BridgeFest Music Festival 2020: « Change starts with yourself! »

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Our partners from TRYHANOI participated in this great event. Here is the press release:

Hanoi: BridgeFest 2020 – The 5^th “Bridging The Gap” Music Festivalwill take place at Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square, Hoan Kiem Lake Pedestrian Street, Hanoi from 14:30 to 21:30 on Saturday, October 31, 2020.

BridgeFest 2020 is a colorful music festival for the youth, featuring popular artists across a wide spectrum of genres ranging from Pop, Ballad, Indie to Rock, with the participation of Kimmese, Ngot band, and Buc Tuong band to name a few.

The event aims to celebrate diversity and equality, as well as inspire thousands of young adults to spread civic values and get involved in their communities to make significant contributions to the society at large.

The show also features special guests who are inspirational figures to the public, along with more than 30 social organizations and enterprises most of which are led by young people.  They constitute an accurate representation of joint efforts to solve social problems regarding the environment, education, healthcare, cultural identity, the disabled, children, women, the LGBTI community, etc.

While the message of « Bridging the gap » has resonated with Vietnamese youth and has become the essence of BridgeFest over the past years, BridgeFest 2020 is devoted to spurring real changes in communities under the slogan « Be the change », emphasizing the need for young people to get involved in national and global issues while encouraging them to participate in social discussions and community-focused initiatives.

Ms. Babeth Ngoc Han Lefur, Country Director of Oxfam in Vietnam said: “Young people are always an important actor of social changes.  When you care and take action, we all will see great results that inspire   other generations as well.  Oxfam and our partners hope that BridgeFest will not only bring in an enjoyable   musical festival, but also introduce festival-goers to many individuals and organizations who are dedicated to creating meaningful social changes.  Big changes often start with small steps,  and first is to care about the social issues around you!”.

Mrs. Pam DeVolder, Counselor of Public Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Hanoi also underscored the significance of young people in the efforts to bring about positive changes to the society. “Having interacted with Vietnamese over the past year, I constantly see how talented, driven, and ambitious they are.   I have no doubt that your participation in this event will motivate you all to become even more active and impactful members of your communities, making long-lasting marks on Vietnam and on the world at large.”

 “No one is left behind”

More than 30 social organizations participating in BridgeFest 2020 will showcase their activities in contributing to solve current social issues through their exhibition booths and demonstrations. The talk show « No one is left behind » at BridgeFest 2020 will connect the audience with the unsung heroes in the fight against COVID-19. The talk show will provide multiple perspectives on  equality, public responsibility, the necessity of investing in universal public services such as heath care and education in order to ensure that no one is left behind.

Organizers of BridgeFest 2020 also collaborate with the Hanoi Red Cross and related partners to mobilise support for flood-impacted communities in Central Vietnam.

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What is BridgeFest?

Formerly known as SEA Pride 2016 – a music event promoting social diversity and equality, BridgeFest has been held for five consecutive years and has become a popular community event.

Since 2017, BridgeFest has been co-organized by Oxfam and the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam.  BridgeFest is part of Oxfam’s global campaign “Even It Up” which aims to reduce and eliminate inequality. 

BridgeFest 2020 is an event co-organized by Oxfam and the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam, in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, REACH, ECUE, and Hexagon JSC.

Artists and special guests at BridgeFest 2020

BridgeFest 2020’s music night proudly presents sensational artists from a vast variety of genres including Pop, Ballad, Indie, Rock, and so forth. Through songs that have taken the charts by storm, the artists want to give voice to the thoughts and sentiments of young people, thereby encouraging their aspirations to live a life true to themselves.

Ngu Cung band, renowned for their distinctive mixture of Rock and the ethnic sounds of Northwest Vietnam, will return to the stage after a long absence.  At BridgeFest 2020, Ngu Cung will for the first time perform their two completely new compositions named « Love » and « Mother Nature. »

Thai Thuy Linh – an artist that sings to “spread love through music” – will also return after three years of being out of the limelight and bring to the show heartwarming tunes.

Buc Tuong Band – one of the first professional rock bands in Vietnam – will continue to impress the audience with uplifting songs about youth, ambition, passion for life, and the pursuit of happiness.

The return of Kimmese and Ngot band at BridgeFest this year is anticipated to bring about even more electrifying performances that will undoubtedly wow those in attendance.

