Need to invest in youth space

HNN - In Hue, whenever the weather is nice, some young people bring their skateboards, rollerblades or sports bikes to the riverbank to practice their favorite moves. The familiar place is always the parks along the Perfume River - spacious and airy. However, they cannot practice for too long, because this is also a public space for the whole community. Therefore, the street performance activities of young people are often interrupted and unstable, and the need for a space dedicated to them is becoming more and more obvious.

A large audience came to watch the young people perform.

A place not just "to play"

Tran Trung Quan, a young mountain biker, shared: “We really like the atmosphere on the riverbank, but we can’t always practice. There are days when it’s too crowded, we have to constantly dodge while practicing, sometimes we have to stop completely for fear of hitting pedestrians.” Quan added that what makes him and many other groups of young people most tired is not only the lack of a fixed field, but the feeling of “not belonging anywhere”. They just want a stable place to practice seriously, so that they don’t have to drift to this side one day and drift to another the next. It’s always like we’re borrowing something. If there was a stable place to practice with peace of mind, everything would be different.

These shares reflect a real need: Hue is in dire need of entertainment spaces and events designed specifically for young people. Outdoor stages, specialized parks or multi-purpose cultural houses can become meeting places for creative activities, performances and exchanges. This is not just a place to “play”, but also an environment to practice skills, connect the community and spread positive energy.

Music is a clear example. In Hue, acoustic and jazz already have some fixed spaces for performances. But with rock, hip hop or rap, the playing field is still extremely limited. Many young bands have to manage everything from performance venues to technical equipment, which is beyond the capabilities of beginners. If there were outdoor stages or regular programs, Hue's young talents would have the opportunity to grow in a professional and open environment. An outdoor stage, even a small scale, could be enough to organize hip hop competitions, music festivals, or street performances coordinated by the youth themselves. The most important thing is not the size of the stage, but creating a community space where young people feel welcome and can be themselves.

Building spaces for young people does not only stop at creating places for entertainment, but also contributes to forming a new cultural feature of the city. An art neighborhood, a creative park or a community stage can become a tourist highlight, bringing the image of a more dynamic and friendly Hue. When young people have a place to play, they not only play but also create, contribute and spread positive energy to the community. It is time for Hue to proactively create spaces for young people. This can start by organizing more regular outdoor cultural and artistic events, supporting young art groups in renting venues, or building community living areas with suitable infrastructure. A vibrant city does not only rely on past heritage, but also on the present breath, the breath coming from the young generation.

Difficult problem

However, in Hue, the biggest problem still lies in the fact that young people who love art often do not have enough human resources and finance to build a specialized space for their community. On the contrary, private enterprises, although having more potential, are hesitant to invest in new models, afraid of risks, afraid of failure, afraid of "not being suitable for Hue". It is the gap between the real needs of young people and the caution of investors that makes many good ideas only stop at the embryonic stage, unable to become a true common space. Therefore, the flexible private model, daring to experiment in other cities such as Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang or Hanoi, becomes worth considering.

In recent years, many localities in the country have focused on creating spaces for young people, from street art areas, skateboarding playgrounds to music festivals. These include Go Station Space, Ho Chi Minh City Youth Cultural House, Saigon Outcast (Ho Chi Minh City), LST Surf Da Nang (Da Nang), Complex 01 (Hanoi)... Most of these models are privately operated, flexible and creative, thereby greatly supporting young people with an environment to develop and connect. This is also what creates a unique identity for each city.

Today’s Hue youth are not just art connoisseurs. They are art makers, whether it’s with a guitar, a skateboard, a bicycle technique or hip-hop dance moves. What they need is not permission, but understanding and support so that these activities can develop in a healthy, safe and sustainable environment.

Hue may still maintain its inherent quietness, but inside is the youthful vitality of people who want to express themselves. And for that vitality to not only flash in a few impromptu performances on the banks of the Perfume River, Hue needs real spaces for young people, so that they can live out their passions. Not only heritage, Hue also needs the breath and energy of the young generation to continue to develop.

Pham Phuoc Chau

Source: https://huengaynay.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/can-dau-tu-cho-khong-gian-tre-160663.html