Field of Heritage Project, under the UK/Viet Nam Season 2023 ©

Production Thanh Viet

Context

Creative industries are an engine for economic growth and in the top 5 priority growth mission of the UK government. The UK creative industries sector contributed £124.6 billion to the UK economy in 2022. Creative sectors accounted for 5.7 per cent of UK gross valued added and it has seen a 6 per cent growth since 2019. The creative sectors employed 2.4 million people in the UK in 2023, signifying the ongoing development in the industry.

Viet Nam, as one of the world’s fastest growing industries, is expected to maintain a GDP growth rate of 6.6 per cent in the 2024-2034 period. Creative industries in Viet Nam are at an emerging stage, with increasing productivity in film, music, advertising, design, and creative technologies to satisfy the growing appetite of young arts and culture consumers in mega cities such as Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh City. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in Viet Nam is in the process of developing the second National Strategy for the Development of the Cultural Industries to 2030, Vision 2045, with a commitment to unlock the growth potential of the sector. 

Learning from the UK’s experience as a global leader in the creative industries, the British Council has been focusing on research and insight in support of the growth of the creative industries sector in Viet Nam, as well as building connection, exchange and mutual learning with the UK. In 2014, the first mapping exercise of the creative industries in Viet Nam was commissioned by the British Council, followed by a subsequent mapping in 2018. In 2020, we commissioned a profile of Viet Nam’s cultural cities, covering Hà Nội, Huế, Đà Nẵng, Hội An, Đà Lạt and Hồ Chí Minh City. These reports informed policy makers and industry actors about the stage of development of the creative industries sector in Viet Nam, as well as the challenges and opportunities at hand. 

Our aim

The British Council is committed to support the growth of the creative industries sector in Viet Nam in the long run. Starting in 2014, we have been connecting with the UK creative industries sector and bringing in UK expertise to support the development and the implementation of the first national strategy policy paper for the creative industries sector, which was ratified in 2016. We are continuing this support for the strategy currently under preparation, and anticipating further connection with the UK in assisting Viet Nam to realise ambitious goals in growing its creative industries.

Anticipating the ratification of the National Strategy for the Development of the Cultural Industries to 2030, Vision 2045, the British Council is looking to create an up-to-date mapping of the creative industries sector in Viet Nam. We envisage that this mapping will spotlight people and places from both public and private spheres, from creative cities to festivals, independent arts and cultural organisations. We hope to shape a vision for a robust creative industries sector by asking those who will play an important role in unlocking the growth potential of this sector about their own vision of a creative Viet Nam in a near future. 

The 2024 mapping exercise of Viet Nam’s creative industries will produce a publication entitled Vision for Creativity, outlining the current landscape of the creative industries sector and spotlighting vision of those considered by many as sector builders. Vision for Creativity will inform policy making and decision making, stimulate sector growth, and create useful connection across Viet Nam and between Viet Nam and the UK.

How we get there

Vision for Creativity will be structured into two main parts. The first part is the Profile Section (working title), which includes interviews with Viet Nam’s creative industries sector builders. We would like to know what exciting projects they are working on now, and their vision for the creative sector in Viet Nam in 5-10 years from now. This part will also profile projects and organisations by these sector builders. The second part is the Listing Section (working title), which is more extensive, featuring organisations and individuals active in the arts, culture and creative sector across Viet Nam.

Here's how we are developing these two parts of the Vision for Creativity:

Research

  • We are looking to put together a team of researchers who are sector informants from Hà Nội, Huế, Đà Nẵng, Hội An, Đà Lạt, and Hồ Chí Minh City. An ideal researcher should be based in the city in focus and is well-connected with the arts, culture and creative scenes in their city. We are looking for those with practitioner and/or academic background, and are good at collecting, processing and presenting data, asking the right questions, making compelling conversations, and writing attractive stories. We don’t expect the researchers to have comprehensive knowledge of all creative industries. We appreciate the importance of having connection with the wider network to identify the right individuals and organisations. 
  • The researchers will help develop both parts of Vision for Creativity. For the Profile Section, we are looking to engage between 5-10 key organisations/individuals in every tier one city (Hà Nội and Hồ Chí Minh City), and between 3-6 key organisations/individuals in every tier two city (Đà Nẵng, Hội An and Đà Lạt). For the Listing Section, we anticipate having between 30-50 individuals/organisations for every tier one city, and 10-20 individuals/organisations for every tier two city. 

