LookAtVietnam – The organising of many festivals in recent times have turned hitherto important cultural events into monotonous affairs that leave the community as well as visitors dissatisfied, an expert has said.

A successful festival requires organisers to make thorough preparations.

The department had organised a national workshop late last year and worked with Swedish specialists to evaluate Viet Nam’s cultural policies and events, she said.

The specialists said that while there is a wide variety of festivals in Viet Nam, very few captured the imagination of the people because of a lack of participation by the local community.

Ly said some festivals have suffered because people were not observing them regularly anymore, the purpose of celebration was unclear, and the presentation of traditional art works and skills by organisers was very awkward.

She noted that the Smithsonian Folklife Festival that was celebrated in United State in 2007 was an illustration for organising festivals successfully.

The United States is a country with many different races, ethnic groups and religions. So the festival was organised as an opportunity for immigrants and US citizens to enjoy and exchange cultural values together.

The opportunity to share both similarities and differences in languages and culture, ensured that the festival attracted millions of tourists.

To ensure participation of the community, local residents should be co-organisers of the festivals as well as decision-makers regarding their content, so that genuine public needs are reflected in the programme, Ly said.

Furthermore, a successful festival requires organisers to make thorough preparations. In many foreign countries, festival organisers are trained professionals, Ly noted.

Local organizers should not waste so much money in celebrating big festivals, she added, stressing that the most important thing was to make sure that the traditional character of the festival was maintained.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News