read and learn about performing arts contexts and professionals
  • In Japan, performing venues does not need to be a specially made venue for performing arts. Normal hall can be converted to performing arts venues. Seating structure are built using plywood and simple materials.
  • The organizer does not target to have many audiences in the performance. The maximum seating available is 40 to 50 paxs.
  • Director of Australia told us that back home the ideal working schedule is 3 weeks of show development/workshop, then 2 weeks of creation/rehearsal present to producers, presenters, buyers to get investment, then 4 weeks of rest, then 4 weeks of creation then the presentation. Then may be wait even one year for the sales to materialize, when it does, before the tours, they do 1 to 2 weeks rehearsal. Similar to Phare that usually require 3 sessions of creation/residencies, 20 days each time. Canadian troupe shares that they sometimes take 3 years on and off process to create a new production. The productions in Canadian usually live for 4 to 5 years or until when the artists feel like it’s not fun to do it anymore.
  • We thought this experience is too important for us to only only share with Phare artists and team but also other arts organizations in Cambodia. Upon our return we organized a public sharing session on the subject to 50 Phare team members and other arts managers.

dara

  • We also pick Theater/Live Performances for young audience as a subject for discussion in our trimester Arts Managers Meeting. 
  • Sokun express strong appreciation to Phare through Career Development Program that provides her 50% of expeneses support on flight and accommodation. She gets to go out of Cambodia for the first time and take her first flight. 
  • Developed countries want their children to learn about the arts since they are young. They respect children, make the children develop
  • The team express the wish to make it happen in Cambodia even in rural schools,
  • In Denmark each young person usually see a minimum of 2 shows per year
  • The ticket price in the festival is15USD for children 20USD or 30USD for adults.
  • Arts is the food for children’s brain.
  • We learn the similarities, differences from theater for young audience and adults,
  • We took notice on the simplicity of venues, locations and limited number of audience. For a quality experience, there is no need many people in the audience.
  • When we go out to participate in an international platform like this, we must represent ourselves, our organizations and our country very well. We must fully participate, share, learn and show the positive side of what it means to be Cambodians.
  • We learned the different ways to a creation either with existing materials or taken out from the performers during the process.
  • We would like Phare to produce/print the annual publication of all live performance productions created in Cambodia.

One of the performance was “One Morning I Left” from Chile. It deals with early childhood development, the child enjoy the boxes of the toys more than the toys.

The artists wanted the adults to feel it’s very simple to be with children, spend time together and play with them. Easy to make the children be in the children world but it’s important for the adults to accompany and be with the child. Everything is visual and sound, moving in front of the audience. Before the artists go to a new country, they learn a few words, integrate into the performance.They do workshop on body communication for teachers, actors,

Do not use the same recipe; always want to go to a new universe. 1 show uses only 1 instrument. The rest of the music is from human voice/sound.

They are always 3 together, sound engineer, and designer 5 very important to work always together in the creation process.

In Chile there many many theaters, many many companies, 8 years ago, no works targeted early childhood, same years 3 companies started works for the infants, begin with big theaters in San Diego, first time people with babies sit in the back, now they come to sit in the front. Not Childish theater, make good theater for early childhood.

They introduced http://ipayweb.org/, Ipay, in the US January 2018, Philadelphia,

They were actors, university mates 18 years ago. They are band singers, physical theaters, they did many things before. Leave everything and put all energy in this project.

Upon our return, Phare team did a public sharing session and an private Arts Managers Meeting session on theater and live performances for young audience, the future in Cambodia.

2nd Arts Managers Meeting Session hosted by Phare:

Participants: Phare, Cambodian Living Arts, Bambu Stage, Battambang Theater Troupe, New Cambodian Artists

photo-3

dara-huot
Dara Huot
Cambodia
Phare Performing Social Enterprise (PPSE)
Festival Director
Participant at ricca ricca*festa