  • We cover all relevant expenses and offer a lumpsum of £1,000 as professional fee for a tier one city and £500 for a tier two city (tax included). Research activity will take place be between 11 November 2024 and 31 January 2025 – detailed timeline is provided below.

  • If you think you are a good candidate for this research, please fill out this form by 31 October 2024 and we will get in touch. We will be on the active look-out for our ideal researchers so please don’t wait until the deadline to submit the form – click on now and submit. If your profile is fitting, we will get back to you within 3 days for a chat

Key creative industries in focus for research (suggested)

As a pre-assumption, we suggest below key creative industries in focus for each of the cities for the research:

Industry/ City Hà Nội Huế Đà Nẵng Hội An Đà Lạt HCMC
Design √   √ √   √
Music √ √     √ √
Publishing √         √
Architecture √         √
Film & Video √   √     √
Crafts √ √   √   √
Visual Arts √ √   √ √ √
TV & Radio √         √
Advertising √         √
Literature √ √       √
Creative technologies (media, games, apps, etc.) √   √     √
Performing Arts √ √ √ √   √

Videographer

We will produce a short video (3-5 min length) to visually document the mapping process and incorporate key results. The making of this video will coincide with the time when key interviews taking place in all the cities (see in tentative timeline below). This video will be hosted on the British Council website and a link will be included in the publication.

We welcome creatives/film makers to apply for this assignment here by 31 October 2024.

We offer between £1,500 and £2,000 (depending on skills and experience, tax included) as production fee for 01 videographer to take care of all filming and making the video. Travel to all locations is expected unless shooting can be effectively arranged with local videographers in location. All travel expenses will be covered. A detailed brief for the video will be provided to the successful candidate. 

Survey Arts, Culture and Creative community

  • To gather input from the wider sector to develop the listing of organisations and individuals in the arts, culture and creative community, we invite all to take part in this survey form to introduce yourself and your organisation if you wish to be on the list. This link will be active between 11 November 2024 and 31 January 2025. 
  • All data and input from the survey and research will be fact-checked and quality reviewed by our Arts team in consultation with sector experts we invite to join this mapping exercise. Final product will be designed and published in digital form and made available on the British Council website. 

Tentative Timeline

15.10.2024  Mapping the Creative Industries Sector – Vision for Creativity Brief launch
15.10.2024 – 31.01.2025  Mapping the Creative Industries Sector Survey Form available
31.10.2024  Last day to apply for a researcher position 
11.11.2024 – 31.03.2025  Research and content development
11 – 22.11.2024  Desk research and interview scheduling
23 – 29.11.2024  Interview Hà Nội (including filming max 3 days) 
02 – 08.12.2024   Interview Huế (including filming max 2 days)
09 – 15.12.2024  Interview HCMC (including filming max 3 days)
16 – 22.12.2024  Interview Đà Nẵng, Hội An, Đà Lạt (including filming max 4 days)
01.01.2025 – 31.03.2025  Content development

We hope Vision for Creativity will be a useful resource for the drafting of the National Strategy for the Development of the Cultural Industries to 2030, Vision 2045, as the launch of this report will welcome the ratification of the strategy. We also look forward to celebrating with the Viet Nam’s creative industries sector when launching Vision for Creativity in some of the spotlight cities in early 2025.

We welcome all artists, creatives and cultural professionals to join this exciting journey with us to shape a refreshed understanding of our creative industries sector. Write to us at vnarts@britishcouncil.org.vn if you would like to know more or to get involved. 
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