Vietnamese stage art troupes nationwide have closely followed the policies of the Party and State and the practices of the renovation process, reflecting honestly the fight against corruption, bureaucracy and degeneration among cadres.

The statement was made on December 8 by To Huy Rua, head of the Communication and Education Commission under the Vietnamese Communist Party’s Central Committee.

Mr Rua told the seventh Congress of the Vietnam Stage Artists Association (VSAA) that the stage sector has gradually grown out of the centralized bureaucratic mechanism and made itself more market-oriented to achieve new, vigorous developments in terms of play content, management, cooperation and promotion.

There have now been private art troupes alongside already-established state ones. These two groups have actively cooperated and learnt from each other to boost the development of stage art, giving birth to more plays with highly ideological and artistic values. The VSAA and its chapters have made a huge effort to rally their members, help build polices on stage, and train young talented artists.

At the opening ceremony in Hanoi, Mr Rua pledged that the Party and State will soon institutionalize their policies on assisting the Vietnamese stage sector and will focus all possible resources for building an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity.

The two-day congress, attended by 500 artists and some senior officials of the Communist Party of Vietnam, will elect the VASA’s new executive committee and outline orientations for its term from 2009 to 2014.