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REPORT ON
VIETNAMESE STORYCUBES PROJECT

NOVEMBER 2009


PURPOSE OF REPORT

The aim of this report is to provide an overview of the Vietnamese Storycubes
project that commenced early J une 2009. It outlines key objectives achieved
throughout the workshops, participant testimonies and how it benefits the
Vietnamese Community within Fairfield LGA and greater Western Sydney.
Finally, it reports on an arts exhibition held in early September 2009 and
subsequent events, which showcased the works of Vietnamese Storycubes.

This report has been prepared by Vietlish co-founders J oseph Hieu Dinh (2009
Australian-Vietnamese of the Year) and Maria Tran (Art curator Information &
Cultural Exchange), who were both workshop facilitators on the Vietnamese
Storycubes Project.


CONTACTS

Vietlish Media
P.O. Box 892, Fairfield NSW 1860
[M] +61411637514 - [E] info@vietlish.com.au - [W] www.vietish.com.au


















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INTRODUCTION

Vietnamese Storycubes project was funded by Fairfield City Council to conduct
storytelling workshops for Vietnamese elders 40 years and above, as an
innovative means of expression and passing on refugee experience to younger
generations. Being co-ordinated and facilitated by Vietlish, this project also had
the support of Information and Cultural Exchange and Vietnamese Community in
Australia (NSW Chapter) and successfully resulted in an interactive arts
exhibition which encouraged intergenerational story exchange.


BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVES

Vietnamese Storycubes was inspired
by UK artists Proboscis during their
arts residency for the Sydney Lattice
Project 2007. Storycubes is a means
of recording peoples experience and
their personal story.

The key objectives of this project was
to host up to 30 Australian-Vietnamese
people over the age of forty (40), in a series of narrative exercises, video
documentary and digital photography. Here, each participant will receive a cube-
box (30x30cm). Each of the six (6) sides were for individual participants to design
to represent an aspect of their lives through writing or personal photographs. All
thirty storycubes, together with video documentation were successfully launched
at an arts exhibition in September 2009.





FUNDING

Key funding for this project was from
Fairfield City Council - $3,850 cash
(including $350.00 financial
management for the Vietnamese
Community in Australia NSW
Chapter).






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VIETNAMESE STORYCUBES WORKSHOPS


1. The Workshops

Four free workshops were held at CabraVale Leisure
Centre (Broomfield Street, Cabramatta) on Sundays
J une 21, J une 28, J uly 5 and J uly 12, 2009. These
workshops were made known to the public through
our media relations (newspaper, radio and online) and
attracted the attendance of more than thirty
participants.

All participants came from a diverse background from
renowned international poets, artists, journalists,
entertainers to democracy/human rights activists,
Vietnam War veterans and public servants. The
oldest participant was 88 years of age.

Participants were first introduced with simple colour textas, sticky note-pads and
encouraged to brainstorm words that best describe their past memories of
Vietnam. These were the starting points that had participants reflecting and begin
sharing their stories in a friendly atmosphere.

2. The Stories

Facilitator Kim Huong Nguyen re-
accounts one of the workshops (21
June 2009) as :

Initially, coming on board with
Vietnamese Storycubes, a new and
innovative project have made me both
anxious and excited. I thought it would
be very difficult to facilitate a program
which I have not done before.

But thankfully everything turned out more fun than I expected. From the start, we
were all captivated by tearful stories about war, humiliation, inhuman Communist
jail sentences, stories on the edge of life and death the stories about military
life attracted the entire group. The stories of our participants brought us back into
the jungles of Vietnam and the heroic images of the South Vietnamese Military.

Then we visited the Southern Vietnamese island of Phu Quoc, homeland of Ms
Ngo. Ms Ngo shared to us about her childhood days in the rice paddies, stories


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about her having to chase monkeys, and the typical life of
an islander and their sea prawn farming industry.

