Increasing Cultural Cooperation

The year 2016 marks 45 years of diplomatic relations between Denmark and Vietnam, which have become closer than ever thanks to the enhanced cooperation in all aspects. Among those, cooperation in culture and art continues to be an important part of the Danish Vietnamese partnership. The Comprehensive Partnership Agreement signed by the two countries in 2013 included Culture and People to People links as one of the key areas of mutual interests for cooperation between the two countries.

Development cooperation in culture
Culture has been a priority area for cooperation since the first Culture Programme was approved by the Board of Danida in 2006 and later prolonged until 2015. The overall objective of the programme is to increase cultural co-operation between Vietnam and Denmark with emphasis on creativity, people’s access, and participation in arts and promotion of cultural diversity. The Culture Programme is implemented in cooperation with Vietnamese Partners, and focuses on the following five strategic components: Dialogue Amongst Cultural Managers and Opinion Makers; Arts Education in Primary School; Children's Literature; Support to Arts in Public Spaces; and the Cultural Development and Exchange Fund (CDEF).

For example, the Arts Education in Primary School component trained 630 art teachers from all over Vietnam as master trainers on how to use the new teaching materials through the Danish funded Culture Programme. The Children’s Literature project, in coordination with Kim Dong Publishing House, helped improve literature for Vietnamese children by organising workshops and writing camps where Danish writers and illustrators shared experiences, new writing and illustrating approaches with Vietnamese counterparts. This resulted in a number of stories created jointly by Danish and Vietnamese writers and illustrators using the new approaches.

In addition, the embassy joined with EU countries in several major cultural activities in Vietnam such as the Hue Festival, European Literature Day, the European Film and Music Festival – and will continue to do so.

Private sector’s involvement promoted
Culture and art is playing an increasingly important role in the context of globalisation and public diplomacy. Culture and art is also a vital part of the close relationship and cooperation between Denmark and Vietnam. All economic sectors benefit from the creativity that art and culture foster by stimulating creative insights, innovation and ideas. Creative industries hold a significant potential as a driver of economic growth, entrepreneurship and job creation. Strengthening the creative businesses in Vietnam can foster great economic potential. Moreover, promotion of exchange of culture and art between the two countries does not only promote mutual understanding and trust between its peoples, but also helps boost interests in knowing about each other, leading to increased exchange of tourists and commercial interests.

Therefore, when the current programme is phased out by December 2016 in the context of Vietnam being one of the world's fastest growing economies and a low middle income country, our future partnership model will be gradually transformed from purely development assistance to Public Private Partnership with promotion of involvement of the private sector in cultural/art events and activities. Such transformation has been well implemented throughout a series of cultural activities celebrating the 45th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations. For example, Danish companies doing business in Vietnam have been actively supporting the organisation of the Danish Culture Night, Danish Film Weeks, Danish Footprints or bringing Danish artists to the Monsoon Music Festival.

In realising the Comprehensive Partnership Agreement that Vietnam and Denmark signed in 2013, the two countries will further strengthen exchange and cooperation in the fields of art, culture and tourism and encourage direct cooperation between Danish and Vietnamese cultural institutions.

Que Chi