Music Transmission: With administrative support from VICAS and the Cham Culture Centre (Phan Rang, Ninh Thuận), classes teaching traditional Cham musical instruments (ginang and paranung percussions) were set up in Bỉnh Nghĩa and Bàu Trúc villages. Inaugurated in mid-October 2018, the classes ran every weekend, featuring 15 Cham school-age children in each class. The music was taught by Cham masters Lai Lầu and Sầm Văn Tánh (in the Bỉnh Nghĩa class), and Phú Bình Đồn and Dương Tấn Tự (in the Bàu Trúc class). To conclude the first phase of the classes, the students performed at an event at Cham Cultural Centre in January 2019, followed by further classes during 2019–2020 taking the lessons to a more advanced level.
Heritage Verité: A film-making workshop was delivered in November 2018 by VICAS and independent experts for children in Bỉnh Nghĩa village. Once participants had familiarised themselves with basic film-making techniques they were tasked with filming and exploring stories related to Cham music heritage in their everyday surroundings, in all its unscripted actions, dialogues and happenings. Edited by the children themselves, the films provide a vividly detailed picture of how traditional Cham music lives on strongly and integrates into people’s lives.
Heritage Trail: An initiative implemented by VIRI – a Vietnam-based NGO with expertise in community-based, cultural tourism – this activity develops and delivers locally-appropriate soft skills training and provides basic facilities in Bàu Trúc village towards realising the full potential for sustainable tourism activities in the locality, a place already well-known for ceramic and textile products.
Community/Policy Dialogue: The culmination of these activities was a full day’s community/policy dialogue taking place in the city of Phan Rang (Ninh Thuận) in January 2019. Members of various Cham villages met with representatives from the provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism for engaged conversations towards strengthened support for heritage-related activities in the community. The event also showcased performances from students of the Bỉnh Nghia and Bàu Trúc music-transmission classes, as well as the films made through the Heritage Verité workshop.
