Phare, The Cambodian Circus combines theatre, music, dance, and modern circus arts to tell uniquely Cambodian stories from recent history, folklore, and modern society. Phare artists are students and graduates from Phare Ponleu Selpak's vocational training centre in Battambang. The association was formed in 1994 by nine young men coming home from a refugee camp after the Khmer Rouge regime. Phare, The Cambodian Circus provides a venue to hone skills and also earn a decent wage.