Phare Ponleu Selpak

What Phare Ponleu Selpak does

Phare Ponleu Selpak is a non-profit Cambodian arts and social-enterprise organization founded in 1994 in Battambang, with origins in the Site 2 refugee camp (1986) where founders began studying drawing under French art teacher Véronique Decrop. The organization serves 1,000+ at-risk children and youth annually through an integrated ecosystem that includes the Performing Arts School (circus, theatre, dance, and music), the Visual and Applied Arts School (VAAS) for vocational graphic design and animation training, and the Phare Public School and Kindergarten for formal education. It also delivers a Social Support Program providing nutrition, medical care, counseling, and family assistance to 200+ families directly and 800+ indirectly, addressing vulnerabilities including school dropout, domestic violence, drug abuse, and risk of illegal migration.

The organization's core revenue-generating products center on the Phare Battambang Circus, a Guinness World Record-holding integrated performance venue (24 hours, 10 minutes, 30 seconds continuous performance) running 3-4 shows per week with adult tickets at $16 and child tickets at $9. Complementary offerings include campus tours ($3-5 per visitor, available in Khmer, English, and French), workshops and events for tourists and corporate groups, an on-campus boutique and café, and four annual/biennial arts festivals (Tini Tinou, S'Art, Chumnor, Ros). The 24-month VAAS vocational program carries a $6,000 cost but is subsidized to $720 per year with scholarships, campus work options, and post-graduation loan repayment; the organization claims 100% graduate employment, with alumni performing internationally including with Cirque du Soleil and being hired by 50+ Cambodian companies. The forthcoming Phare Commons and Museum project, designed by Martin Duplantier Architects and selected for Venice Biennale 2025, will add museum/gallery space, collaborative workspaces, an IT-equipped library, and expanded nutrition services.

The business model combines earned income (ticket sales, tours, workshops, retail) with diversified fundraising across recurring child sponsorship (minimum $20/month), one-time and recurring international donations via country-specific platforms (France, UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium), and institutional grants from EU, UNESCO (IFCD), GIZ, Air France Foundation, AnBer Foundation, Terre des Hommes, and TUI Care Foundation. Wholly-owned social enterprises include Phare Creative Studios (graphic design/animation studio), Phare Handicraft Boutique, Phare Productions International (touring), and Phare, The Cambodian Circus in Siem Reap. Leadership is anchored by Executive Director Osman Khawaja alongside active co-founders Khuon Det, Srey Bandaul, Tor Vutha, and Lon Lao. No AI capabilities, APIs, software products, or external technology integrations are part of the offering.

Name

Phare Ponleu Selpak

Legal name

Phare Ponleu Selpak

Website

https://phareps.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Phare Ponleu Selpak is a non-profit Cambodian arts organization founded in 1994 in Battambang that delivers integrated arts education, vocational training, and social support to 1,000+ at-risk youth annually through schools, a Guinness World Record-holding circus, and social enterprises that employ graduates.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts Education

NAICS

Amusement and Theme Parks (71311), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Circus & Physical Theatre (MPAGABAL)

Keywords

• Arts education
• Circus performances
• Vocational training
• Performing arts school
• Arts social enterprise

Headquarters

HQ city

Battambang

HQ country

Cambodia

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Circus Show Tickets: Ticket sales for Phare Battambang Circus performances. Adults $16, children $9. Shows run 3-4 days per week, generating direct revenue while funding free arts education programs.
2. Boutique Sales: On-campus boutique selling artworks, crafts, and designs created by students. A portion of proceeds returns directly to artists, rest funds PPSA programs.
3. Campus Tours: Guided campus tours offered Monday-Friday at $5/person (groups <5) or $3/person (groups 6+). Tours available in Khmer, English, and French.
4. Workshop Packages: Group workshops in circus, traditional dance, music, art, and breakdance for tourists and businesses. Packages available for groups of 5+ or 10+.
5. Child Sponsorship: Monthly recurring donations through collective child sponsorship program. Minimum recommended $20/month providing lunch, stipends, medical care, and school supplies to at-risk students.
6. General Donations: One-time and recurring donations from international donors across multiple platforms with tax benefits in Cambodia, France, UK, US, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Germany, Switzerland, Spain, and Belgium.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Phare Ponleu Selpak operates a non-profit arts school and social enterprise in Battambang, Cambodia, delivering performing arts (circus, theatre, dance, music), visual and applied arts (graphic design, 2D/3D animation), and general education to children, youth, and the community. Programs are funded through ticket sales for its Big Top circus shows, on-campus retail, workshops, donations, and child sponsorships.

