The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and film and music production studio Koh Slaket Studio Co., Ltd. have agreed to work to together on to promote the fields of culture and the arts. Their cooperation will include content production, cultural events and the promotion of Khmer traditions and customs.

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed on Februuary 18 at the company’s headquarters in Kandal province’s Dei Ith Koh Pos village, in Kien Svay district’s Dei Ith commune.

Culture minister Phoeung Sakona presided over the event, which was attended by the studio’s leadership team.

Following the signing, Sackona explained that the government is committed to supporting national culture and traditions by collaborating with private sector partners.

These partnerships aims to promote and preserve Khmer cultural heritage, while also sharing knowledge and information.

“This cooperation is also an economic force for our nation. It attracts visitors and creates job opportunities for our people in the cultural, artistic and traditional sectors,” she said.

“If we do not understand our traditions, customs and culture, it is like having a body without a soul. We all know what happens when a person lacks a soul. By learning about national literature, arts, traditions and beliefs, we enrich our spirit. And when we have a full spirit, we have value,” she added.

Pich Chetra, chairman of Koh Slaket Studios, expressed his gratitude to the minister for attending the ceremony.

He recounted that until 2018, the studio’s location was just a muddy area where youth gangs gathered.

He and his wife dreamed of transforming the land into a cultural and artistic centre that would contribute to preserving Khmer heritage.

In 2019, his family started developing the site as a small recreational space, gradually expanding it into a location for film production, music video shoots and comedy recordings by the Koh Slaket team.

Eventually, they transformed it into Cambodia’s first and only natural cultural studio, fulfilling their vision.

Chetra noted that the studio has created over 60 jobs, employing staff in positions as diverse as writers, producers, production crews, cinematographers, editors, art instructors, artists and performers.

The company has produced 240 new original songs and 600 educational videos, winning the Pleng Music Award 2023 and continuing to produce more music.

He expressed his profound gratitude to the minister and all other stakeholders for their trust and confidence in Koh Slaket Studio’s expertise and professionalism.

He hoped that the new collaboration would yield outstanding results in promoting cultural and artistic content.