Organization

The Cambodian-German Cultural Center “Meta House Goethe-Center” was established in January 2007 in the capital Phnom Penh. What once started as a small community center in a private house, has grown into an award-winning arts & media hub. In the course of the last decade, Meta House has won several accolades, from “Best Cambodian Art Space” to “South-East-Asia’s Top Arts NGO”. Nicolaus Mesterharm, the founding director, was awarded the “Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany” in 2018.

Meta House is sole partner of the “Goethe-Institute” in Cambodia. “Goethe-Institut” (German) is the Federal Republic of Germany’s cultural institute, promoting the study of German language abroad and encouraging international cultural exchange. Together with its partner, Meta House actively supports Cambodian artists and students to promote the development of contemporary arts/media through local and international exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, community-based projects and exchange programs.

Meta House is a creative platform for meaningful public events, workshops and seminars by national and international NGOs with a strong focus on human rights and freedom of expression. Furthering expressive art forms is crucial to the development of any society, none more so than Cambodia where individuals are desperate for a voice.

Since 2014, Meta House’s umbrella organization “Cambodian-German Cultural Association” (KDKG) is registered as an I-NGO with the “Ministry of Foreign Affairs” (MoFA) of the Kingdom of Cambodia and has signed Memorandums of Understanding with the “Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports” (MoEYS) and the “Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts” (MoCFA). The Berlin-based partner organization “Kambodschanisch-Deutsche Kulturgesellschaft” (KDKG e.V.) was registered a year earlier, in 2013. The German Foundation and the Cambodian entity share similar statutes and goals. KDKG e.V. advises the Cambodian I-NGO in terms of policies with a focus on intercultural dialogue between Germany and Cambodia, German funding possibilities, as well as facilitating volunteer exchange.