Starting from this year, GBP100,000 (VND3 billion) is available in grant packages for artistic projects that interact with traditional Vietnamese music and cinema through the ages.
The FAMLAB (Film, Archive and Music Lab) fund launched in April 2018, and seeks to create opportunities for communities across the country to contribute to, and benefit from, the safeguarding and re-invigoration of their cultural heritage.
The fund is open to both British and Vietnamese individuals, groups and organizations working in any creative or artistic discipline.
Proposals are welcome for any collaborative and creative projects that aim towards sustainable values and a long-term impact for contemporary arts and cultural practices, with a view to benefiting the heritage sector in Vietnam.
The value of the available grants ranges GBP3,000–10,000 (VND90 million-300 million) and any projects with a focus on creating film, music, video, cross-disciplinary work, music and film archiving, or research and publication will be considered.
Programme Manager of Arts and Creative Industries at the British Council Tran Duy Hung said the inaugural FAMLAB took place in the UK in 2016. FAMLAB UK’s second edition took place last week in London and Sheffield, featuring 12 UK and international musicians, including sound artist Nhung Nguyen, also known as Sound Awakener, from Vietnam.
“We think it’s important,” Hung said, “because music and film heritage – especially that of or representing marginalized groups, including ethnic minority groups located in remote, rural areas – are becoming increasingly less visible in Vietnam’s contemporary culture and society.”
“We hope that the FAMLAB Fund can serve towards making the country’s music and film heritage more visible. And if in the process of working towards this goal we can help realize exciting artistic, cultural or academic projects that work with and benefit the community, then we will see that as a humble achievement.”
[Photo courtesy of the British Council/Le Xuan Phong]