After lunch, we shared laughter with stories about our
participants days in school. We were told of stories under
the grounds of a Vietnamese high school, filled with youthful
spirit, and a craving for salted-dry apricots sold at cross-
vendors. Even though there were sounds of guns and
weapons during the times, it didnt affect their pure heart
and laughter in the best years of their school life: chopstick
games, ball games, skipping robes, etc. memories of
schoolgirls dazing under shades of the phuong trees, shyly
hiding from the eyes of the boys who have developed a
crush on them.

Youthful memories arent limited into the school grounds.
They also extend to the food vendors outside the gates of the school, where
dried sweets, mangoes, guava marinated with liquorice and glasses of chill
beverages as sweet as their youth.

We concluded at 2.30pm.

3. Media Coverage:

Vietnamese Storycubes was made known to the
public with the help of the following national
Vietnamese media outlets:

SBS Radio (Vietnamese)

Van Nghe Tuan Bao

Saigon Times Newspaper

FM 90.1 - Hau Due VNCH Radio

Vietlish website and online networks
(Facebook, twitter)

Fairfield Advance newspaper

Fairfield Champion newspaper







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4. Testimonials:

Mr. Tong Duc Tam-Thao (Fairfield) writes:

Nh s quyt ch v tn tm ca Ban T Chc to cho chng ti
khng kh thoi mi v gn gi, vui a vi nhng k nim xa v gi
li cho th h v sau. Sau khi tham d ti cm thy n rt tt v to
mt gch ni gia th h gi tr, cho th h v sau bit c ngy xa
Cha M v ng b nh th no, nhng gian kh khi vt bin v nh c
n c vi bn tay trng

The dedication and efforts of the organisers have created a very
comfortable and close-knit environment in our workshops, as we were
able to share laughter with our childhood memories, and having our
stories shared for the next generation. After attending the workshops, I
realised the importance of the project [Vietnamese Storycubes] as it
encourages bridging the generation gap, so that future generations could
learn how their parents and grandparents were like in the past, the
sacrifices they have gone through: as communist boat refugees, and
beginning a new life in Australia with nothing in their hands

Ms Lam Thi Hang (Fairfield):

Nay ln u tin xem thy nhng hp hnh storycube, ti thy thm phn
gi tr ca nhng tm hnh c ca ti. Khng nhng n va p nhng
m cht ngh thut v th v khi cm trn bn tay chia s k nim
ngy xa bn Vit Nam.

Now, for the first time seeing my very own storycube, I found my old
photos even more valuable. The cube formation made my photos more
beautiful its not only very artistic, its very fun when being held in my
hands as I share my past memories in Vietnam.

Ms Dau Thi Thap (Fairfield East):

y l n lch s cha tng c, ti rt vui mng c tham d, lun
lun ng h cc em. n ny c li ch tt cho cng ng chng ta,
khng nhng ch cho ngi Vit m cho c x hi a vn ha ca ngi
c, v cho th h v sau.

This project is historic as it hasnt been done before. I am very pleased to
have been part of it, and always support young peoples initiatives. This
project [Vietnamese Storycubes] is highly beneficial not only for the
Vietnamese community, but also for multicultural Australia, and for future
generations.

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5. Participants

The following participants took part of Vietnamese Storycubes:

Colonel Vo Dai Ton, Greenacre
Mr. Tran Duc Nhuan, Canley Heights
Mr. Tong Duc Tam Thao, Fairfield
Mrs. Lam Thi Hang, Fairfield
Mrs. Dan Phung Nguyen, Bankstown
Ms. Betty Tran, Carramar
Ms. Ngoc Han, Cabramatta
Ms. Tran Thi Dong, Cabramatta
Mr. Nguyen Xuan Nhi, Bankstown
Mr. Tran Duc Nhy, Cabramatta
Ms. Luu Ai Ly, Bankstown
Ms. Trieu Thi Bich, Canberra
Ms. Tuong Y Giang, Lindfield
Ms. Thach Thao, Cabramatta
Ms. Nguyen Thi Phung, Bonnyrigg Heights
Ms. Truong Kim Phung, Wakeley
Ms. Dau Thi Thap, Fairfield East
Ms. Ho Thuy Ai, Canley Heights
Ms. Le Thu Ba, Cabramatta
Mr. Vu Hong Khanh, Fairfield
Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, Bonnyrigg
Mr. Sy Phuong, Roselands
Ms. Thuy, Roselands
Ms. Dang Kim Ngoc, Cabramatta
Ms. Huynh Nghia Minh, Bonnyrigg Heights
Ms. Anh Linh Pham, Canley Heights
Ms. Kim Huong Nguyen, Bonnyrigg Heights
Mr. Thuan Dinh, Bankstown
Mrs. Phuong Pham, Bankstown


