FICAC, Cambodia

About the organisation

FICAC (Fish Island Community Arts Centre) is an exciting new social enterprise created by Kek Soon, first established as the Kampot Arts & Music Association (KAMA) in 2015. It brings real grassroots community development through great cuisine, arts & culture.

FICAC’s infrastructure consists of a theatre space, five bungalows, a recording studio, a small ceramics & sculpture studio, a library, an outdoor stage, a kitchen and eating space and lush tropical gardens. The arts venue shins light on Cambodia’s vibrant and emerging contemporary arts scene and is a meeting point for Cambodian and international artists.

Moreover, through collaboration with visiting artists and professional producers, FICAC aims to empower the local community and to increase their chances for additional income.

The people behind it

Kek Soon (Khun Gechsoun) who manages FICAC, is a great cook and wood cut and print artist and painter.

Soon also established Kek Soon's Cuisine & Culture Tours. This has proved to be a very popular tour for visitors to Kampot.

In 2019 the World Tourism Forum in Lucerne choose Soon as the winner of the World Tourism Star Award.

Latest updates

Oct 29, 2026 · Facebook FICAC hat gepostet:

English class At FICAC With Srey pum #fishislandcommunityartscentre #studentresidential #spendedirekt #fishislandcommunityartscentre...

Sep 11, 2026 · Facebook FICAC hat gepostet:

Getting a bed for all the residential at FICAC #fishislandcommunityartscentre #studentresidential #spendedirekt #fishislandcommunityartscentre...

Aug 26, 2026 · Facebook FICAC hat gepostet:

Making a new Drain system for FICAC #fishislandcommunityartscentre #studentresidential #spendedirekt #fishislandcommunityartscentre...

Aug 25, 2026 · Facebook FICAC hat gepostet:

Building a new place for the student for living in At FICAC #fishislandcommunityartscentre #studentresidential #spendedirekt #fishislandcommunityartscentre...

Aug 20, 2026 · Facebook FICAC hat gepostet:

Building a new place for all the students for living in At FICAC #fishislandcommunityartscentre #studentresidential #spendedirekt #keksooncookingclass...

Aug 12, 2026 · Facebook FICAC hat gepostet:

English class At FICAC #fishislandcommunityartscentre #studentresidential #spendedirekt #fishislandcommunityartscentre #keksooncuisineandculturetour...

Aug 12, 2026 · Facebook FICAC hat gepostet:

Making a new Drain system for FICAC #fishislandcommunityartscentre #studentresidential #spendedirekt #fishislandcommunityartscentre...

Aug 7, 2026 · Facebook FICAC hat gepostet:

Building a new place for the student for living in At FICAC #fishislandcommunityartscentre #studentresidential #spendedirekt #fishislandcommunityartscentre...

Aug 6, 2026 · Facebook FICAC hat gepostet:

Building a new place for the student for living in At FICAC #fishislandcommunityartscentre #studentresidential #spendedirekt #fishislandcommunityartscentre...

Jul 5, 2026 · Facebook FICAC hat gepostet:

FICAC Sooki Dolls – Handmade with Love ❤️ Every FICAC Sooki Doll is lovingly 100% handmade and hand-designed, making each piece truly one of a kind. Created...

Projects

Running projects (4)

Running

FICAC Residential Support for Youth

Residential Support provides safe live-in accommodation and financial support for youth in residence at FICAC.

FICAC provides accommodation and living expenses including daily meals, school travel costs and safe and friendly accommodation facilities for five young people. We host students who experienced difficulties at home and have no or little family support. Each of our live-in students come from extremely poor and disadvantaged backgrounds. At FICAC they learn skills in visual and performing arts, English lessons, cuisine culture and tourism. Our young students stay at FICAC at a cost of just 3 USD per day. At present, FICAC hosts five students-in-residence and provides care and encouragement for their well-being and regular attendance at provincial high school and participation in FICAC skills training opportunities. This program costs a total of USD450per month.

More about the project

Target group

Teenagers youths and young adults from broken homes who wish to continue state school and skills training at FICAC.

