2013 SEASON OF CAMBODIA FESTIVAL Brings Over 125 Performance and Visual Artists to NYC, April-May 2013

The Season of Cambodia (SoC) brings more than 125 Cambodian performance and visual artists to New York City's preeminent stages, screens, galleries and public spaces, creating a broad and dynamic platform to celebrate Cambodia's transformation into a country now led by its vibrant arts and culture scene - not only by its recent past synonymous with the "killing fields."

The festival celebrates Cambodia's vibrant artistic revival just one generation removed from the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-1979), a dark period in Cambodia's history during which nearly 90% of the artists and intellectuals were tragically eliminated in an effort to devastate the very soul and identity of a country's people.

The SoC will serve as an international platform that not only highlights the extraordinary resilience of the Cambodian nation and its artists, but also sets the stage for other post-conflict nations seeking renewal through artistic expression.

The SoC is a project of Phnom Penh-based Cambodia Living Arts (CLA) with sponsorship from Openbox based in New York City.

Together CLA and Openbox have made the SoC a leading commitment with the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) to highlight the importance of embracing arts & culture as critically important in the holistic development of a post-conflict nation. Health, education, and jobs are critical to development, but arts and culture provide resilience, meaning, and identity to a society and its people- qualities that are vitally needed in nations so devastated by conflict.

About Openbox-Openbox is leading social impact investing and design consultancy that combines smart thinking with smart money. Openbox invests financial and human capital into ambitious and innovative for-profit and nonprofit ventures that seek to make a meaningful difference in the world. http://www.opnbx.com

About Cambodian Living Arts-Cambodia Living Arts is a non-profit organization based in Phnom Penh and the U.S. founded in 1998 by artist and Khmer Rouge survivor Arn Chorn-Pond. Today, CLA fosters collaborations with Cambodian artists and organizations, serving as a catalyst for the development and resiliency of Cambodian arts and culture. http://www.cambodialivingarts.org

About the Clinton Global Initiative-Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world's most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date, CGI members have made more than 2,300 commitments, which are already improving the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $73.5 billion. http://www.clintonglobalinitiative.org