“Sustainable development” in Professional Arts Training
The concept of “Sustainable development” first appeared in 1980 in the publication “World Conservation Strategy” of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources), to define a development in all aspects of the current society while maintaining to ensure continued development in the future. When we hear the phrase “sustainable development”, we often associate with macro-level problems such as socioeconomic, environmental pollution or a country’s development goals. However, in arts education, especially in the music field, this concept becomes even more a “criterion” that needs special attention if it is to improve the current quality as well as the direction of possible future development..
From IUCN’s macro-level 3-circle sustainable development model, we think of a three-circle sustainable development model for arts institutions, including 3 core elements, which are: Facilities; Lecturers and Training Programs.
Based on these 3 core factors, we can build a long-term development strategy for the training centers depending on the urgency and topicality of each factor.
Compared to the period of 10-20 years ago, many music training centers in Ho Chi Minh City now have a big step forward in terms of facilities such as standard auditoriums, separate classrooms, practice rooms, supportive devices, modern musical instruments, state-of-the-art sound systems and so on. Music lecturers are young, energetic and ready to learn. In addition, the compilation of training programs is also a key area for development, more and more music training programs have been accepted and put into practice in public music training institutions such as Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music, Vietnam National Academy of Music, and Faculty of Music in universities throughout the country. We can say that current music training centers in Vietnam have partly met the core criteria for sustainable development.
A new feature in music training programs in Vietnam nowadays is the emergence of international music certifications following by the popularity of the criteria for evaluating the output quality, which helps raise community awareness in the field of art training. The modern education perspective is no longer on award (personal) but towards achievement (community), which means creating new values that others can use or benefit from. This is also the success and the ultimate goal of art education in Vietnam.
Source: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT” IN PROFESSIONAL ARTS TRAINING
NGUYỄN THỊ NGỌC DUNG
Excerpt from the discussion seminar “60 years of establishment of the Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory of Music” – July 2016.
