Punk-pop duo to hit CAMA ATK

Blue Hawaii, a band from Montreal, Canada, featuring Raphaelle Standell-Preston and Alexander Cowan, will perform live in Ha Noi on Saturday.

The punk-pop musical duo, who made waves around the world with their releases Blooming Summer in 2010 and Untogether in 2013, will dominate the CAMA ATK stage, where Raphaelle's dense female harmonies will combine with Alex's synth, guitar and drums, creating a unique flavour not often seen in Asia.

Mixing punk with pop, the duo produces a magical blend of music that reflects their collaborative, community-driven environment in Canada.

The night will also see performances by Nova Lab band from Hoi An.

The advance tickets cost VND100,000 each, while tickets priced at VND150,000 can be bought at the venue, CAMA ATK, 73A Mai Hac De Street.

Theatre group holds auditions for Dahl play

Hanoi International Theatre Society (HITS) will stage the play James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl.

As the show, meant for all age groups, will be performed in early December, HITS is looking for actors, experienced or amateur, for the show.

The auditions will take place on Sunday, September 14, from 3pm to 6pm, and Tuesday, September 16, from 6pm to 9pm, at Chez Xuan Restaurant Garden Bar&Grill, No 41, Alley 76, An Duong Street, Tay Ho District.

For further information, or if you are interested in participating in the technical side (set, lights, sound, costume, backstage, marketing etc), email jacqueline@citysmart.vn.

Works express concern for social issues

The Clouds Will Tell, a multimedia exhibition at the Nha San Collective, reveals artists' preoccupation with social problems.

The exhibition introduces works by 10 emerging artists, including Nguyen Phuong Linh's installation May (Clouds), visual artist Nguyen Huy An's series of paintings entitled Ao (Pond) and Nguyen Manh Hung's installation Di Cho (Go to the Market).

The darkly humorous sculpture of a warplane carrying bags of vegetables and meat bought from the market draws on the artist's personal experience.

"My father was a helicopter pilot, so images of planes have been in my mind since childhood. That's why planes appear in a lot of my work," Hung said.

"Vietnamese contemporary artists face many challenges, such as a lack of exhibition space and government support," said Nora Taylor, lecturer from the Art Institute of Chicago.

"However, inspired by the collective's spirit, the artists whose work is featured at Nha San demonstrated initiative to explore new boundaries and reinvent artistic norms."

Art tours with curator Tuan Mami and artists will be organised in Vietnamese and English for visitors who are interested in learning more about the art, the artists' creative process and other activities of the Nha San Collective.

According to Tuan Mami, Nha San Collective differs from museums and galleries, where finished art is presented. It's a working studio where artists can create, collaborate and receive advice and critiques, in addition to getting the chance to meet with international artists and curators.

This is the first group exhibition of the Nha San Collective at the new space after its former home, Zone 9 art complex that located at an abandoned pharmaceuticals plant at 9 Tran Thanh Tong Street, closed down.

It will run until October 5 at Nha San Collective, 24 Ly Quoc Su Street, Ha Noi.

Aussie singer-songwriter heads to Ha Noi

As part of a tour to promote his latest album, Apartment, Australian singer and songwriter David Christopher is returning to Viet Nam to offer a night of sparse, heart-rending acoustic confessionals a la The Swell Season and Bruce Springsteen next Thursday, September 18.

It is reportedly a rare opportunity to enjoy new, international sounds. Christopher's performance will begin at 8pm. Tickets can be bought at the venue for VND50,000.

Los Angeles-based electric duo to perform

The Los Angeles electric duo Nguzunguzu will hold a music event to promote their second EP Skycell at Cargo Bar next Thursday, September 18.

The duo of Asma Maroof and Daniel Pineda will perform along with three DJs, Demon Slayer from Los Angeles, L~N from France and Knappe of the city.

The event will start at 9pm at 7 Nguyen Tat Thanh Street in District 4. Tickets are VND150,000 at the door, and VND50,000 for students with valid IDs.

Thai artist exhibits photos of famous people

Thai artist Thaweesak Srithongdee, who is also known as Lolay, is showcasing a collection of his portraits of famous people.

His exhibition Have a Meal with the Famous opens till October 9 at the Monsoon Restaurant and Bar.