Why we do it

Many of our students and participants come from extremely disadvantaged backgrounds and some require the additional support of expenses for school, traveling, and food and accommodation.

Project activities

Live-in-residence at FICAC to attend school. Daily travelling, study, skills training, and domestic duties related to kitchen and studio projects at FICAC.

Total budget (earlier figure): 3,960 USD · documented spend: 20,395 CHF

Beneficiaries: 6 planned

Running

Drawing classes at FICAC

Teach children basic drawing techniques

To build and improve the children's drawing skills

More about the project

Target group

15 children

Why we do it

Children learn to use different tools and techniques of drawing

Project activities

Drawing classes

Total budget (earlier figure): 1,164 USD · documented spend: 76 CHF

Beneficiaries: 15 planned

Running

Cooking Classes

Provide cooking and baking classes for the Kids

Teach the kids how to cook khmer and international foods and how to bake, which is a valuable vocal skill

More about the project

Target group

The older Kids at FICAC (14 Kids, 12 to 23 years old)

Why we do it

We believe that by teaching the kids vocational skills such as cooking, we provide them with future job opportunities.

Project activities

Teaching the kids cooking and baking every day. This will cost us around 10$ per day.

Total budget (earlier figure): 7,600 USD · documented spend: 4,303 CHF

Beneficiaries: 14 reached · 14 planned

Running

Projekt test

Planned projects (5)

Planned

Fish Island World Music & Inclusive Arts Festival

Music, visual, performing, and inclusive arts festival.

Showcase the works of Fish Island Community Arts Centre. Demonstrate community development through sustainable arts and culture initiatives including music, visual arts, costume, fashion design. Capacity building through skills sharing workshops, English language training, hospitality and tourism training and experience. Local arts expo to connect to international audiences and market place.

More about the project

Target group

Several target groups, including youth artists, heritage artists, disabled artists, artists from disadvantaged backgrounds. Also, targeting international travellers who seek to connect with meaningful community development projects such as FICAC and experience the emergence of grassroots arts in Cambodia.

Why we do it

Build capacity and train our local artists, students and create community awareness through exhibition and performance workshops and events. To connect local and international guests and highlight cultural diversity. To build via arts markets and employment opportunities for Cambodian creative community, particularly in rural Cambodia.

Project activities

Fish Island World Music & Inclusive Arts Festival

FIWMF is an inclusive music, visual and performing arts festival with a 4-day program of events and workshops highlighting grassroots community arts and celebrating diversity.

Fish Island World Music & Inclusive Arts Festival
Sat 30 and Sun 31 (NYE)

Fri 29 - Official opening and welcome by FICAC team and Mayor
Fri 29 - Cambodian Food Expo led by Kek Soon and FICAC's young chef program
Fri 29 - Visual Arts and Costume Design exhibition
Fri 29 - Salt Fields Trash Fashion live runway performance with artists modelling their original creations.
Fri 29 - Open mic event - allowing guest musicians to perform songs and meet others.

Sat 30 - Visual Arts and Costume Design exhibition by FICAC students
Sat 30 - Performance by blind Chapei Dong Veng master musician Leng Bouen
Sat 30 - Salt Fields Trash Fashion live runway performance with artists modelling original creations
Sat 30 - Performance by visiting international music group
Sat 30 - Performance by Cambodian Space Project “the mothership”

Sun 31 - Visual Arts and Costume Design exhibition by FICAC students
Sun 31 - Performance by blind Chapei Dong Veng master musician Leng Bouen.
Sun 31 - Salt Fields Trash Fashion live runway performance with artists modelling original creations
Sun 31 - Performance by visiting international music group
Sun 31 - Performance by Cambodian Space Project “the mothership”
Sun 31 - Cambodian DJ workshop by visiting DJ alongside FICAC students

Mon 01 - Visual Arts and Costume Design exhibition by FICAC students
Mon 01 - Meet the community Fish Island cycling - a guided tour of Traeuy Kaoh sites
Mon 01 - FICAC students present their original ’sock puppet’ theatre show
Mon 01 - Cambodian Dinner prepared and presented by Kek Soon and FICAC's young chef students

Total budget (earlier figure): 46,900 USD · documented spend: 2,708 CHF

Beneficiaries: 800 planned

Planned

FICAC Utilities

This project supports basic utility expenses and overheads including electricity, water and 1 full time staff member

This project helps sustain and strengthen the work at Fish Island Community Arts Centre and supports essential expenses to offset little to no commercial income during this time of COVID and tourism industry shut down.

