Close up shot of archived newspaper with person in gloves touching one newsletter.
An Việt Archives, 2022,  ©

Photo by George Clark

Delve into the rich shared heritage of British-Vietnamese communities with this exciting project opening up The An Viet Archives, the largest known Vietnamese community archive in the UK. 

Expanding the definition of what cultural archives can be, Well Settled will move this collection beyond the physical through a multimedia activity finding new ways to make such important collections accessible in the future. 

Hackney Archives and Lưu Chữ will open the archives to new audiences through community workshops while LUX, Nhạc Gãy and Nhà Sàn Collective will expand our reach through artistic commissions and exhibitions to foster greater community exchange and empowerment.

About the collaborators

The An Viet Archives is the largest Vietnamese community collection in the UK. Together with Hackney Archives and Hackney Chinese Community Services, the collection was saved when the former An Viet Foundation, which was established in London in 1981, closed in 2017. Our aim is to bring the collection to the wider public with our partners:

  • Lưu Chữ, a Vietnamese Typography Collective in Ho Chi Minh City.
  • LUX, an international artist moving image agency, in London.
  • Nhà Sàn Collective, the first and longest-running, non-profit, artist-run space in Vietnam
  • Nhạc Gãy, the Saigon-based music collective celebrating Vietnamese heritage and identity with a playful rave spirit

How to take part

Well Settled will feature a series of workshops, exhibitions, broadcasts and digital showcases from June to December in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and London.

June to August

  • Community archiving workshops 
    Hackney Archives and Lưu Chữ 
    London, Ho Chi Minh City
  • Showcase event: Lưu Chữ 
    London
  • Educational collaborations with the University of Westminster 
    London

October

  • Old Bathhouse Three Dimensional walkthrough, online cultural heritage hub 
  • Activating Archives podcast series by Cường Phạm release 

Online / Broadcast

  • Podcast/music launch events with Phambinho (Cường Phạm) and Nhạc Gãy (London, HCMC)

November to December

  • Moving image commissions with exhibitions and events 
    London and Hanoi
  • LUX Exhibition 
    London
  • Nhà Sàn Collective exhibition
    Hanoi