Cambodian Audience Engagement in the Performing Arts: Cambodian Living Arts 2022 Cultural Season

Project Report There is growing research on arts audiences - particularly regarding theatre and dance (Sedgman 2019; Walmsley 2019; Reason et al 2022). However, much of this work remains centred on the ‘Global North’ and there is little published research on arts audiences in South East Asia in general, and Cambodia in particular. The exception to this is our previous report (Rogers et al 2021) which was the first time that research has examined audience composition, understanding and preferences for the performing arts in Phnom Penh. This research raised a bigger question around who the arts are for and highlighted that young people did not always understand what they were watching. The project discussed here builds on this previous work, as it sought to further understand the composition of audiences attending Cambodian performance events, examine their reactions, and consider how using simple forms of technology may promote audience engagement and understanding. The research used Cambodian Living Arts’ (CLA) 2022 Cultural Season of performances, workshops, and talks as a case study through which to experiment with this and other methodologies. The Cultural Season (titled Action Today: Consequences Tomorrow) was held in Phnom Penh and then toured across Cambodia, also giving the research the unique opportunity to find out more about arts audiences in the provinces. The findings provide insights into the level of knowledge and understanding of the arts among different audiences across Cambodia, their preferences in terms of types of arts consumed, and the choices surrounding their participation and involvement in the arts.