Nurturing the dreams of young talents.

From singing and painting competitions to art playgrounds for teenagers, many young talents in Hai Phong have been discovered, nurtured, and had their passions given wings.

Art venues are places where many young talents are discovered, nurtured, and their passions are given wings.

Stage of Dreams

Under the dazzling lights of the final stage of the "Phượng Hồng Singing Contest" for the 2025-2026 school year, Phạm Hải Anh, a student from Nguyễn Trãi Specialized High School, confidently performed the song "The Road Ahead" with elaborate staging. After the performance, Hải Anh shared that she had spent many weeks practicing with her teachers and friends to deliver the most perfect performance possible.

More than just a singing competition, "Phuong Hong's Voice" has become the first stage for many students to test their skills in front of a crowd and discover their own abilities. This year, the competition attracted 255 video entries from high school students and vocational training centers across the city. From the preliminary round, the judging panel selected 60 performances for the semi-finals and 30 outstanding contestants to compete in the final round.

Besides providing music competitions for high school students, the Hai Phong City Youth Union has also maintained many art competitions for children over the years. Among them, "Hai Phong Children's Singing Contest - Son Ca" is a familiar name to many generations of people in the port city. Organized for over 30 years, the competition has become a breeding ground for talented singers who have emerged from the city's youth movement. Many artists have come from this platform, such as Ngoc Huyen, Ha Minh Tien, and Luu Hien Trinh.

In the 2025-2026 academic year, the competition marked a new stage of development as it took place in the context of the merger of units under the City Youth Union to form the Hai Phong Youth Cultural Center. The scale of the competition was also significantly expanded. Just over a month after its launch, more than 3,000 children participated from the grassroots level, and 85 children made it to the final round.

Nguyen Thi Hai Yen, a student from Dai Hop Secondary School (Tan Ky commune), the first prize winner of the competition, shared that she has been passionate about music since she was a child. Since elementary school, Hai Yen has participated in many arts competitions and has won several awards for children's solo singing. "Every time I stand on stage, I love music even more. Competitions like 'Son Ca' give me more motivation to pursue my passion," Hai Yen said.

Nurturing the soul

The semi-final round of the "Phượng Hồng Singing Contest" selected 30 outstanding contestants to compete in the final round.

While music helps children express their emotions through melodies, painting opens up a space for creativity through colors and imagination. In recent years, painting competitions organized by the City Youth Union and the City Youth Cultural Center have increasingly attracted a large number of children.

The painting competition for the 2025-2026 school year, themed "Radiant Team Colors, Steadfast Youth Union Flags," attracted 2,187 entries from 350 schools across the city. From thousands of paintings, the judging panel selected 138 outstanding works to be awarded prizes and displayed in an exhibition.

The most valuable aspect of this art playground is the way the children tell their stories through each brushstroke. Some children draw images of President Ho Chi Minh with children, some recreate activities of the Youth Union, and others choose themes about the city of Hai Phong, which is changing every day.

At the "Children's Art Festival" with the theme "Land and People of Hai Phong," many paintings surprised viewers with their innocent and emotionally rich perspectives. Bridges, harbors, traditional festivals, and the daily life of the city came to life vividly through the brushstrokes of children. Particularly noteworthy was the charity art auction. The painting "Continuing to Preserve the National Soul Through Every Brushstroke" by Nguyen Minh Nguyet, a student from Dang Hai Primary School (Hai An Ward), was auctioned for 2.1 million VND. The artwork conveys a message of preserving traditional cultural values ​​through the image of folk papier-mâché masks and the connection between generations.

From these artistic platforms, many parents recognize their children's talents and continue to provide opportunities for their development. Many children, after participating in competitions, go on to pursue advanced studies in vocal music, dance, fine arts, or become key figures in the arts at their schools.

According to Mr. Nguyen Tien Manh, Deputy Secretary of the City Youth Union and Chairman of the City Children's Council, maintaining talent-based playgrounds not only aims to discover gifted students but also focuses on holistic education. Mr. Manh emphasized that the most important thing is to create a healthy environment for children to develop skills, nurture positive emotions, and build self-confidence. Through artistic activities, many children learn the spirit of sharing, community awareness, and a deeper love for their homeland.

The journey of nurturing young talent in Hai Phong is being sustained by the dedication of the Youth Union, schools, and families through various activities. These artistic seeds may not become professional artists in the future, but they are certainly growing with confidence, creativity, and love for the city they live in.

PHUONG LINH

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/nang-giac-mo-cua-tai-nang-tre-544114.html