Phare’s activities

Phare Ponleu Selpak (The Brightness of The Arts) took root in the 1980s in a refugee camp on the Thai border after the Khmer Rouge Regime devastated Cambodia. There, the French humanitarian Véronique Decrop developed a form of art therapy for refugee children through drawing and painting classes.

After the camp closed, Véronique and nine of her most passionate students decided to found a drawing school in their hometown, Battambang, to help marginalized local youth. Over its 26 years of existence, the original drawing school has transformed into a multi-faceted creative hub, with four of the original founders still actively committed today.

I had the pleasure of working at Phare Ponleu Selpak for nine months in 2022. This is a collection of my work from that time with the amazing team at PPS. The photos I produced were used for social media, newspapers, exhibitions, and fundraising events.

During my stay in Cambodia, I also collaborated as videographer for NOREC with a 'south-south' exchange project for the development of performing arts in support of youth employment.