Moreover, the theme song « Ai cung nhu ai » will be played during this year’s program and during an exhilarating flash mob dance performance that is expected to stir up the atmosphere of Hanoi’s pedestrian zone.

Additionally, BridgeFest Festival has the participation of outstanding performances from the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI), The Salt Cancer Initiative, The Hanoi Brass Community, The Aspiration Group, The Pioneer Group, The Vietnam Transgender Network (VNTG), Hanoi Sign Language Training Center, and Deaf Children’s Parents Association Vietnam.

The seminar « No one is left behind » welcomes the presence of Dr. Le Viet Nhiem – Head of the Faculty of Tropical Diseases of Quang Nam Central General Hospital, who together with a team of doctors, has successfully treated the 57th COVID-19 patient in Vietnam, and Dr. Hoang Tu Anh, Deputy Director of the Center for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP), who initiated a group that donates protective gear to medical workers on the frontline of the fight against COVID-19.  The seminar is led by Director Nguyen Hoang Diep – a specialist in literature and art, who brings Vietnamese independent cinema to the world via many impressive works.

For more information, please contact:

Ms. Nguyen Tuyet Ngan – Communications Department

Phone: (+84) 9 8558 1995

Email: nguyen.tuyet.ngan@hexa.vn

Or

Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong Dung – Communications Officer

Oxfam in Vietnam

Phone: (+84) 986508789

Email: dung.nguyenthiphuong@oxfam.org

Or

Press Office

U.S. Embassy Hanoi

3rd Floor, Rose Garden Building, 170 Ngoc Khanh St., Hanoi

Tel: 84-4-3850 5000 (ext. 6153)

Fax: 84-4-3850 5120

Email: HanoiPressOffice@state.gov;

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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT ORGANIZERS OF BRIDGEFEST 2020

Oxfam is a confederation of 20 organizations working together in more than 90 countries. We are part of a global movement for change, empowering people to create a future that is secure, just, and free from poverty.

Oxfam in Vietnam is working to seek transformative changes in policies, practices and beliefs in ways that will fundamentally improve the lives of poor and marginalized women and men and ensure that all citizens have the same opportunity to enjoy their rights. Oxfam in Vietnam current country strategy contributes to shaping the debate on extreme inequality in Vietnam and globally, our four-programme includes women rights’, building resilience to disaster, climate risks and emergency response, sustainable food and fair sharing of natural resources, and good governance.

Website:  https://vietnam.oxfam.org  

The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi is the official diplomatic office of the U.S. government in Vietnam. Its mission is to advance the interests of the United States, and to serve and protect U.S. citizens in Vietnam.  Since the normalization of diplomatic ties in 1995, the United States and Vietnam have built a strong partnership and successful cooperation in many areas of mutual importance, including economic and security cooperation, humanitarian and war legacy issues, regional and global challenges, respect for human rights and religious freedom, and people-to-people ties.  

Website: https://vn.usembassy.gov/  

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is the government ministry in Vietnam responsible for state administration on culture, family, sports and tourism nationwide; in addition to the management of public services in those field.

Website: https://bvhttdl.gov.vn/

REACH is a local non-government and non-profit organization which has taken many efforts on “bridging the gap” by providing vocational training, career advice, and job placement services for Vietnam’s most disadvantaged youth. Since its establishment in 2008, REACH has given more than 18,000 young people vocational training and stable jobs. More than 80% REACH’s student finds employment with competitive salaries.

REACH has currently 11 different training disciplines, lasting from 3 to 6 months at 6 centers: Hanoi, Hai Duong, Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Ho Chi Minh City.

Website: https://www.reach.org.vn/

ECUE is a social enterprise that supports businesses and organizations promoting the values of Diversity and Inclusion, gender equality, anti-sexual harassment, integrity and other human rights values. ECUE helps businesses succeed by (i) building a corporate culture based on humane values; (ii) managing human resources based on respect and efficiency; (iii) managing legal and brand risks by preventing legal and ethical violations; and (iv) strengthening corporate social branding by building trust in the community.

Website: https://ecue.vn

Hexagon is a marketing, event, communications, and design company with more than 15 years of experience in Vietnam. Hexagon has helped hundreds of brands and enterprises reach consumers through thousands of marketing activities in many events across the country.

Website: https://hexa.vn