More about the project

Target group

The project target covers 60 participants plus provides FICAC as an open and viable community arts space to villages on Trey Koh (Fish Island) and others in the wider community in Kampot and Cambodia.

Why we do it

Fish Island Community Arts Centre is a unique arts organisation situated in rural Cambodia and makes a difference to our community through skills sharing, arts programs, language lessons, kitchen and hospitality training, and digital media projects.

Project activities

Kitchen, Hospitality, Tourism, Languages, Visual Arts, Design, Music, Digital Media, skills training.

Total budget (earlier figure): 18,500 USD · documented spend: 7,549 CHF

Beneficiaries: 60 planned

Planned

Projekt Foods (FICAC 56)

Planned

Projekt Foods (FICAC)

Planned

Name

Description

Completed projects (12)

Completed

Recycle art project

The project recycles trash found in and around the community and creates sculptures and fashion out of it.

The children paint and create recycled art out of trash and learn through sharing this common experience.

More about the project

Target group

15 children at FICAC + 50 community members + about 100 visitors

Why we do it

Learning through sharing this experience will bring them better opportunity for the future. Exposing trash in an artistic way helps to bring forward attention from the community.

Project activities

The project is starting on August 20 and finish on November 1

Total budget (earlier figure): 9,246 USD · documented spend: 727 CHF

Beneficiaries: 60 reached · 15 planned

Completed

Food support during Covid-19

Food support poor families during Covid-19

To provide food for the poor families. Some of them lost their job and can't afford to pay for food anymore. It is a very difficult situation, because of Covid-19 and the strict lockdown here in Cambodia.

More about the project

Target group

60 poor families

Why we do it

We want to do the project because of a lot of people need support and we want to share some things with them.

Project activities

The project is starting on 28 August, we will make food vouchers and distribute the food.

Total budget (earlier figure): 14,928 USD · documented spend: 1,755 CHF

Beneficiaries: 60 reached · 60 planned

Completed

Room for the girls

To make a room for the girls to sleep over night when we have a project

They can have place to sleep and spend the night all together and to have a safe place

More about the project

Target group

Girls at FICAC

Why we do it

Sometimes the girls have problems with their parents so they can stay in the community to have a safe place.

Project activities

Building the room for them

Total budget (earlier figure): 4,820 USD · documented spend: 498 CHF

Beneficiaries: 15 reached · 15 planned

Completed

Building a Roof for the Kids

To give shade for kids during their studies.

The kids and students can study in a better environment, without being exposed to the sun and the rain.

More about the project

Target group

10 kids/students

Why we do it

see above

Project activities

see above

Total budget (earlier figure): 2,860 USD · documented spend: 207 CHF

Beneficiaries: 15 reached · 10 planned

Completed

Solar light

Install solar lights at FICAC

Provide light for the kids to learn and play

More about the project

Target group

The kids at FICAC

Why we do it

see above

Project activities

see above

Total budget (earlier figure): 1,400 USD · documented spend: 188 CHF

Beneficiaries: 60 reached · 60 planned

Completed

Community Meeting

Meeting to present our work to the community

- The community understands what we are doing - Support for FICAC in the community grows

More about the project

Target group

The Kids, their parents and community officials

Why we do it

We want to show the community what we have been working on in order to increase the support for FICAC, so more parents send their kids to us

Project activities

- Organise a community meeting
- Cook for the community
- Distribute second hand clothes to the farmers

Total budget (earlier figure): 3,049 USD · documented spend: 642 CHF

Beneficiaries: 100 reached · 100 planned

Completed

Art Studio for the kids

Building an Art Studio at FICAC to teach the kids Art

We want to build specific place to be able to teach the kids how to paint.

