Experts criticise arts development plan

HA NOI  (VNS) — Many participants at a recent Ha Noi seminar on the performing arts were not satisfied with a master plan to develop the entertainment industry.

They said the plan was not practical because it focused on infrastructure development which needs plenty of time and money.

Under the plan, by 2020, about 50 theatres will be built and 20 theatres will beupgraded with a total investment capital of VND7 trillion or US$330 million.

The finance will come from the State budget and private sources. Two art centres with 3,000 seats will be built in Ha Noi and Da Nang with state capital. The centres will be used for holding national and international events.

In HCM City, an international-level art performance centre will be built with funds mobilised from the private sector.

Several people expressed concern over the plan. Tran Binh, director of the Viet Nam Contemporary Art Theatre, said that it was necessary to build only three national theatres, one each in the northern, southern and the central regions.

"In 2002, we discussed targets for the performing arts which would be completed in 2010. By 2014, the target plan has only been tabled," Binh said.

He also stressed that the urgency was not in building theatres. "There are about 130 art troupes in the whole nation which need to be restructured."

On the occasion of the 1,000th anniversary of Thang Long-Ha Noi in 2010, theatres were built and upgraded, but they have not been put to good use. The Dai Nam and Kim Dong theatres are usually used to hold weddings.

Deputy Director of the Thanh Hoa Province's Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism Mai Tu said that in his province the construction of a theatre has been ongoing for the past ten years. "Even now only the exterior of the theatre is complete."

He also pointed out that it is not necessary to build more theatres because no art shows have been held in the province in recent times.

Agreeing with him, Tran Huu Son, director in the mountainous province of Lao Cai, did not support the building of more theatres. "The remote and mountainous provinces have cultural houses which host art performances. It would be a waste to build theatres in the remote areas," Son said.

He also criticised the master plan which is not an updated one. "We have to foresee future changes in Viet Nam as well as in the world before drafting the master plan. This plan did not mention the globalisation process which governs art activities," he pointed out.

The issue of funds for building theatres was another concern expressed by the participants. "The plan did not say about capital resources. The plan will be only feasible on paper," said Le Tien Tho, chairman of the Viet Nam Theatre Artists Association.

The plan does not mention financial resources for other targets too, including human resource training. According to the plan, by the year 2030, Viet Nam will have a team of art creators and producers who will be internationally recognised. Deputy Director of Viet Nam Theatre of Singing, Music and Dance Truong Ngoc Xuyen wondered how the target would be implemented as Viet Nam will send people abroad for training regularly in the future.

All agreed that the policies which support artists have not received proper attention in the master plan. — VNS