Siem Reap

After Angkor Wat and as dusk fell we rode by tuk tuk out of the city centre to watch Phare, the Cambodian circus. It is a non-profit organisation that teaches young Cambodians with difficult backgrounds how to heal and express themselves through the arts. Each night the circus performs a different story based on Cambodian history and culture and we watched 'Eclipse', the story of a young boy who struggles to be accepted within his community.

In the intimate setting of a small tented amphitheatre we watched incredible feats of acrobatics and dance by the athletic and energetic troupe, all accompanied by lights, music and fire. It was a compelling performance that made it easy to see how the circus is welcomed to perform internationally (France and U.S. later this year).Read more