A new office in Ho Chi Minh City, a new flagship music project and a flurry of films

Brand new office opens in Ho Chi Minh City

Along with the growing demand for English language training in Ho Chi Minh City, our projects and activity in the city had been growing steadily since 1995 managed from Hanoi by Gaynor Mumford. In May 1997, new premises co-located with the British Consulate at 25 Le Duan were opened by the then Director General of the British Council John Hanson and Vu Hung Viet, Vice Chairman of the HCMC People’s Committee.  A month later the British Consulate General and British Council put on one of the most ambitious cultural programmes in the city so far including a week of British Film, also shown in Hanoi, and a fashion show involving sailors from the Royal Navy ship, HMS Beaver that was in port.

Do you remember the films in British Film Week, 1997?

Laurence of Arabia, Wallace and Gromit, Howard’s End, As You Like It, Clockwise. (Brassed Off was shown as part of the Hanoi International Film Festival in November)

Improving the performance quality of Vietnam’s national orchestra

In response to conversations with the Vietnamese Ministry of Culture and Information about ways to improve the national orchestra, Director Ian Simm invited world renowned British conducting professor, Colin Metters from the Royal Academy of Music in London to begin a project training the Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra. Thus began one of the most successful and longest UK/Vietnam cultural partnerships of recent years. With Colin’s dynamic, participative teaching methods and love of Vietnam and the musicians’ hunger to learn and improve, the orchestra embarked upon an improvement programme of training and performances which was to last for five years and include over 25 performances at the Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh Opera Houses, often using esteemed Vietnamese soloists and contemporary Vietnamese pieces in the programmes.  Colin Metters was awarded the Cultural Activists medal in 1999 for his services to Vietnamese culture. When Vietnamese Prime Minister, Phan Van Khai attended a performance in 2001 he commented on the importance of this project to Vietnamese cultural life.  An in depth TV documentary of the project was made by the BBC and screened in the UK and Vietnam in 2003 to excellent reviews.

Did  you know?

Colin Metters is now continuing his work with the orchestra supported by the Ministry of Culture and Information.

Also in 1997

Workshop with the people’s Committee in Hai Phong about science and technology policy.

The beautiful and haunting landscape photographs of John Blakemore made a strong impression on visitors to galleries in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City

Representatives from the Vinh, Can Tho, Hue and Da Nang People’s Committees attended one of our Management Development skills programmes.