6. Outcomes

Thirty (30) large size photographic storycubes (30x30) were created by each
participant. Each cubes were designed with enlarged photos or writings (poetry)
that depicts an aspect of the lives of the participant: from early childhood, school
years, Vietnam War, post-war, refugee boat experience, settling in Australia.
These storycubes, collectively portray the Vietnamese story, and fit to be
displayed in community arts exhibitions.

Video documentation for Vietnamese Storycubes was filmed and edited. The clip
shows footages of the workshops, the storytelling process, and the making of the


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storycubes. This video clip goes along with the storycubes and fit to be screened
in community arts exhibitions and events.

Long lasting friendships between participants. Most found this was a great
opportunity to reminisce the past, share tears and laughter, establishing
friendships and an opportunity to have their stories shared to future generations.
For some, the project was also a form of therapy as for the first time, some
participants were able to open-up and share stories that they have been holding
onto since the Fall of Saigon in 1975.












VIETNAMESE STORYEXCHANGE EXHIBITION LAUNCH

All thirty storycubes and video
documentation was launched in
community arts exhibition
Vietnamese Storyexchange held
on 26 September 2009 at
CabraVale Leisure Centre,
Broomfield St, Cabramatta. The
event was launched by
Cabramatta State MP and
Fairfield Mayor, Mr. Nick Lalich
and attended by more than 100
guests (both participants and their
families and friends).

Hosted by J oseph Hieu Dinh & Maria Tran, the event was also co-launched with
Vietnamese Stories (another youth storytelling film project supported by
Information and Cultural Exchange).

For the first time, Vietnamese Storycubes participants saw their very own
photographs exhibited. Each were also given a smaller replica of their storycubes
that could fit the palm of their hands, and were happy to share their stories with
guests present.



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Dr. Tanja Dreher (Department of Humanities and Social Sciences - University of
Technology Sydney) who was working on thesis: Listening and Politics of
Recognition took special interest in Vietnamese Storycubes and came along
with her research team to see and interact with participants.

Special feature of the event was
the Memory Wall where both
participants and non
participants, old and young, had
fun with sticky-notes, writing
notes about their interesting
memories as a child. One
elderly participant admits jigging
school in Kindergarten; another
admits skipping school to
monkey-climb on trees. The
entire crowd filled with laughter
as these random memories
were read out.

Renown international poet, Dan
Phung Nguyen, 88, oldest participant enjoyed the event so much, she found
inspiration in taking the time to write a Vietnamese couplet during the event, a
great surprise, dedicated to one of the facilitators J oseph Hieu Dinh:

Tui tr nhit thnh say l tng,
Ti nay vng sng mt tng lai

Youthful spirit, determined with postiveness
This talent leads to a promising future.