Lolay was born in 1970 and graduated with a Master's in Fine Arts from Silapakorn University in 1996. Lolay is a keen observer of people, and their physical and mental characteristics. He has participated in several solo and group exhibitions abroad and in Thailand.

The venue is at 1 Cao Ba Nha Street in District 1.

Cambodia, Vietnam discuss restoration of memorial sites

Cambodia and Vietnam intend to work together to inspect and repair the memorials for Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who fell on Cambodian soil.

This agreement was reached during a working session held in Phnom Penh on September 10 between Vice President and General Secretary of the Solidarity Front for the Development of the Cambodian Motherland Min Khin and visiting vIETNAMESE Deputy Defence Minister Nguyen Thanh Cung.

The officials agreed to assign appropriate bodies to develop a formal cooperation agreement regarding the conservation work that is to be carried out throughout Cambodian localities upon approval.

On behalf of the Vietnamese Government, Cung thanked the Cambodian people and government for their assistance and coordination efforts in the search for the remains of Vietnamese volunteer soldiers who lost their lives liberating the Cambodian people from the genocidal Khmer Rouge regime.

He also suggested the Cambodian Solidarity Front join the efforts to repair the weather-beaten war memorials that have fallen into disrepair.

Min Khin pledged to pass the suggestions made by Vietnam on to senior leaders for consideration.

He expressed his profound gratitude to the State, army and people of Vietnam for helping the Cambodian people put an end to the Khmer Rouge regime and rebuild their country.

During his working visit to Cambodia from September 9-11, Senior Lieutenant General Cung will also pay a courtesy visit to Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tia Banh.-

“Attimi – Imagines of the ordinary in Vietnam” exhibition held

An art exhibition themed “Attimi – Imagines of the ordinary in Vietnam” by Italian artist Barbara Pellizzari is set to take place from September 18 to October 2 at Casa Italia on 18 Le Phung Hieu street in Hanoi.

The event showcases the images of contemporary Vietnam in its everyday reality reinterpreted through her personal lenses.

“I cannot detach myself from what surrounds me. My work is the means of revealing how we can all be as deeply involved in our surroundings as I feel myself to be”, Pellizzari said.

The characters in the paintings draw the viewer’s attention by an original display of colours and tones while the technique of composition with Dó paper inlaid on canvas makes us appreciate the metaphorical association of colour and personality of the artist.

Barbara Pellizzari was born in Turin and achieved a Diploma in Fashion, Theatre Design and in Painting Conservation. As a painting restorer, Pellizzari worked in the field of art restoration with several Art Institutes (USA, Austria, Pakistan and China) and later gave art lessons at SCIS in Shanghai.

From 2007 to 2012, she joined Dulwich College Beijing. Her works were displayed in a number of solo exhibitions, both in Italy and abroad.

Hanoi-Hue-HCMC photo exhibition

An exhibition showcasing a photo collection by photographers from sister cities Hanoi-Hue-Ho Chi Minh City took place at Hue Culture Museum from September 2-10.

On display were 92 photographs embodying socio-economic development, culture, tourism and daily life. Many of the photos had previously been awarded domestic and international prizes.

Favourites included "Hà Nội mến yêu của em" (My beloved Hanoi) by Nguyen Duc Toan in Hanoi, "Vũ khúc nước" (Water dance) by Le Huy Hoang Hai in Hue, and "Đường phố vào xuân" (Street in the spring) by Ngo Quang Phuc in Ho Chi Minh City.

Within the event, exchange activities among photographers from the sister cities were also staged.

Vietnam cultural week opens in Italy

A Vietnam cultural week was kicked off in Rome on September 10 under the auspices of the Vietnamese Embassy in Italy and the authorities of Rome and Lazio region.

The week began with an exhibition displaying 34 photos of Vietnamese women taken by Italian artist Paolo Belletti. The event reserves a space for installation art with short videos and high fidelity sounds featuring daily life in Vietnam.

As part of the cultural week, a fashion show with collections designed by Minh Hanh, Lan Huong, Cong Khanh and Quang Nhat will take place on September 17 at the Rome Museum.

The national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines is to host a workshop on Vietnam tourism promotion on September 11 with the participation of its Italian partners.

