Denmark co-hosts workshop on role of cultural industry

HA NOI — Participants from cultural and governmental organisations are focused on the cultural industry in the two-day workshop "Cultural Industry: Its Role in the Economy and a Suitable Policy Framework for Its Development in Viet Nam" held in Ha Noi yesterday.

Leaders from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and representatives from cultural institutions, arts associations, media, non-governmental organisations, cultural researchers, lecturers and local artists have all signed up for the workshop.

The workshop was organised to allow policy makers, managers and researchers from Viet Nam and Denmark to join together for dialogue, discussion and experience sharing about policies that could be implemented to support the cultural sector in a globalisation context.

The workshop is expected to provide a reference for Vietnamese policy makers to develop supportive policies and mechanisms for arts and culture.

Yesterday participants heard presentations from Danish expert Jens Nielsen, whose topic was Cultural Industry: Its Role in the Economy and Policies for Its Development at 3 Levels (in the world, in Europe and in Denmark) and Dr Luong Hong Quang from the Viet Nam Arts and Culture Institute, who spoke on the Role of Creative Industry in Economic Development in Viet Nam.

The concept of a cultural industry is a new one for leaders and cultural managers in Viet Nam, said Quang.

"Due to a lack of comprehensive knowledge about the cultural industry, it is difficult for leaders and managers to set up a development strategy and investment policies," said Quang.

His presentation pointed out that Viet Nam has a few cultural industries that were born during the time of wars and government's subsidies, such as publication, press and television. It does not have cultural industries which require creativity, such as fashion, digital and event organisation, he said.

Quang also provided an overview of the conditions cultural industries in Viet Nam need, including regulations, artistic training, arts education and creative development, and international co-operation.

Associate professor Jens Nielsen, from the Copenhagen Business School, drew a more detailed picture, including information about the history of culture and business in Denmark.

Since the inauguration of its first ministry of culture in 1961, Denmark has had a humanistic arts policy with an enlightenment rationale as its ideological base. It has been called the Democratisation of Culture as it sought to bring fine arts to the community.

"The peasant in the west and the fisherman in the north and their families should learn to cherish drama and classical music by building new theatres and starting symphonies outside Copenhagen," said Nielsen.

To conclude the first day, Nielsen shared some of Denmark's experiences and practical information about setting up development policies for cultural industries.

Today participants will enjoy a presentation by Nguyen Van Tinh, head of the Department of International Co-operation, entitled: Creative Industry in Viet Nam: The Current Situation and Suitable Policies for Its Development.

A presentation of case studies on the creative industry in Viet Nam by BHD, Vina Game software company and Music Face Company will be followed by discussions on possible solutions and suitable policies for development of the cultural industry in the country. All of the presentations made during the 2-day workshop will be considered during this discussion.

The workshop, sponsored by the Embassy of Denmark in Ha Noi and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, part of the Danish-supported project Dialogue Amongst Cultural Decision and Opinion Makers. — VNS