In an ever-changing global landscape, creative hubs add a sustainable value to the growth of creative economy. A Creative Hub can be defined as a space that induce Creative Thinking, which is a combination of creativity, curiosity and communication. A place, real or virtual, where designers meet ordinary people to bring creative influences and creative acts. The aims of the creative hubs are to provoke people’s mind, thoughts to show their creativity and push people to realize that creativity is inside each and every one of them.

There are currently at least 40 creative hubs in Vietnam, making art and culture more accessible and providing spaces for homegrown creative enterprises to thrive. One of the outstanding creative hubs in Hanoi related to Arts and Culture scene in Vietnam is Heritage Space which is located in Dolphin Plaza, No. 6 Nguyen Hoang Street, My Dinh 2, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi. The purpose of this art space is to develop Contemporary Art, Connect Art creators and a resource to develop art activities. Their activities are including but not limited to: Art Exhibition, Lecture, Music performance,  Workshop, Cinema; for example: “UPTOPIA LAND” Exibition, “On the Endless Road” Film Screening, BEYOND SOUND, Photo Project Workshop with Zhuang Wubin, Exibition “Dreams- Dancing Between Two World”, Release new book “Greening Asia”, etc.

As per Heritage Space representative’s opinion, the definition of “innovation” in art field is different with in other fields. Heritage Space defined innovation as “New creations or use in concept, method, practice, media, materials. ‘Innovation’ is trying something news in order to discover both the world outside and inner world of individuals.” Therefore, Heritage Space’s willing to be platform for new creations in arts. They host contemporary arts exhibition revealing new works of artists that not having opportunity to showcase in Vietnam.

Heritage Space also implement annual art project called ‘Month of Art practice‘ (MAP) to bring international artists with different ideas, mindsets and cultures coming to work with local young creators. They change the topic of MAP every year to give new factors and motivations to artists, as well as exploiting new bodies of arts for local audience.

Besides that, ‘Innovation’ is changing. Heritage believe that learning and exchange giving new energies and ideas, so they keep doing exchange programs, activities by holding a lot of talks presenting by artists, lecturers, researcher, writer. They had learned so much by those lecturers, as well as giving opportunities for public to meet and have dialogue with authors in many hard topics in different fields.

Heritage Space strongly believed that there were some of competencies to become a good innovator such as: Being open for new things that never ever happened in mind; Endure the difficulties; Adaptive capacity; Trusting the way we chose and have strategies.

Base on the above, Heritage Space set their own missions as following and wish to keep working on these things in the future:

• Develop Contemporary Art: A space to develop Contemporary Arts in Vietnam by creating opportunities for practicing, exchange and exhibition to introduce the latest artists and artworks.
• Art Connection: A space to create opportunities and promote the connection between different creative sectors/ fields.
• Creative Resource: A space to support the creative development by Library resource and a variety of activities related to Education, Exchange and Innovation nurturing.
• Art HUB: being a HUB connecting world art and local art by and collaborative activities, exchange between domestic and foreign creative individuals/ groups.

Overall, the creative hubs like Heritage Space are playing a very important role in supporting and encouraging the innovative ideas and representing creative communities in Hanoi nowadays. However, in order to develop Hanoi Creative Hubs on both quality and quantity, we need to find solutions to settle problems on financial as well as human resources.

Reference:

http://heritagespace.com/

https://creativeconomy.britishcouncil.org/blog/15/08/14/vietnam-launches-first-research-creative-hubs/

https://creativeconomy.britishcouncil.org/projects/hubs/

Writer:

Le Ngoc Anh (No. 03)

Nguyen Hong Hanh (No. 07)                

Kao Quynh Huong (No. 10)

Thi khanh linh VU

Co-working space is a model, a common working space which formed by two main components: utility/ services and people/community. Comes with utilities such as kitchen, printer, office reception service, meeting room, associated services may be more diversified depending on the site and the cost of the investment.

However, if only to provide the above-mentioned services, no matter how advanced it is not called a common workspace. Community is a vital part of a co-working space. The operator must be able to select the participants, promote interaction and thereby encourage cooperative opportunities.

For example, Toong is a really innovative co-working space in Hanoi with many tools to support different work. Toong aims to become a house of invention where business leaders and entrepreneurs can work, collaborate and socialize. Toong wants to provide guidance on how to develop proposals by offering courses, workshops and flexible workspaces, Toong has many beautiful open spaces designed to support seminars, events. Community events are also being introduced at Toong.

For instance, in 2015, Workshop “The soft power of brands” was held at Toong with the participation of 2 speakers, Dr. Géraldine Michel và Mr. Nguyen Duc Son, who both have so much experiences about brands. The workshop brought to people the knowledge about the brand and innovation in business.

Source: Toong Fanpage Facebook

“https://www.facebook.com/toongcoworking/posts/1031113830256096”

In addition, Toong also has gaming rooms, so members can relax after hours of stressful tiring. Another advantage is that with two locations, members may have different work options depending on their schedule and time. That is an advantage that make Toong is different and innovative in Hanoi.

Source: http://toong.com.vn/

Writers:

No. 12 – Vu Thi Khanh Linh

No. 17 – Nguyen Manh Tung

Thi khanh linh VU