AirAsia helps endangered ASEAN art form soar
Cambodian troupe makes international debut with the support of AirAsia Asean Corporate Responsibility initiative
In support of Cambodian Living Arts (CLA), a non-profit organisation dedicated to reviving endangered Cambodian art forms, AirAsia is making it possible for the Wat Bo Troupe from Siem Reap to perform to an international audience through its participation in the George Town Festival 2012 (GTF2012) on 7 July 2012.
“This sponsorship correlates with AirAsia’s new regional strategy. We see our extensive route network as sky bridges linking cities, communities and cultures. We want to help bring ASEAN together as one, where values and cultures are shared, appreciated and respected together as a community,” said Tony Fernandes, AirAsia ASEAN Group CEO.
“There is also great significance in introducing the Cambodian shadow puppet theatre in Malaysia. This is the year of Cambodia’s chairmanship of ASEAN and the rich Khmer culture can be traced back as the source of many of the cultural art forms across Southeast Asia,” he added.
The George Town Festival is a month long celebration of art, music, theatre, dance, opera and film commemorating the inscription of George Town on the UNESCO World Heritage listing on 7 July 2008. In 2005, Sbaek Thom was declared a UNESCO Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.
The Wat Bo Sbaek Thom troupe comprises 16 performers aged between 18 and 39. For all troupe members, this will be their first flying experience, beginning their journey with AirAsia in Siem Reap before arriving at Penang via Kuala Lumpur.
Apart from return flights and complimentary baggage allowance, AirAsia is also supporting the troupe by drumming up excitement ahead of the 7 July (Saturday) evening performance at Penang’s magnificent Khoo Kongsi clanhouse. AirAsia will also be giving away freebies including a limited number of complimentary BIG Cards on location. BIG is AirAsia’s global loyalty program which enables its members to collect points and redeem free flights.
CLA and George Town Festival organisers are jointly providing for the troupe’s stipend, accommodation and transportation. The troupe is also hosted by Tune Hotels while on transit overnight in Kuala Lumpur.
Sbaek Thom, a highly refined form of shadow theatre, is one of the oldest performance styles in Cambodia. Sbaek Thom literally means ‘large leather’ and is a type of dance-drama in which the movement of the dancers’ bodies are extensions of the action of the puppets. All Sbaek Thom performances are episodes from the epic tale of Reamker (Ramayana).
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About Cambodian Living Arts (CLA)
The Cambodian Living Arts (CLA) is a program of the Marion Institute, a non-profit organization based in Cambodia. Its mission is to create a sustainable environment where Cambodian arts can empower and transform individuals and communities. CLA was founded in 1998 by Arn Chorn-Pond, genocide survivor and internationally acclaimed human rights spokeperson.
During the Khmer Rouge era between 1975 and 1979, 25% of the Cambodian population perished, and it is thought that approximately 90% of Cambodia’s artists were among the dead. Arn created CLA to honour surviving master artists and help ensure the future of Cambodia’s traditional arts.
Today, CLA envisions being a vibrant and dynamic cultural sector throughout Cambodia. Cambodian Living Arts will be a catalyst for the arts, becoming the Cambodia’s national and international signature.
About AirAsia & AirAsia X
AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, services the most extensive network with 150 routes. Within 10 years of operations, AirAsia has carried over 155 million guests and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to approximately 106.
The airline today is proud to be a truly ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) airline with established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines servicing a network stretching across all ASEAN countries, China, India, Sri Lanka and Australia.
This is further complemented by AirAsia X, its low-cost long-haul affiliate carrier that currently flies to destinations in China, Australia, Taiwan¸ Iran, Korea and Japan. AirAsia was named the World’s Best Low Cost Airline in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax for three consecutive years (2009, 2010, 2011).
Photo Caption:
The Wat Bo Troupe gets ready to board AirAsia’s flight to Penang. It is the troupe’s first time traveling out of Cambodia to perform under this opportunity provided by AirAsia’s corporate responsibility initiative.
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