Tuyet Thu, Oc Thanh Van, Binh Tinh won gold medals at the 2025 Experimental Theater Festival

(NLDO) – The festival has ended after 15 days of exciting competition at 4 locations: Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ninh Binh.

Three Ho Chi Minh City stage artists won gold medals with three characters in three scripts by author Le Duy Hanh: "Son Ha", "Oc Thanh Van", "Hon Tho Ngoc".

On the evening of November 30, at Pham Thi Tran Theater (Hoa Lu Ward, Ninh Binh ), the 6th International Experimental Theater Festival - 2025 officially ended with a solemn and emotional closing ceremony, marking a season of artistic convergence full of identity, creativity and a spirit of deep integration.

The closing ceremony was attended by senior leaders of the culture and arts sector: Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Phan Tam; People's Artist Le Tien Tho, former Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism; Ms. Cao Xuan Thu Van, President of the Vietnam Cooperative Alliance; People's Artist Thuy Mui, President of the Vietnam Stage Artists Association; representatives of central agencies under the Propaganda and Education Commission, the Vietnam Fatherland Front, and the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations.

Attending the event were art units from across the country and many artists who won the Ho Chi Minh Prize, State Prize, People's Artists and Meritorious Artists.

Dr. - Playwright Nguyen Dang Chuong, Vice President of the Vietnam Stage Artists Association, Chairman of the Jury, presented a summary report with frank, scientific and directional assessments for the process of innovation of Vietnamese stage.

The art performance program at the closing ceremony was magnificently staged.

The festival is the largest ever

The 6th festival gathered 8 international troupes and 19 domestic art units, becoming the festival with the largest number of participating units since its organization.

In 15 days, in 4 localities of Hanoi - Ho Chi Minh City - Hai Phong - Ninh Binh, 28 plays were performed, including 9 international plays, 19 Vietnamese plays, with nearly 1,000 artists participating. Ten types of theater: from drama, cheo, cai luong to physical theater, multimedia have blended into a "multi-colored picture" of experimental thinking, expressing the desire to innovate the language of Vietnamese theater in the era of integration.

The plays are created using advanced staging methods: combining fine arts - light, sound, technology; promoting physical expression; expanding stage space; renewing narrative structure; exploiting philosophical and aesthetic depth; all aiming at humanistic and modern artistic thought, keeping up with world stage trends.

Artists awarded individual prizes

Notably, the festival's multi-cultural nature helps Vietnamese artists access new staging experiences from: Mongolia, Japan, Israel, Korea, China, Poland... where art is "translated" into a new language but still retains the spirit of national culture.

The festival becomes Vietnam's "international art brand"

Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister Phan Tam affirmed that this year's festival has a meaning beyond the framework of an art event: "With its own identity, increasingly large scale and increasingly high artistic quality, the International Experimental Theatre Festival is gradually becoming an international art brand of Vietnam."

In the context of Vietnam implementing the Resolution on Cultural Revival, considering culture as a driving force for sustainable development and implementing Resolution 59-NQ/TW on deep international integration, he emphasized the special role of the festival as a cultural diplomacy forum: "The festival is a meeting point between cultures, demonstrating Vietnam's spirit of openness and proactive integration; contributing to strengthening friendship, peace and respect for cultural diversity".

The closing ceremony of the 6th International Experimental Theatre Festival - 2025 was held grandly.

Honoring outstanding creations of Vietnamese and international artists

Results: 39 Gold Medals; 40 Silver Medals for actors. In addition, the festival awarded 11 creative component awards: author, director, choreographer, art designer, lighting designer, music, orchestra conductor...

About the play awards: 6 Gold Medals; 4 Silver Medals for excellent plays.

The Best Performance Award of the Festival was given to two units: Vietnam Drama Theater and Mongolian Art Troupe.

These awards not only honor individual and collective efforts, but also mark a strong shift in Vietnamese theater toward a spirit of exploration - experimentation - integration.

From left to right: (front row): People's Artist Trung Hieu (Director of Hanoi Drama Theater), Journalist Nguyen The Khoa - Deputy Director of the Institute for Research on Preservation and Promotion of National Culture, Editor-in-Chief of Van Hien Magazine, Head of the Conference Board of the 6th International Experimental Theater Festival - 2025 and Associate Professor - Dr. Nguyen Thi Minh Thai

Closing a festival season – opening new journeys for Vietnamese theater

The closing ceremony of the 6th International Experimental Theatre Festival - 2025 concluded 15 days of exciting competition between domestic and foreign art units. This event affirmed the new position of Vietnamese theatre on the regional and world art map.

The convergence of many cultures, the competition of nearly 1,000 artists, the presence of pioneering staging models, all show that Vietnamese theater is entering a period of "open thinking", ready for dialogue, creativity and identity affirmation in the era of globalization.

The festival has ended, but the discoveries and values, including both achievements and challenges, will continue to be transformed into motivation for Vietnamese theater to develop strongly, confidently integrate, and constantly innovate.

People's Artist Trinh Thuy Mui - Vice President of the Vietnam Union of Literature and Arts Associations - President of the Vietnam Stage Artists Association - Head of the Festival Steering Committee delivered the closing speech.

A festival season ends with the light of creativity opening up new journeys for Vietnamese theater in the period of promoting industrialization in the performing arts field.

Ho Chi Minh City Stage has the following awards: 6 individual gold medals: Meritorious Artist Tuyet Thu (role of Duong Van Nga in the play "Son Ha"), Meritorious Artist Oc Thanh Van (role of female character in the play "Nguyet Ha"), Artist Binh Tinh (role of Ngoc Han in the play "Hon Tho Ngoc"), People's Artist My Uyen (role of mother in the play "Ao Quan"), Actress Nguyen Khanh Hong (role of Na in the play "Chuyen Cua Na"), Actor Bui Cong Danh (role of male character in the play "Nguyet Ha").

6 Gold Medals for performances were awarded to the plays: "Universe" (Mongolia Theater for Creative Research), "The Legend of Pipa" (Viet Kich Troupe of Thuy An City, Zhejiang Province, China), "Beneath the Moon" (Hong Van Drama Theater), "Green Frog Dream" (Hai Phong Traditional Theater), "Hung-Back Carrying Elders" (Ninh Binh Traditional Arts Theater), "Tam Cam" (Thang Long Puppet Theater). Along with that, 4 Silver Medals for performances were awarded to the plays: "Illusion" (Small Theater Theater), "Mountains and Rivers" (Sen Viet Theater), "Roi Toi Se Lon" (Youth Theater), "Tomorrow the Sky Will Shine Again" (Lucteam Theater).

Hong Van Theater won the Gold Medal for the play: "Nguyet Ha"; 2 individual Gold Medals: Meritorious Artist Oc Thanh Van, Bui Cong Danh; 3 individual Silver Medals: Khanh Tien, Khoi Nguyen, Hoang Khoi.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/tuyet-thu-oc-thanh-van-binh-tinh-doat-hcv-tai-lien-hoan-san-khau-thu-nghiem-2025-196251201001917965.htm