Product overview

Phare Ponleu Selpak is a non-profit arts and social enterprise organization operating as a multi-disciplinary creative campus in Battambang, Cambodia. The organization functions as an integrated ecosystem of educational programs and visitor-facing attractions rather than a traditional software product portfolio. The core educational offerings include the Visual and Applied Arts School (VAAS) with vocational training in graphic design, animation, and visual arts; the Performing Arts School with circus, theatre, dance, and music training; and Phare Public School and Kindergarten for formal education. Visitor attractions center on the Phare Battambang Circus, which holds a Guinness World Record for the longest circus performance, supplemented by campus tours, workshops, and arts festivals. Social support programs include a collective child sponsorship initiative. The organization also operates retail (Boutique & Café) and event hosting services. Major new development includes the Phare Commons and Museum project. Associated social enterprises include Phare Creative Studios (graphic design/animation studio) and Phare, The Cambodian Circus in Siem Reap. No AI capabilities, APIs, or technical integrations are offered.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Phare Battambang Circus A live circus performance series combining theatre, dance, music, and acrobatics, performed by Phare's students. Shows run three to four days per week. Tickets sold online and at the door ($16 adults, $9 children).
• Visual and Applied Arts School (VAAS) A vocational art school offering professional training in graphic design, 2D/3D animation, and visual arts, with both recreational classes for children and intensive 24-month vocational programs. Reports a 100% graduate employment rate.
• Performing Arts School Multi-year vocational training in circus, theatre, dance, and music preparing students for professional performance careers, including with Phare Cambodian Circus and Cirque du Soleil.
• Campus Tours Guided tours of the Battambang campus available in Khmer, English, and French, offering visitors insight into the school's operations, training facilities, and history.
• Workshops & Events Educational workshops for tourists and businesses covering circus, traditional Cambodian dance, music, art, and breakdancing, plus corporate event hosting and team building at the campus.
• Boutique & Café On-campus retail outlet selling student-created artworks, designs, and handcrafted products, alongside a café serving refreshments before circus shows and on-campus group Khmer dinners by advance booking.
• Arts Festivals Annual and biennial arts festivals including the Tini Tinou Circus Festival, S'Art Urban Art Festival, Chumnor Art Festival, and ROS Battambang community festival, drawing local and international audiences to Battambang.
• Child Sponsorship Program A collective child sponsorship program providing vulnerable children with free nutritious meals, stipends, medical care, school supplies, and counseling, funded by monthly donor contributions.
• Phare Public School & Kindergarten Formal education programs including community kindergarten (around 250 children aged 3-5) and primary/secondary public school (around 500 students), integrating arts practice into the standard curriculum.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of VAAS graduates find paid employment
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, minor and flagship.

• Martin Duplantier ArchitectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAward-winning architecture firm designing Phare Commons and Museum. Project selected for Venice Biennale 2025 showcasing sustainable design using adobe bricks, rammed earth, bamboo, and climate-adapted architecture.
• GIZmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman development organization contracted Phare to implement nutrition awareness raising through 43 community live arts performances reaching 25,000+ people across Cambodia.
• WaterAid CambodiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to train sanitation workers in photography and videography storytelling skills, with exhibition raising public awareness on sanitation and hygiene challenges.
• Rosewood Phnom PenhmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual fundraising gala partnership supporting Cambodian youth through arts. Multi-year collaboration with prestigious hotel hosting charity events.
• Phare France MarseilleflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization that preserves approximately 200 original artworks from Site 2 refugee camp. Will transfer collection to Battambang museum once built.
• Phare Creative StudiosflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial enterprise graphic design and animation studio providing professional employment for VAAS graduates. Located in Battambang.
• Phare Productions InternationalflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational touring productions employing Phare alumni for professional circus performances globally.
• TUI Care FoundationmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-organizer of S'Art Urban Art Festival with Phare Ponleu Selpak. Foundation supporting responsible tourism and community development.
• UNESCOminorOthersInternational Cultural Cooperation Fund for the Development of Culture (IFCD) supporting arts and culture programs.
• Cambodian Living ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NGO collaborating on arts promotion and cultural activities.
• Asian Social Circus AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional network supporting social circus practices and professional development.
• Battambang Provincial GovernmentmajorOthersLocal government partnership for educational and community programs.
• 50+ Cambodian CompaniescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of companies around Cambodia employing VAAS graduates in graphic design, animation, and visual arts positions.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Cirque du Soleil: The global circus industry leader and known employer of Phare alumni; while a commercial entertainment giant rather than a school, it directly competes for circus audiences and talent globally and provides the aspirational career pathway that anchors Phare's vocational value proposition.

Direct peers

• Friends International: A long-established Cambodian social enterprise providing education, vocational training, and social support to at-risk youth — directly comparable mission, target beneficiary profile, and social-enterprise funding model, operating in the same geographic market.
• Cambodian Living Arts: Phare's named partner and the most directly comparable Cambodian NGO, also founded in the post-conflict era to preserve traditional performing arts while supporting contemporary artists — overlapping mission in arts education, cultural preservation, and youth development within Cambodia.
• Sala Baï Hotel and Restaurant School: Cambodian vocational training social enterprise offering subsidized hospitality training with strong employment outcomes for disadvantaged youth — directly parallel vocational training model, employer-pipeline approach, and tuition-subsidy structure, though in hospitality rather than arts.
• Epic Arts: Social enterprise using the performing arts (including circus) for inclusion and empowerment of disabled and marginalized people in Cambodia — overlapping arts-education-and-social-impact model, vocational circus training, and Cambodian operating context.
• Pour un Sourire d'Enfant (PSE): Major Cambodian NGO providing education, vocational training, and social support to at-risk children and families — comparable scale, beneficiary profile, multi-program campus structure, and donor-funded operating model in the same country.

Regional players

• Enfants du Mékong: French-founded NGO sponsoring at-risk children across Southeast Asia through education support — directly comparable child sponsorship model (the model underpinning Phare's $20/month program), tax-deductible donation infrastructure, and Francophone donor base.

Emerging players

• National Circus School of Montreal (École nationale de cirque): The world's leading circus vocational training institution; comparable program in providing professional-level circus training to youth, though operating in a vastly different geography and economic context, with longer training programs leading to professional performer careers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/phareps
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@phareponleuselpak
• Facebookfacebook.com/phareponleuselpak
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/phare-ponleu-selpak
• Instagraminstagram.com/phareponleuselpak

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Phare Ponleu Selpak