British Council: Bridging arts and culture between Vietnam and the UK

The arts are not only creative, they also drive economies, preserve heritage and create social change. In Vietnam, the British Council plays a role in connecting artists, organising arts activities and supporting sustainable and innovative cultural development initiatives.

Art: A cultural bridge between Vietnam and the UK

As geographical distances are gradually narrowed by the harmony in creativity, culture and arts have become a bridge connecting Vietnam and the UK, opening up collaborative journeys that transcend all boundaries. Over the years, the British Council has continuously strived to create valuable connections where artistic talents from Vietnam and the UK can meet, exchange creative ideas and develop potential collaborative projects.

The Connections Through Culture (CTC) programme stands out as a clear example of this collaboration. This is a funding initiative of the British Council to promote arts collaboration between the UK and selected countries in the Asia- Pacific and Europe regions. In 2024, the programme provided over £741,000 in funding for 84 collaborative projects, including 10 collaboration projects between Vietnam and the UK, enabling many artists, cultural professionals and arts organisations to build sustainable partnerships through innovative cross-sector projects. In 2025, the programme will expand to 19 countries (including Vietnam), with an expected number of grants of up to 90, each worth up to £10,000.

Vietnam - UK Live Music Incubator 2024/2025 supported by the Connecting Through Culture programme

Photo: Vietnam Music Week

Art - a lever for change and overall growth

Not only does art play a connecting role, it is also seen – from a strategic perspective – as a powerful lever to promote sustainable growth, create jobs and inspire innovation for the whole society. The National Target Program on Cultural Development towards 2030 also aims for cultural industries to contribute 7% of the country's GDP.

Understanding this goal of Vietnam, and being a strategic partner of Vietnam, the British Council has always focused on sharing experiences from the success of the UK creative industry, as well as accompanying management agencies in implementing the Strategy for the development of Vietnam's cultural industry to 2030, with a vision to 2040.

The British Council has initiated an initiative to update the map of the creative industry ecosystem in Vietnam, providing an overview for policy making, enhancing connectivity and promoting the industry's potential. This initiative has introduced profiles of Vietnam's Cities of Culture, including Hanoi , Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Da Lat and Ho Chi Minh City.

British Council maps of the development stage of the creative industry in Vietnam

Photo source: Vietnam Cultural Cities Profiles

A key part of the British Council’s strategic approach is its ‘Cultural Heritage for Inclusive Growth’ programme. This philosophy sees cultural heritage – from architectural works to intangible traditions such as music and language – as both an asset to be preserved and a source of sustainable economic growth, particularly for local communities.

Through this approach, the British Council aims to eliminate the negative relationship between economic development and the gap between rich and poor, ensuring that the benefits of the cultural industries are distributed equally across different social groups and geographical areas.

The Heritage of Future Past project is a prime example of that philosophy. This British Council initiative has had a profound impact on the preservation and promotion of Vietnam’s cultural heritage, particularly in the fields of traditional music and documentary film. The project focuses on preserving cultural values ​​while engaging the local community, connecting heritage with contemporary art.

The project is implemented through two tracks: Community Cultural Heritage and Film, Music and Archives (FAMLAB). The first focuses on heritage conservation in target communities, while the second reaches out to the creative industry through artists, aiming to promote collaborative works that engage with heritage through contemporary expression.

Training in traditional weaving techniques in Hoa Tien, Nghe An within the framework of the Cultural Contribution to Solving Global Challenges program

Photo: Cao Trung Vinh

Over the past 30 years, the British Council has become an important cultural bridge between Vietnam and the UK, creating a space for continuous creative dialogue between the two cultures. Looking to the future, the British Council’s initiatives promise to continue to have a far-reaching impact, connecting rich heritage with contemporary creativity, while equipping the younger generation with the necessary skills to contribute to sustainable development.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/hoi-dong-anh-cau-noi-nghe-thuat-van-hoa-giua-viet-nam-va-vuong-quoc-anh-185250526184411201.htm