Community, Movement and Inclusion
What's been happening at Epic Arts
October was a month of learning, giving and community in Kampot. Students in our Special Education Program Independence Class worked at their sewing machines and cutting tables, crafting fabric items that will soon be on sale at Epic Arts Café. Our free Cambodian Sign Language classes carried on every Thursday at the Café, open to anyone who wants to learn. Teams from the TukTuk Tournament stopped in Kampot on their way to Sri Lanka to learn about our work, donating to Epic Arts and at the Café. We marked World Teachers' Day celebrating all teachers past and present who champion inclusive learning. And behind the scenes, we got ready for a very special November.
To all our incredible supporters, thank you. Your continued belief in our mission helps us champion a world where every person counts (EPiC).
Inspiring Stories
Speaking Up for Every Child: Meet Our ChildSafe Agents
Across Kampot, 42 trained community volunteers are the first people many families turn to when a child needs help. They are our ChildSafe Agents.
Preab Da lives in Teuk Chhou District. For the past four months, Preab Da has been raising awareness among parents and community members about child protection laws and children's rights.
"I wanted to become a ChildSafe Agent because I want to help vulnerable children overcome difficult situations and protect them from various forms of abuse."
The proudest moments come when children who lack food, school supplies or other essentials are able to contact Epic Arts and receive support in time. "We need to have the courage to speak up and prevent abuse and violence against children in our province."
Nou Sophea, from Kandaol Commune, encourages families to send their children with disabilities to study at Epic Arts. "I want to see our society develop and every family living without domestic violence or any form of abuse against children in our villages."
Preab Chanthy, from Thmei Commune, runs community meetings on inclusion, disability and climate change. "I would like vulnerable people to have appropriate places to stay and receive more attention and support from different organisations."
Safe communities are built by the people who live in them.
If you have a concern about a child's safety in Kampot, call the ChildSafe Movement Hotline, available 24/7: 010 333 296 | 088 9333 296.
Thank you to Monde par la main / Give a Hand for supporting this work.
Events and Performances
Dance That Makes Us Lighter
The 2026 Cultural Provincial Tour by Cambodian Living Arts included a workshop on contemporary dance movements, led by two Epic Arts Dance artists, Socheat and Srey Noch. The workshop invited participants to express emotions, personal experiences and individual and community identities through movement.
“When we come together to dance, sing and share through art, even if we are carrying sadness or difficult experiences, being together through art can make us feel lighter.”
Those words from Thorn Seyma of Cambodian Living Arts capture the spirit of the 2026 Cultural Provincial Tour. In early October, Epic Arts Dance artists joined the tour and led contemporary dance workshops.
Read the full story in Cambodianess here.
Inclusive Arts
The Room Signed Along
From 29 September to 3 October, Disability Week 2026 put persons with disabilities at the centre of Cambodia’s research, communication and policy dialogue. On the final day, Epic Arts Dance took the stage in Phnom Penh with The Ripple Effect.
In front of researchers, policymakers, development partners and community leaders, our dancers first taught the audience 10 Cambodian Sign Language signs. Then they performed a piece where every one of those signs came to life. The room didn’t just watch. It signed along.
We shared the stage with Lakhon Komnit Organisation from Battambang, who performed their community-led piece INDEPENDENCE. Afterwards, our panel discussion with Kampot’s local leaders carried the conversation on climate change and disability off the stage and into the room.
This is what inclusion looks like when it leads.
Disability Week 2026 is supported by the Australian Government (Australian Embassy, Cambodia) through Ponlok Chomnes II: Data and Dialogue for Development in Cambodia program.
Impact Update
Who Knows a Child Best?
Their family. This month 22 guardians sat down with our Inclusive Education teachers to talk about how their children are learning and what comes next. In total, 48 people took part, including 10 students.
Together, families and teachers explored autism, tried out practical behaviour management charts and agreed ways for home and school to support each child in the same way. When guidance at home matches guidance in the classroom, children know what to expect and can focus on learning.
Inclusive education works best when families help shape it. Thank you to every family for your time and your ideas.
This work is supported by Felm Cambodia.