
Established on 5 November 2002 with the approval of the Ministry of Information and Culture and the Prime Minister, the Foundation for Cultural Promotion is concerned mainly with promoting the profile and musical traditional of the Lao national instrument, the khene. The Foundation organises the annual National Khene Competition (see below), and has plans to organise other khene performances and competitions, both in Laos and overseas. The Foundation supports the production of khaens that can produce a wider range of sounds and is currently lobbying for the khene to be taught in schools so that more students can become accomplished players. In the meantime it encourages khene players to perform more in conjunction with other instruments and plans to establish a club where local khene makers and performers can earn money to enable them to raise awareness of this unique style of music amongst young people.