Gen Z fuels the traditional art of Cheo

When young Gen Z people are passionate about exploring and renewing the art of Cheo, it is not only a welcome sign, but also a testament to the enduring vitality of traditional national art.

"Neo Cheo" is a traditional Cheo art communication project.

Nowadays, modern art forms are increasingly dominating the entertainment life, attracting a large number of audiences. On the contrary, traditional stages such as Cheo are gradually losing their audience, especially among young people. It seems that they do not have the right approach to properly understand and stick with this traditional art form.

It is in that context that a group of young Gen Z people have chosen to accompany Cheo, contributing to spreading the artistic quintessence of their ancestors.

Series of creative activities of "Neo Cheo"

“Neo Chèo” is a media project carried out by young Gen Z people, with the desire to preserve the quintessence of the art of Chèo and spread the value of traditional theater in modern life.

The organizers are final year students studying atFPT University Hanoi, including: Le Cao Thien (2003), Do Huong Thao (2003), Do Phuong Linh (2004), Tran Duc Anh (2004) and Do Trung Kien (2001).

The organizers of the "Neo Cheo" project are Gen Z young people.

It is expected that in November, “Neo Cheo” will organize an art exhibition and discussion “Chieng ca Cheo cai” in Hanoi. Through costumes, props, musical instruments, and many artifacts associated with the art of Cheo, creatively recreated using digital projection technology, the exhibition will be a completely new journey, bringing Gen Z audiences to discover the soul of this long-standing traditional art form of the Vietnamese people.

In addition, the discussion "Chieng ca Chèo rao" will open up conversations about "Cheo feelings" and "Cheo quality": from the origin, the preservation journey of veteran artists, to the creative inspiration of young artists who are trying to bring Cheo to the public in new and unique forms.

Not only that, within the framework of the project, the Organizing Committee plans to release the animation MV "Duyen phan phai chieu" and organize the creative contest "Neo nhip Cheo - Dan nhip tre".

The MV “Duyen phan phai chieu” is inspired by the ancient Cheo tune “Duong truong phai chieu”, which is renewed in a youthful, modern style but still retains its traditional identity. Through animation, the MV tells an emotional love story, and is expected to be released online on October 31, 2025.

With the creative competition “Neo Rhythm Cheo - Dan Rhythm Tre”, the project organizers encourage young people to participate, using the art of Cheo as material to create new products, bearing a strong personal mark. The competition is organized with the desire to affirm that Cheo is a unique source of inspiration, capable of connecting and blending harmoniously with modern art forms.

When the young generation accompanies the art of Cheo

In the project "Neo Cheo", each member of the group takes on a separate role and task, but they share a common aspiration, which is to bring the art of Cheo closer to today's young generation.

Do Phuong Linh, a member in charge of the project's design, shared: "The idea for "Neo Cheo" comes from our concern when we realized that traditional Cheo art is gradually becoming distant from the lives of young people. We want to create a communication campaign that not only preserves Cheo in memory, but also turns Cheo into a familiar material, opening up creativity. In that journey, "Neo" means an anchor, a fulcrum to prevent the Cheo cultural boat from being swept away by the storms of contemporary life."

Explaining further why the group chose Cheo as their art form to pursue, Phuong Linh said: “We chose Cheo because it is a genre close to the daily life of Vietnamese people, a familiar spiritual food with satirical laughter, subtle folk lessons; both rustic and refined; both storytelling and dialogue with the present. However, compared to many traditional genres that have built a strong media ecosystem, Cheo still lacks new “bridges” to reach young people.”

It can be seen that, through “Neo Chèo”, young people of Gen Z aspire to build new “bridges”. “Bridges” bring the art of Chèo out of the traditional stage, present in the digital space, so that collective memory becomes a personal experience, to preserve it in conjunction with responsible creation.

For the “Neo Cheo” project, a group of young people conducted an online survey with more than 300 students and young people in Hanoi and some northern provinces.

The results show that 97% of Gen Z have heard of Cheo, but their understanding is limited, mostly just at the level of knowing it superficially without clearly understanding its nature, characteristics or differences compared to Tuong and Cai Luong. However, up to 92% consider Cheo to be an important part of national culture and expressed their willingness to learn and become more involved if there is an attractive and close approach.

This shows that Cheo still holds a special place in the minds of young people, but the gap in approach prevents them from truly connecting deeply.

On the other hand, the survey also pointed out notable challenges: 91% of Gen Z said they lacked opportunities to experience Cheo directly; media content about Cheo is fragmented, has little presence on social networks and is often dry and academic.

Notably, 96% want to approach Cheo through new forms such as combining it with modern music (rap, EDM, acoustic…), bringing Cheo images and costumes into fashion or trying to create digital content inspired by Cheo. They also expect to have more space for experimentation, companionship from artisans, experts and connection with the young creative community.

The above figures confirm that Gen Z has not turned its back on traditional arts and culture. The problem does not lie in the indifference of young people, but in the need for more attractive and approachable approaches to the art of Cheo. This gap has paved the way for creative media projects like “Neo Cheo” to appear.

The photo shows the character system in Cheo, designed by graphic design students of FPT University Hanoi.

“We chose Gen Z as our target audience not to ignore other generations, but because we see in Gen Z the mission and potential to inherit and develop national culture,” said Tran Duc Anh, in charge of the project's content.

