British Council Funds Vietnamese Art Projects on Global Issues

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Designed to promote cultural and artistic collaboration between the UK and countries in Asia-Pacific, including Vietnam, the program worth 700,000 EUR is open for applications across all artistic disciplines, prioritizing proposals related to climate change response, diversity, and inclusion.

Centre for Culture Preservation and Economic Development's members and a Ta Oi woman look at designs based on Dèng textile. The center received a Connections Through Culture Grant to carry out a project on weaving in 2021. (Photo: VNT)

Selected Vietnamese projects, which can include digital, face-to-face, and hybrid artistic efforts, must involve at least one partner based in the UK and one partner based in Vietnam.

"We’re proud to be providing this support, keeping the doors open for artists in both countries to make connections and showcase their talents on the international stage," said Donna McGowan, Director of the British Council in Vietnam.

"Connections Through Culture grants not only create meaningful artistic exchanges but help to bring greater understanding that will enrich the global creative landscape," she added.

Since the inception of the funding program in 2019, 16 grants have been awarded to collaborative projects between the UK and Vietnam. One such project supported in the 2021-2022 program cycle is “Weaving a Better World: Including Craft to Reset Sustainable Fashion” by the Center for Cultural Preservation and Economic Development (CPED).

Thanks to the grant, the representative of the CPED, Le Thi Quynh Chau, had the opportunity to collaborate with British designer Victoria Ho, even during the COVID-19 pandemic, to promote traditional weaving and beading techniques by Vietnamese ethnic minority groups in both countries.

Chau spoke highly of her pride in not only producing a handbook but also implementing training courses and design competitions to attract more attention to Vietnamese weaving and beading techniques.

Through collaboration with designer Victoria Ho, the project expanded the center’s network in both Vietnam and the UK. The sides jointly produced a bilingual Vietnamese-English handbook describing the weaving and beading techniques from artisans and related perspectives of the British designer.

This joint research also helped the Vietnam-UK team gain a deeper understanding of each other's culture and working processes, Chau said, expressing her belief in their opportunities for future collaboration.

Earlier in May this year, the British Council and the Can Tho University in the Mekong Delta province of Can Tho co-launched a climate skills program to promote green transition. The program, coordinated by the British Council with global youths to promote green transition and reduce the use of fossil fuels, will be implemented until February 2026 in Vietnam, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, and India.

McGowan said that it aims to equip vulnerable young people with the necessary skills to be able to participate in the green transition process and a low-carbon economy. It will also provide necessary resources, build community activities led by young people, remove barriers, and help them get closer to green jobs.

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