Nurturing children's souls through art

Sowing the seeds of a colorful childhood

In the vast world of art, there is a shimmering light that requires many silent sacrifices - that is the children's stage. There, there are no flashy lights or "huge" box office revenue, but there are artists' hearts silently dedicating their whole lives to short but meaningful plays and performances for the audience. Happiness for artists is the round eyes and innocent smiles of children.

If you ask people who watched circus in Hanoi in the 80s and 90s, the name Ta Duy Hien is certainly not unfamiliar. Born into a family with an artistic tradition, People's Artist Ta Duy Hien has been involved with the circus stage since he was 13 years old and for more than 50 years, he has been working hard behind the lights, directing, directing art and above all - "passing the torch" to the younger generation. People's Artist Ta Duy Hien is considered the founder of Vietnamese circus, the founder of modern Vietnamese circus art. His debut performance of "Central Circus Team" was enthusiastically received by the public, with people lining up to buy tickets. That was a glorious era for Vietnamese circus, with Uncle Ho and Prime Minister Pham Van Dong visiting, encouraging and sending Certificates of Merit many times. He was also posthumously awarded the title of People's Artist in the first batch in 1981 for his contributions to Vietnamese circus art.

In addition to his leadership and organizational skills, People's Artist Ta Duy Hien is also a talented animal trainer who has trained many types of animals from monkeys, dogs, bears, to leopards, tigers, lions, elephants, horses... and many animals that are currently absent from the contemporary circus stage such as camels, zebras, parrots... He also staged many acts such as horseback riding, playing the guitar, contorting on drums, elephants playing drums. After its establishment, Vietnamese circus toured all over the country and was warmly welcomed wherever it went.

Uncle Ho visited the circus of People's Artist Ta Duy Hien. (Photo: NVCC)

“Children are very special, they are sensitive, sincere and do not pretend to appreciate. Making art for children is both a challenge and an endless joy,” he once shared. What is precious is that the family of People's Artist Ta Duy Hien is probably one of the few families with three generations attached to and devoted to the circus profession, People's Artist Ta Duy Hien, his son - Meritorious Artist Ta Duy Nhan, his nephew - Meritorious Artist Ta Duy Hung and the third generation of the family is People's Artist Ta Duy Anh, former Director of the Vietnam Circus Federation.

The person who is considered to have laid the foundation for children's drama at the Youth Theatre is People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh - one of the leading stage artists, who has made great contributions to the birth and development of drama specifically for children in Vietnam, especially at the Youth Theatre. People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh is also known as "The Mother of Vietnamese Children's Theatre". When the Youth Theatre was established in 1978, with the initial goal of targeting young audiences in general, People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh - at that time the theater's director - had a profound vision: children need their own stage, a true artistic space to nurture their souls.

She boldly built the Children's Drama Group under the Youth Theater - an unprecedented model at that time. With her passion, she and her colleagues adapted, staged and directed international classic plays and new compositions suitable for Vietnamese children. Notable works include: The Blue Bird (based on the script of Maurice Maeterlinck), Adventures of a Cricket (adapted from the story of To Hoai), Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh, Cinderella, Starfruit Tree, The Girl and the Witch... Her plays are not simply entertainment but always containeducational elements, evoking compassion, honesty and the spirit of overcoming difficulties in the souls of children. Not only a talented director, People's Artist Pham Thi Thanh is also the one who inspires and trains many generations of young artists dedicated to children's theater. It is from the foundation she built that the Youth Theater has become the leading "home" for artistic creation for children in Vietnam. To this day, the Youth Theatre still maintains regular performances of children's plays in the summer, Mid-Autumn Festival, and Children's Day, with tens of thousands of young audiences each year - this proves the long-lasting influence of the founder of children's drama in Vietnam.

The Adventures of a Cricket is a fun children's play by the Youth Theatre. (Photo: NHTT)

Bring the swallows of childhood everywhere

Besides circus and drama, music is also an indispensable part of the world of childhood. Musician Pham Tuyen is famous for many revolutionary songs and current affairs songs, but one of his most profound and lasting contributions is to children's music - where he left behind hundreds of works that have nurtured children's souls over many decades. Of the more than 700 songs he composed, children's music accounts for more than 200 - a considerable number, especially when most of them have been widely popularized and associated with children's activities from the 60s to the present. Songs such as: Chiec den ong sao, Canh en tuoi tho, Tien len doan vien, Em la bong hong nho... are not only associated with the childhood memories of millions of Vietnamese children but also become an indispensable part of educational programs and school activities.

Unlike the heroic songs that inspire patriotism, Pham Tuyen's children's songs are gentle, pure and poetic. The musician always conveys educational messages, evoking emotions and compassion. He once confided: "Writing for children is a big challenge, because adults can be easy-going but children are not. A good song for children must be easy to remember, easy to sing, have a familiar melody, and pure lyrics that still convey emotions."

Musician Pham Tuyen is perhaps one of the people who understands children's psychology best. He does not write music for children from a distance of "adult teaching", but puts himself in their world to speak with the voice of children, with respect, love and sharing. That is what has created the strange closeness between his music and generations of students for many decades. He is the one who created a unique childhood music space of Vietnam - close, profound, full of emotions and imbued with the national soul. In 2012, the musician was awarded the Ho Chi Minh Prize by the State.

Musician Phong Nha is playing the guitar for the Young Pioneers to sing. (Photo: NVToan)

Musician Phong Nha is the author of hundreds of famous children's songs: Who loves Uncle Ho Chi Minh more than children, Going home from school, Our class is united, Together we go up, Our team grows up with the country, I love the Children's Team, Ho Chi Minh Young Pioneers' March, Thousands of good deeds for the glorious Party, Quick steps, quick children... which have become part of the memories of many generations of Vietnamese students. He once confided: "Children's music cannot be written superficially. It is the land that sows the seeds of personality." With sophistication, simplicity and sincerity, musician Phong Nha has created melodies that are easy to sing, easy to remember, and contain profound thoughts about morality, patriotism and solidarity. His musical career lasted more than 70 years, leaving behind a valuable treasure in Vietnam's art education. In 2001, he was awarded the State Prize for Literature and Arts by the State.

Artists who compose and perform for children are not simply artists. They are storytellers, companions, and those who sow the first seeds in children’s souls. In that world, every glance from a child, every clap of hands is the deepest happiness for artists. As long as there are adults willing to “become small” to listen to children, children’s art will always be the starting point of all beautiful and humane dreams.

Young musicians and poets compose hundreds of works for children.

Musician Nguyen Van Chung, famous for his songs “Mother’s Diary”, has spent 8 years composing more than 300 songs for children. His greatest motivation is his love for his children and his desire to bring them pure and familiar melodies. With his great contributions to children’s music, Nguyen Van Chung was awarded the “De Men Aspiration” award from the 1st De Men Children’s Award in Hanoi. He shared: “The world of childhood is so colorful and has so many interesting things, I want to record everything that my children love and care about”.

A former economic reporter, Pham Anh Xuan unexpectedly turned to writing children's poetry and quickly achieved much success. After only 5 years, he has written more than 600 poems for children, published in 4 poetry collections and a novel. He shared: "Every time I write, I feel like I become a child again." Pham Anh Xuan's poetry is gentle and pure, reflecting the innocent worldview of children. His poem "Tuoi Tho Co Ba" was translated into German by a Vietnamese child in Germany, demonstrating the spread of children's poetry across borders.

Thuy Duong

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/nuoi-duong-tam-hon-tre-tho-qua-nghe-thuat-post549548.html