VietNamNet Bridge – Five projects by Vietnamese artists have been awarded grants from the British Council Arts Fund.

The beneficiaries include a theatre project by Phan Y Ly, the YxineFF online short film festival project of Vu Quynh Ha, a photography project by Phan Thanh Quang, the Sports&Culture newspaper's third Viet Nam Cartoon Prize – Rong Tre Cup, and a visual arts project.

Ly received a US$5,000 grant. Her project, in its first phase, will train communities in creating theatre pieces. In its second phase, it will explore the power struggle between women and men through theatre.

The fund will give $2,000 to photographer Quang for his project entitled Limited, while the YxineFF project will get $3,000, and the Viet Nam Cartoon Prize – Rong Tre Cup $2,000. A group of artists including Vu Khanh Van, Le Hien Minh, Nguyen Thuy Hang, Ly Tran Quynh Giang, and Nguyen Kim To Lan will receive $2,000 for their visual arts exhibition entitled The Pedestrians.

The projects were selected by a panel including artist Quoc Trung, curator Tran Luong, British filmmaker Paul Zetter, journalist My Linh and fund chairman Neil Webb.

Established last year, the fund works to support artists and arts organisations in Viet Nam as well as foster co-operation between Viet Nam and the UK through promoting understanding between the two cultures. The fund will accept additional proposals for grants through January 30.

* MoU signed on setting up Laos Records Book Centre

The Vietnamese "record keeper" has signed an agreement with a Lao publishing company on establishing a similar organisation in the neighbouring country.

A memorandum of understanding was signed on Friday by the Viet Nam Records Book Centre (Vietkings) and the Laos State Publishing and Book Distribution House to establish Lao's Records Book Centre (Laokings).

Laokings, based in Vientiane, will find and recognise national records in different fields including culture, science, society and economy.

Siviengkhek Konnyvong, director of Publishing and Library Department of the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, said the establishment of Laokings would a big step forward the distribution of publications on diverse topics.

Vietkings and Laokings expect to jointly publish this year the first directory of Lao records in two languages – Lao and English, as well as a book titled Laos – the Country and the People in English.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News