The cultural industries in Vietnam have potential to develop rapidly both on a national, regional and international scale. In order to put focus on the matter, the Embassy of Denmark in Hanoi and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism joined forces and arranged a workshop with the title “Strategic planning framework for the development of cultural industries in Vietnam’’ which was held recently.
The aim of the workshop was to create a forum to discuss strategies, mechanisms and policies to develop cultural industries in Vietnam with a specific focus on the three high-level artistic fields; performing art, cinema and visual art.
The workshop clearly illustrated that cultural industries have great potential in Vietnam. The workshop generated constant lively and fruitful discussion on Vietnam’s possibilities within the field of cultural industries from the more than 50 participants.
However, the workshop and its discussions also showed that a policy framework needs to be developed in order to realize the great potential of the cultural industries in Vietnam. The cultural industries’ potential and need for a suitable policy were also reflected in Danish Ambassador Mr. John Nielsen’s opening speech:
“Cultural industries have been playing a more and more important role in the global economy. The cultural and creative industries have been drivers for growth, job creation and innovation in the Nordic region in general and in Denmark in particular. In Vietnam, there has been many stakeholders being active in this fields, however, my impression is that Vietnam is only just beginning to fully understand the importance of the industry’s role. We need to acknowledge the cultural industry’s influence on the economy and start discussions on how to make up a suitable policy framework for its development”.
The participants at the workshop included leaders from the Ministry, representative from cultural institutions, arts associations, media, cultural researchers and companies working in cultural industries in Vietnam. Furthermore, the event was covered by five different television channels.
The workshops’ departure for discussion was the report “The current situation of cultural industries in Vietnam and development orientations for the period of 20111-2020, vision 2030’’ written by associate professor Dr. Luong Hong Quang. A Danish expert Mr. Rasmus Wiinstedt Scherning, Director of Danish Centre for Experience Economy, was specially invited to give his input to the discussion on cultural industries in Vietnam.
The workshop was organized within the framework of the Danish funded project “Dialogue amongst cultural decision and opinion makers” by the Embassy of Denmark and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and in association with British Council Vietnam.
The next workshop on cultural dialogue will be in December 2011.