More about the project

Target group

The Kids at FICAC

Why we do it

Art teaches the Kids valuable skills for the future and fosters their creativity

Project activities

- Building the Art Studio
- Buying shelves and materials to make art

Total budget (earlier figure): 25,300 USD · documented spend: 2,278 CHF

Beneficiaries: 1 reached · 60 planned

Completed

Water bottles for the Kids

Buying reusable water bottles for the Kids

We want to buy water bottles for the kids

More about the project

Target group

The kids at FICAC

Why we do it

The kids are using a lot of non-reusable water containers, by buying them reusable ones, they can learn about sustainability and we teach them about sustainability

Project activities

Buy the bottles and distribute them

Total budget (earlier figure): 1,415 USD · documented spend: 99 CHF

Beneficiaries: 15 reached · 15 planned

Completed

Food for the Community

We will let the kids cook 220 bags of pork rice for the local community

- Teaching the kids how to cook
- Providing food for the local community

More about the project

Target group

- Kids at FICAC

- Community (small Hospitals, Villages, Police Station)

Why we do it

We will teach the kids the skill of cooking, of respect and kindness and we support the local community

Project activities

- Talking to he head of the community

- Arrange everything, buy the ingredients

- Cook the pork rice with the kids

- Distribute the rice to the community

- Eat out with the Kids as a reward

Total budget (earlier figure): 5,600 USD · documented spend: 435 CHF

Beneficiaries: 250 reached · 250 planned

Completed

Corona support for the Fish Island

Distribute food to the most vulnerable families

Buying and distributing Food packages:
500 kg rice and noodles, 300 cans of fish, 150 bottles of soja sauce, 150 bottles of fish sauce, 25 bottles of cooking oil, 25 kg of sugar, 60 5l tanks of water, 250 eggs.

More about the project

Target group

The most vulnerable families in our community

Why we do it

Corona is preventing families to work. This leads to a shortage of food. By providing families with food, we can help them through those times.

Project activities

1) Identify the 20 poorest families

2) Buy food packages

3) Distribute the food packages

Total budget (earlier figure): 13,097 USD · documented spend: 974 CHF

Beneficiaries: 20 reached · 20 planned

Completed

Clean water for the kids

Buying a water filter to reduce water costs

The goal is to provide clean water to the children while reducing the costs.

More about the project

Target group

For the Kids at FICAC.

Why we do it

Thanks to the water filter, we don't have to buy expensive bottled water anymore, so costs can be reduced.

Project activities

Buying and setting up the water filter

Total budget (earlier figure): 3,550 USD · documented spend: 207 CHF

Beneficiaries: 60 reached · 60 planned

Completed

The Fish Island Arts Project

Fish Island Arts Centre brings real grassroots community development through great cuisine, arts, & culture.

The Fish Island Community Arts Centre is an exciting social enterprise created by Kek Soon and the team at KAMA, Cambodia. Fish Island Arts Centre brings real grassroots community development through great cuisine, arts, & culture.

More about the project

Target group

The Fish Island Community Arts Centre is aiming to empower marginalized societies, focusing on women, in Kampott

Why we do it

The Fish Island was established by KAMA (Kampot Arts & Music Association) to create a viable working environment in music, dance, theatre and visual arts to work within the rural farmlands of Cambodian to create viable, meaningful community arts with the view to create hope, sustainability, employment and enrichment in a poor fishing and farming community in Kampot, Cambodia. Our focus is on four kinds of contemporary arts:

Project activities

1) Complete building of a secure front wall and gate - this is an imp.ortant step and ensures safety and security for youth and family members attending FICAC and allows for attendees and visitors to be signed in on a daily basis.

2) Build support poles to secure the (presently unsafe) roof above communal area. This has become more urgent as we move into wet season and experience heavy rain and strong winds. This is the only shaded area at FICAC and is where most classes and sessions take place.

Total budget (earlier figure): 119,705 USD · documented spend: 1,410 CHF

Beneficiaries: 60 reached · 200 planned