WYO and VICAS support 8 Vietnamese artistic talents
The World Youth Orchestra Foundation is part of the World Youth Orchestra (WYO), headquartered in Rome, Italy, and was founded by conductor Damiano Giuranna in 2001. WYO initially focused on music, recruiting young musicians from around the world, providing scholarships and funding for them to join WYO and tour around the world. Part of the revenue from the performances will be reinvested in education and recruiting orchestra members.
“WYO is a non-profit organization that promotes international cooperation with universities, training institutions and conservatories around the world with the priority goal of educating and promoting the culture of each country,” said conductor Damiano Giurana.
Every year, WYO’s foundation selects an international region to implement arts development funding projects. This year is the first time we have come to Vietnam. Vietnam is also the first Southeast Asian country we have chosen to implement this project.”
The award ceremony “Sound of Brotherhood: Discovering Creative Talents” in early September, organized by the World Youth Orchestra Foundation in collaboration with the Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts Studies (VICAS), marked the more than 3-month journey of a cultural support fund from Italy - through the connection of the Italian Embassy in Vietnam - present in our country's artistic life.
Eight notable talents in three fields: Visual Arts, Music and Theatre were awarded from 58 entries. Not simply a recognition, these artists (mostly independent, with limited financial resources) will receive companionship and support on their next stage of development.
Associate Professor, Dr. Nguyen Thi Thu Phuong - Director of the Institute of Vietnam National Institute of Culture and Arts commented: “With such a large number of applications, we understand that the art and artist community in Vietnam is very strong and diverse in many forms. As an organizing agency, we consider this a driving force to be able to connect with more funds and organizations to support the art community in Vietnam”.
The need for a domestic cultural support fund
It is not until now that cultural workers understand the role of a cultural support fund in developing and supporting the country's artistic talents. Many solutions have been suggested at seminars and forums.
Another difficulty in operating cultural support funds in Vietnam is funding. In countries like the UK, the US, Singapore, etc., this source of money comes from businesses as a kind of non-professional welfare that businesses give to society, like the story of Termix - an Italian multi-industry corporation that became a generous sponsor of the World Youth Orchestra Fund.
Associate Professor, Dr. Bui Hoai Son - Standing Member of the National Assembly's Culture and Education Committee, expressed his opinion that the State needs to have practical policies to encourage businesses to raise funds for culture, and one of the solutions that should be considered, as international experience, is to directly exempt and reduce some taxes corresponding to the amount of money contributed to the fund.
“In countries like the UK and the US, when businesses sponsor the arts, it is not just a financial act but also a way for them to contribute to nurturing the soul and spirit of society.
For example, in the US, where art is always considered an important factor in community life, businesses that sponsor non-profit arts organizations can deduct taxes based on their contributions. This makes supporting culture and arts more attractive,” said Associate Professor Dr. Bui Hoai Son.