Duc Anh also explained: “We believe that for a traditional art form to survive, there needs to be a next generation of audiences, and Gen Z is that future. This is an open, creative generation with strong influence on digital platforms. Also belonging to Gen Z, we understand that young people are not outside of traditional culture, but they need an approach that is attractive enough and suitable for the modern context. Therefore, targeting Gen Z is not only a strategic choice, but also a mission to ensure that the art of Cheo continues to flow in the cultural vein of the nation.”

Dr. Vu Viet Nga is currently a lecturer at the Faculty of Communication Technology, FPT University, Hanoi. She is also an instructor and accompanies students in the project “Neo Cheo”.

Dr. Vu Viet Nga, lecturer of the Faculty of Communication Technology, FPT University Hanoi.

Talking about her trust in her students, Dr. Viet Nga shared: “Many people still think that Gen Z is far from tradition. But in fact, in recent years, there have been many projects and creative products based on folk art materials that have been seriously invested in and positively received by young people. The problem does not lie in the indifference of the younger generation, but in the approach that is not suitable for the times. When witnessing the "Neo Cheo" group learning from melodies, costumes to chatting with artists, I understand that they are not just finishing a project, but really want to accompany the traditional art of the nation. I believe that, with the creativity and energy of Gen Z, Cheo will become a fertile ground for young people to freely express themselves, opening up new vitality for the heritage."

Message from "Neo Cheo"

“Neo Cheo” is expected to be a project that harmoniously combines preserving traditional values ​​and innovation to attract young people.

Tran Duc Anh shared: “Neo Cheo believes that innovation in approach will be the bridge to bring young people back to the core values ​​of traditional culture. The quintessence that makes up the beauty of Cheo, from the melody to the content, will be preserved completely. Along with preservation, Neo Cheo also innovates communication methods, using familiar language and forms of expression suitable for young people, so that they can approach traditional art naturally, without feeling strange.”

“We do not change the nature of Cheo, but we use new creativity and a youth-friendly approach to build an interesting path, leading Gen Z to traditional art. Innovation is the means, but preserving and spreading core values ​​is the ultimate goal,” Duc Anh affirmed.

Sharing the message and meaning of this project, Mr. Le Cao Thien, Head of the Organizing Committee, said that when starting the project, the Organizing Committee realized that the art of Cheo has a great vitality: from sweet melodies, everyday stories, to costumes and props, all have a familiar beauty. Therefore, the gap does not lie in the art of Cheo itself, but in the way we convey it to the younger generation.

“The message we want to convey is that preserving heritage does not mean just keeping it in a glass cage, but letting it live with the new generation, in harmony with the rhythm of the times. And when every young person feels that they can find themselves in the art of Cheo, through a melody, a costume, or a creative product, then the art of Cheo will no longer be something far away, but will become a natural part of today's life. We hope that “Neo Cheo” will convey the inspiration that traditional art can completely become a source of creative energy for the young generation, so that each person can continue to write the Vietnamese cultural identity in their own way.”

"Neo Cheo" and the journey of spreading

Neo Chèo's approach is to build a multi-dimensional connection between the art of Chèo and Gen Z, based on technology, emotional factors and real-life experiences.

In the online segment, “Neo Chèo” does not only stop at providing knowledge, but also aims to awaken the creative aspirations in Gen Z. Content on digital platforms will focus on emotional factors, telling real-life stories of Cheo artists, from young people to veteran artists, thereby evoking the pride and responsibility of the younger generation in continuing the legacy.

In addition, with live, lively activities, “Neo Chèo” will create a space for young people to touch and feel chèo in a real way. Within the framework of the project, the group will organize an art exhibition, where tradition meets technology, bringing a new multi-sensory experience to the audience.

Not only that, in the near future, the group of young people plans to launch a product combining traditional Cheo music with a modern style, creating an attractive opening for Cheo to get closer to the young audience.

To do this, the young organizing committee needs to coordinate smoothly with a team of experts, artists and experienced theaters.

The group had a meeting and listened to the sharing of journalist and writer Mai Van Lang.

Mr. Tran Duc Anh, a member of the Organizing Committee, said: "For us, cooperation with art units is not only support, but also the soul of the project.

“Neo Chèo” is positioned as a bridge for the young generation to proactively experience and create with traditional art. To be a bridge, we need to connect both sides: one side is the youth, the other side is the artists and the units that are preserving and developing chèo in today's life. Working with the Hanoi Chèo Theatre, artists and composers, we not only receive knowledge and skills but also feel the love and respect they have for the art. That helps us understand that, if we want to bring chèo closer to Gen Z, we must first maintain the correctness and core quintessence of this art form. The art units are the “lighthouses” so that we do not get lost in creativity.”

“We also realized that with the support of prestigious art units, the project not only has more professional strength, but also becomes a two-way bridge, where young people get closer to artists, and artists also see the creativity and energy of Gen Z,” Duc Anh affirmed.

These specific activities show that Gen Z is not just stopping at ideas or slogans, but is directly turning Cheo into a vivid experience, from digital space to real life. There, Gen Z is both an audience and a creator, supporting traditional art in their own language.

Dr. Vu Viet Nga commented: “The difference of the “Neo Cheo” group is that they do not place Gen Z in the position of passive audience, but invite them to participate as co-creators of digital content. When the young generation feels they have the right to create with the heritage, the connection will overcome initial curiosity to become a long-term attachment. I believe that this is the factor that helps “Neo Cheo” have the potential to spread beyond the framework of a student project, to become a lasting wave in the young community.”

CAO HUONG

Source: https://nhandan.vn/gen-z-tiep-lua-cho-nghe-thuat-cheo-truyen-thong-post912419.html