The Vietnam cultural week has been given wide coverage by the local press, including the National Television RAI channel and La Republica and Il Messaggero daily newspapers.

Con Son-Kiep Bac festival honours national hero

The Con Son - Kiep Bac Autumn Festival, one of the largest of its kind in the north of Vietnam, commenced in northern Hai Duong province on September 10 in memory of General Tran Hung Dao – a revered historical figure.

A ceremony was held earlier that day to mark the 714 th anniversary of the death of the Supreme Commander of Vietnam under the Tran Dynasty (1225 – 1400). He led the Dai Viet (Great Vietnam) army to victory against three major Mongolian invasions during the 13 th century, making him one of the most accomplished military strategists in world history. He passed away on August 20 (lunar calendar) in 1300 at the age of 70.

To commemorate the hero, Kiep Bac temple was built in Hai Duong province.

The temple was recognised as a national heritage site in 1962 and a special national heritage site in 2012.

On the occasion of this year’s festival, the Provincial People’s Committee announced the accomplishment of the restoration of the main place of worship at the Con Son – Kiep Bac historical site.

In addition to the opening ceremony for the restoration project, an array of traditional rituals will be performed, including peace prayers, a procession, and a military festival along Luc Dau River .

Other cultural traditions such as water puppetry, wrestling contests, rice cooking competitions and boat races will also be organised during the festival.

Last year, the Con Son-Kiep Bac Spring and Autumn Festivals were awarded national intangible cultural heritage status.

 Designer Kilomet 109 wins YCE 2014 contest

Vu Thao, owner and fashion designer at Kilomet 109 and Ta Minh Trai, a creative design professional and co-founder of ADC Academy won the 2014 Young Creative Entrepreneur (YCE) Fashion Award on September 9.

Kilomet 109 is a fashion brand featuring Vietnamese traditional weaving and eco-fabrics while ADC Academy is an innovative creative hub model.

The 2014 Young Creative Entrepreneur (YCE) Fashion Award is an unique award acknowledging the talent of creative entrepreneurs in Vietnam.

Both were able to convince the jury of their entrepreneurial capacity and commitment to their community.  

The 2014 YCE Award targets innovators with creativity and the entrepreneurial skill to run successful fashion and design businesses using innovative models. The winners also demonstrate leadership skills and a clear commitment to cultural and social issues.

Vu Thao used the competition to showcase her inspirational Kilomet 109 story. As a designer, Thao draws inspiration from many different sources including traditional Vietnamese textiles and garment construction techniques. She is interested in reinterpreting them in a way that is playful and timeless. Kilomet 109 features the traditional weaving, dye and beeswax print of ethnic groups in Mai Chau and Cao Bang.

Through her presentation, Vu Thao expressed her strong commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) by working with ethnic women groups to produce eco fabric dyed using traditional methods for the Kilomet 109 label.

At the awards ceremony, Vu Thao said that she is very honoured and excited to be selected as winner of the YCE 2014 competition. This is the third time that Vu Thao has applied for this award so to win is particularly gratifying.

The YCE 2014 fashion and design award is both a conclusion to a dream she has worked tirelessly for, while also representing the opening of new doors for her career in fashion, added Vu Thao.

As runner-up, Ta Minh Trai, has introduced an innovative business model – the ADC Academy – and new ways of thinking about design. ADC is a co-working and training space with a focus on design and visual arts including graphic design, product design and design thinking.

It is an innovative model for a creative hub and boasts a huge network and reach especially among emerging creative professionals and entrepreneurs in Ho Chi Minh City.

ADC offers students and young creative professionals training bridging the gap between formal education and accessing a job in industry.

The Award is one of the central activities in the British Council Vietnam’s Creative Economy project. By acknowledging the talent of young creative entrepreneurs and giving them ideal opportunities to expand their business, the Award is strengthening the project’s mission which is to fortify Vietnam's new creative sectors and support socio-economic growth.

Since the programme launched in 2004, British Council’s Awards have brought 376 creative entrepreneurs to the UK.

In Vietnam, YCE 2014 marks the sixth year the British Council in Vietnam has organised the Awards.

VNS/VNA/SGGP/SGT