British Council Creative Vision 2025: A panoramic view of Vietnam's creative ecosystem

With the rapid development of creative cultural spaces in Vietnam, the Creative Vision 2025 Report published by the British Council is considered an important reference source, providing data and strategic perspectives for the policy-making process for developing the creative industry.

Cultural and creative art spaces - new "touch points"

In recent years, the creative cultural space in Vietnam has not only increased rapidly in quantity but also diversified in types, from visual arts, design, cinema to music and community architecture. The emergence of many independent initiatives has contributed to enhancing the creative image of urban areas, thereby helping Hanoi (Design), Hoi An (Crafts and Folk Arts) and Da Lat (Music) to join the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, affirming Vietnam's creative position on the international map.

British Council Small Grants 2024 Cham Music Archive and Development Project

The first report on Creative Hubs in Vietnam in 2014 showed that most initiatives were spontaneous, lacking resources and limited in public-private connections. After a decade, many hubs had to stop operating, but there were also models that persisted, constantly innovated and gradually became the core of urban creative life. The Creative Vision 2025 report acknowledged this expansion, along with new opportunities and potentials.

The reality from cities joining the UNESCO Creative Cities Network shows that this title has encouraged local authorities to strengthen public-private cooperation and build development plans with the community. Accordingly, the voices of creative cultural spaces are also heard more, opening up prospects for sustainable development.

For example, in Hoi An, the Old Brick Kiln was revived from an abandoned building into a space combining art and community. The "Boom Boom" Festival brings contemporary artists to Da Lat and many other cities, creating a new experience. In Hanoi , Think Playgrounds has been persistently building recycled playgrounds for children for many years, both creative and connecting the community.

Old Brick Kiln Space in Hoi An - a creative model combining architectural conservation, sustainable agriculture and community experience

The orientation of developing creative spaces has now received more attention from the State, demonstrated through the Cultural Industry Strategy to 2030, vision 2045 with the goal of contributing 7% of GDP. In that context, the UK is considered an important partner, and the British Council in Vietnam has pioneered with foundational studies such as the Creative Spaces Report (2014, 2018) and the Cultural City Profile (2020), contributing to shaping data, connecting communities and supporting policy making.

Creative Vision 2025: The colorful waves of Vietnam's creative industry

To date, the British Council remains committed to supporting the long-term development of Vietnam’s creative industry. The recently published Creative Vision 2025 is the largest-ever study, with 300 creative spaces and individuals in six major cities (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Hoi An, Da Lat, Hue). The report not only maps the creative ecosystem, but also provides data and strategic perspectives, becoming a reference source for policy planning in the coming period.

Compared to 2014, the number of creative spaces in the report has doubled. Creative Vision 2025 focuses more on future visions with surveys conducted by artists and localities. Thanks to that, the report truly reflects creative life, expressing multi-dimensional voices from the state, businesses to society, becoming an important reference document for policy making.

Creative Vision 2025 publication with the participation of 300 typical creative cultural spaces in Vietnam

The report does not stop at dry numbers, but focuses on learning about the creative ecosystem in each locality with vivid stories such as: Kilomet109 develops a sustainable fashion model combining manual techniques and contemporary design; Hanoi Queer Film Week creates a forum for diverse perspectives; in Hue, creative groups renew traditional arts to be closer to today's life.

Another highlight of the report is the proposed factors to consider when building an industry development strategy. For example, the report points out that most creative hubs still lack stable financial resources, appropriate infrastructure and long-term support policies. This makes it difficult for many small models, despite having a positive impact on the community, to maintain their operations.

Mr. James Shipton, Director of the British Council in Vietnam, said that the report was published at the right time for Vietnam to step up support for the creative industry and expected the publication to become a useful reference document for management agencies to identify gaps, potentials and build appropriate policies.

Read more and download information on the Vietnam creative industry ecosystem map - Creative Vision here:

https://www.britishcouncil.vn/cac-chuong-trinh/nghe-thuat/tam-nhin-sang-tao-2025

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/tam-nhin-sang-tao-2025-cua-hoi-dong-anh-buc-tranh-toan-canh-he-sinh-thai-sang-tao-viet-nam-185250929090947555.htm