A number of Welsh artists and educational organisations have been selected to be part of the British Council’s UK/ Viet Nam Season; it was announced today in Hanoi (Wednesday, 14 June 2023).
The Season, which will run from June through to December 2023, will celebrate and showcase the best of educational and cultural exchange and collaboration between the UK and Vietnam.
Marking the British Council's 30-year anniversary in Viet Nam and 50 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Viet Nam, the UK/Viet Nam Season, themed on Climate and the Environment and Shared Heritage, will bring together thought leaders, academics, educators, entrepreneurs, and artists from various organisations in the UK and Viet Nam to share ideas and experiences, and discuss existing and future collaborations in the areas of arts and culture, education and English. It will include everything from hackathons, residencies and symposiums to digital exhibitions, films, music and visual art.
Creatives from Wales taking part include artists Jo Fong and George Orange, who will work together with Saigon Theatreland in Ho Chi Ming city and Life Art in Hanoi on their project ‘The Ecology of Community’. This will explore theatre making and performance creation with artists across Viet Nam through workshops and open studio events.
Meanwhile, Llanelli writer and artist Joshua Jones will bring his project ‘We Call It a Room’ to Viet Nam, developing links between Welsh and Vietnamese poets and writers through language, with a focus on queer identities.
In the higher education sector, Cardiff University will work with Vietnamese institutions Nha Trang Institute of Technology Innovation and Application and Nha Trang University on a project around sustainability and shared heritage. Welsh audiences will be invited to attend and contribute to a series of conferences, workshops, open lectures, cultural shows, academic mobility, tutorial and mentoring programmes around the Creative Industries.
Elsewhere, Bangor University will explore climate change. Working with the Hanoi University of Civil Engineering, they will develop a natural disaster network to prepare for possible climate-based outcomes, offering academics, scientists, government and relevant NGOs natural disaster mitigation training.
For English language, Cardiff-based organisations CELT (Centre for English Language Teaching) and Peartree Languages will work with Vietnamese partners on climate change projects. CELT will partner with Phenikaa University on an online training project to tackle the climate crisis through english language teaching, while Peartree Languages will develop a project with Thai Nguyen University focusing on climate and sustainability training for teachers.
Speaking about the Season, Ruth Cocks, Director, British Council Wales said: “We are thrilled to have a number of Welsh artists and education organisations as part of this year’s UK/Viet Nam Season. This Season presents a unique opportunity for deepening Wales’ already strong relations with Viet Nam and I’m particularly pleased that we have a number of partnerships focused on tackling climate change.
“We hope the Season will provide an opportunity for people from both countries to strengthen existing bonds and forge new creative partnerships in Arts and Culture, Education and English, and look forward to the inspiring months of cultural exchange ahead.”
The UK/ Viet Nam season will run from June to December 2023. To find out more information about the UK/Viet Nam Season 2023 visit https://www.britishcouncil.vn/en/programmes/uk-vietnam-season-2023 or follow the hashtag #UKVNSeason on social media.