According to UNESCO, amid the global COVID-19 pandemic, billions of people around the world have turned to culture as a source of comfort and connection. However, this epidemic does not ignore the major damage to the cultural and creative industries.
More than 80% of UNESCO recognized World Heritage sites are subject to delays and closures, damaging the livelihoods of local communities and those working in the cultural sector. Cultural organizations and facilities including museums, theaters, and cinemas, are losing revenue every day, and many employees have been forced out of work because of the epidemic. The cultural industry is going through the crisis of the pandemic.
However, in the middle of the crisis, art played a more important role than ever. Films, paintings, and sculptures make us comfortable and release our emotions, giving people strength and courage. We can fully express ourselves and maintain a connection with society, even when around us are only four walls of the house.
That is why UNESCO launched the campaign “ResiliArt”. Artists and creative cultural practitioners are encouraged to participate in the campaign to spread their messages, stories and images.
On the evening of April 15, through a global discussion among leading UNESCO industry experts, the campaign “ResiliArt” in cooperation with the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) is launched globally to raise the awareness of the far-reaching impact of COVID-19 including culture and assist artists in finding solutions during and after the crisis.
The General Director of UNESCO Ms. Audrey Azoulay said that UNESCO called on all artists and people working in the fields of culture and creativity to join the campaign ResiliArt. Artists sit together, share difficulties and challenges, and expand connections with the public.
Vlogger Chan La Ca (Hoang Minh Tuan) and many singers from ASEAN countries performed the song “We Are Unity”, bringing a message full of optimism before the COVID-19 pandemic.
To participate in the campaign, visitors only need to post photos or videos, show off their creative activities to connect with the public during COVID-19’s crisis along with stories related to images, or video above. In your post, use the hashtag #ShareCulture, #ResiliArt, #WorldArtday to make it easier for organizers to find your story. These contents will be posted on the user’s social networking accounts (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter…) after April 15.
Some Vietnamese artists such as director Trinh Dinh Le Minh, Luk Van, rapper Hang Kani, Vlogger Hoang Minh Tuan and others have participated in the campaign. They shared with the public their new compositions, artistic activities during social distancing with the message: Art means resilience. The current epidemic crisis is the time for art to show resilience and sustainability as well as harnessing the power of inherent creativity.
Hai Van