Part 2: need for “leverage” solutions

After the implementation of Resolution No. 13, up to now, the cultural institutional system from the province to the grassroots level in some places is still degraded, equipment for activities is lacking, affecting the quality and effectiveness of performing professional tasks as well as organizing cultural and sports activities to serve the people.

The 2023 Thai Binh Newspaper Cup Club Table Tennis Tournament took place at the provincial multi-purpose sports stadium.

One of the targets that has not been achieved as set out in Resolution No. 13 is “By 2020, at the provincial level, 50% of facilities will be invested in new construction, renovation, and repair to ensure that there are enough provincial-level cultural and sports facilities”. Currently, provincial-level cultural and sports facilities managed by the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism include 5 units, of which 2/5 units (40%) have been invested in new construction or major renovation and repair. Among them, the Provincial Library is a modern cultural facility newly built and put into use since October 2020, and 2 gymnasiums managed by the Provincial Sports Training and Competition Center. The multi-purpose sports stadium in Hoang Dieu ward (Thai Binh city) was funded for major repairs in 2022 and has now basically met the requirements for organizing activities, events, and sports tournaments at the provincial and national levels. The sports stadium on Hai Ba Trung street (Thai Binh city) was funded for repairs in 2021 and 2022 and is currently a training ground for athletes and a number of sports tournaments of the province and various sectors. Basically, these cultural and sports facilities have met the needs of cultural and artistic activities, training, and sports competitions of the people.

The three provincial cultural institutions that are currently degraded and do not meet operational requirements are the Provincial Cultural Center, the Provincial Museum and the Thai Binh Cheo Theater. Currently, the Provincial Cultural Center is using four facilities, most of which are degraded, of which facility 1 is the main headquarters, which is seriously degraded, unsafe with old, outdated equipment, and does not meet the requirements for professional quality of operations.

Mr. Le Tien Luong, Director of the Provincial Cultural Center, shared: Established in November 2018 on the basis of merging the Provincial Cultural Center, the Information Exhibition House, the Film Distribution and Screening Center, the Provincial Cultural Center currently manages 4 facilities, but with large programs, competitions, and performances, they must be organized at locations outside the Center. Because the theater at the headquarters is where the Center's activities often take place, not only is it seriously degraded, it also has a small space, few seats, and cannot meet the needs of competitions with the participation of all 8 districts and cities. Renting a venue outside also means that the Center must continue to rent stage equipment, lighting, sound, etc. because the Center's existing equipment can only meet the needs of small stages.

The same situation also occurs at the Provincial Museum - which is preserving one of the two recognized national treasures of Thai Binh province, in addition to more than 47,000 documents, artifacts, and images that comprehensively introduce the nature, history, and culture of Thai Binh province from prehistoric and early historical periods to the present day. Every year, the Provincial Museum holds 2-5 thematic exhibitions, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

Mr. Do Quoc Tuan, Director of the Provincial Museum, said: The facilities and equipment are currently degraded, the fire prevention and fighting system is damaged, not ensuring the safety of storing documents and artifacts when an incident occurs. The basic equipment for preserving artifacts is old and outdated, the limited storage area makes it difficult to meet work requirements. Artifacts displayed outdoors such as airplanes, tanks, cannons, missiles... do not have roofs, affecting the longevity of the artifacts... The Provincial People's Committee has a plan to move the Provincial Museum to a new location, so now with the responsibility of the staff who are working and love the job, we are trying to overcome difficulties, preserve, conserve and promote traditional cultural values in the locality.

In addition to provincial-level cultural institutions that need to be invested in soon, in some localities, village cultural houses and residential groups have been renovated and upgraded from old works such as kindergartens, cooperative headquarters, medical stations, etc., so they are still small, with scale and design not meeting regulations. Some localities, especially residential groups, have difficulty arranging land funds with sufficient area according to regulations to build cultural and sports institutions. Meanwhile, there are places that have planned enough land area but the budget for building cultural and sports institutions is still limited, not meeting the requirements. In 2022, out of 100 villages eligible to receive funding to implement the project to support and improve the operational efficiency of the model of village cultural houses, sports areas, and residential groups in the province in the period of 2021 - 2025, 4 villages asked not to continue implementing the project due to not arranging enough counterpart funds as committed. While in many localities, cultural and sports institutions are gradually playing an important role in the lives of the community, there are also places where these institutions have not been able to fully utilize their functions when cultural and sports activities are still sparse and have not met the needs of the people. One of the reasons identified by the cultural sector is that the budget for cultural and sports activities at all levels is still low, not meeting the requirements for organizing, managing, maintaining regular activities and organizing new and attractive activities to attract people. In addition, according to statistics from the cultural sector, in the province, the number of communal cultural officials assigned to hold concurrent positions is still high; the staff managing cultural and sports institutions in villages and residential groups have not met the professional requirements.

Thus, perfecting the system of cultural and sports institutions is difficult, but improving operational efficiency, so that the institutions are truly attached to people's lives is a task that requires more dedication and perseverance. Resolution No. 13 has created an important premise for people to have the opportunity to enjoy spiritual and cultural life, have space to practice sports, and improve their health right in their residential areas. The issue is the more determined participation from all levels of government, the proactive role of each citizen because when the whole community joins hands to make efforts, each institution will truly become a valuable asset in both material and spiritual terms, thereby having a more lasting vitality.

Cultural and artistic training course of the Provincial Cultural Center for grassroots cultural officers. Folk dance performance at the provincial multi-purpose sports stadium.