People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung - The person who spreads puppetry art in contemporary life

At the 4th Patriotic Emulation Congress of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung - Director of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre was honored to receive a Certificate of Merit for his outstanding achievements in the period 2021-2025. This award is not only a recognition of the tireless efforts of an individual but also the result of the entire Vietnam Puppetry Theatre in the journey of preserving, promoting and creating to spread the art of puppetry more and more.

Born in 1972 in Hanoi, in a family deeply attached to the art of puppetry, Nguyen Tien Dung soon became involved with this special stage. His father was one of the first artists to lay the foundation for the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre. His childhood traveling with his father from Ha Nam, Hai Phong to Nam Dinh to practice and perform helped him "absorb the profession" early, master puppetry techniques and nurture his love for the profession as a part of his flesh and blood.

From a young actor and director full of passion for the profession, he gradually asserted his abilities on stage and accumulated valuable experience, and was awarded the title of People's Artist (NSND) by the State in 2015, becoming one of the representative faces of contemporary puppetry.

People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung - The person who spreads puppetry art in contemporary life

As Director of the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre, People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung is always deeply aware of his role and responsibility. He and the Theatre's Board of Directors constantly research and innovate artistic activities, encourage creativity, and expand the performance area. Thanks to that, the number of performances and revenue of the Theatre increases every year, and audiences in many regions have access to puppetry.

As a stage director, he is the author of many famous plays: Sonata on the Mountain (Best Director Award at the 5th International Experimental Theatre Festival, Hanoi 2022), Hibiscus Flower (Golden Award at the China-ASEAN Theatre Festival 2023), especially the play Independence Flower - Sacred Soul of Mountains and Rivers - a work elaborately staged to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2, becoming a memorable artistic mark.

Not only stopping at the traditional stage, he also expanded his creative horizons by cooperating with Sun Group to create a regular performance program at A Oi Theater (Phu Quoc). This is a strategic move, bringing puppetry out of its familiar space, into the atmosphere of island tourism, giving domestic and foreign audiences a unique cultural experience.

In addition to his artistic creations, People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung is also the leader of the Theatre in its journey of international integration. Tours in many countries have contributed to promoting puppetry art closer to international friends, affirming the position of Vietnamese theatre on the world cultural map.

Sharing his feelings at the Congress, People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung expressed: "I feel extremely honored and proud to be present at the Congress today. The Congress is like a big reunion, where we can meet, exchange and share experiences with colleagues from all fields. In particular, I feel even more honored to receive a Certificate of Merit from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which is a worthy recognition for the continuous efforts of myself as well as the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre over the past time. At the same time, this is also a great source of encouragement, urging me to continue to contribute more to the development of puppetry art - a unique form of Vietnamese theater".

People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung and other delegates were awarded individual Certificates of Merit for their outstanding achievements in the 2021-2025 period.

"I believe that this award will also inspire my colleagues to join hands to preserve, create and spread the love of art to the public, especially the young generation. In the coming journey, we will strive to promote our full potential to bring puppetry closer to the audience and maintain its position as a unique cultural beauty of the nation" - People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung said.

With outstanding contributions, he was also a National Emulation Fighter in 2023, for many consecutive years achieving the title of Emulation Fighter at the grassroots and ministerial levels and was awarded the Third Class Labor Medal (2021) and many certificates of merit from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Vietnam General Confederation of Labor and the Vietnam Stage Artists Association.

It can be said that the artistic journey of People's Artist Nguyen Tien Dung is a living proof of the passion, dedication and courage of an artist who is constantly creating. And on the road ahead, the audience has the right to expect that under his guidance, Vietnamese puppetry will continue to reach far, persistently preserving the national soul, while at the same time keeping pace with the flow of world art../.

Department of Organization and Personnel, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

Source: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/nsnd-nguyen-tien-dung-nguoi-lan-toa-nghe-thuat-mua-roi-trong-doi-song-duong-dai-2025092511145995.htm