POST-LAUNCH EVENTS

Vietnamese Storycubes is now fit for public exhibition across Western Sydney
and Fairfield LGA. Post-launch events in which the storycubes were
exhibited/featured include:

Cabramatta Moon Festival 2009

SEATRIP 2009 Conference (South East Asia: Text, Rituals and Practices) at
University of California Riverside USA

Vietlish-Shortcuts Discussion Forum & Film Screening: Film-making in the
Vietnamese Diaspora at Powershouse Youth Theatre (PYT Fairfield)


Participant Ms Dan Phung reads a loud her newly
created poem.
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Joseph Dinh, Maria Tran, Mayor Nick Lalich, Anh Linh Pham (VCA) &
Tiffany Lee Shoy (Fairfield City Council.
Participant Ms Kim Phuong Truong shares her
storycube.
Mr Tam Thao shares his experience in
Vietnamese to the audience
Mayor Nick Lalich officially launches
Vietnamese Storyexchange
Caro Vu from the ICE Board welcomes
everyone
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Video documentation of the workshops Elders sit around the table and share their
stories
Photos, post it notes, maps helps the
participants remember the past
Old photos of the past are brought and
shared duringthe sessions
Childhood games are recreated and
played
BLAST FROM THE PAST:
Participants were eager to bring in a number pf photos, letters,
post cards, post packages that they felt reminded them of
significant moments of their life.
VIETNAMESE STORYCUBES WORKSHOP SESSIONS
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SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

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DISCUSSION FORUM: Film-making in the
Vietnamese Diaspora

Team Vietlish: J oseph Hieu Dinh & Maria Tran presents a night of film screening
celebrating the emerging Vietnamese film industry both local and internationally.

Organised by Powerhouse Youth Theatre with the support of Fairfield City Council,
Information & Cultural Exchange, Vietlish & Craig Anderson, this is a free event, opening
for all members of community, especially those interested in the film industry.

The night begins with the screening of digital storytelling projects made from recent
community project, Vietnamese Stories & Vietnamese Storycubes. These are short video
clips made by a number of Vietnamese youths living in Western Sydney, focusing on
culture and identity.

This will be followed by a discussion forum led by Vietlish regarding the current trends
of the Vietnamese diaspora film industry, particularly focusing on recent films, The Rebel
(Charlie Nguyen), Passport to Love (Victor Vu) and Footy Legends (Khoa Do).

Special feature for the night is the screening of J ourney from the Fall (Vuot Song). This
film was directed by Academy Award winning nominee Ham Tran (The Anniversary)
and acknowledged with more than 14 awards. Inspired by actual events, this
Vietnamese (with English subtitles) film follows one familys post-Vietnam war struggle
for freedom. Stars Long Nguyen, Diem Lien and renowned international actress Kieu
Chinh (J oy Luck Club).

J oseph Hieu Dinh said: This will be a great opportunity to discuss about the current
market and how film acts as a medium that empowers storytelling, thereby
encapsulating history, cultural and identity issues.

Maria Tran said: In the recent years there's been an explosion of independent
Vietnamese films around the globe that has received widespread attention and
accolades awards. Its exciting to see such success amongst independent and culturally
diverse film makers who went against the grain.

Bookings essential.

Time: 7pm
Date: Saturday 31 October 2009
Location: Fairfield School of Arts, 19 Harris Street, Fairfield NSW 2165
Cost: FREE

RSVP & MEDIA ENQUIRIES: J oseph Dinh 0411637514 info@vietlishentertainment.com




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MEDIA RELEASE | Sept 2009

VIETNAMESE STORYEXCHANGE

Vietnamese Storyexchange a dynamic event that showcases the diverse voices and
stories of the young and older generations of the Vietnamese community living in
Western Sydney. Screening ten digital stories (min-films) and displaying a series of
photographs accompanied by a collection of personal and cultural artefacts. The launch
of Vietnamese Storyexchange will be held on Saturday 26 September, 1-3pm at
Cabravale Leisure Centre (Broomfield St, Cabramatta).

Come and experience digital and visual stories as told by two generations of the
Australian-Vietnamese community living in Australia. Over 30 young people and elders
share their personal memories about their journey to Australia, school days, identity,
family, joys and despairs, struggles and triumphs, and aspirations for the future of
themselves and the community.

Western Sydney has the largest population of Vietnamese people living in Australia and
its great to be part of this project that has for the first time brought together the young
and old from the Vietnamese community to share their stories many have never been
told before, says Maria Tran, Project Coordinator

Joseph Hieu Dinh, 2009 Australian-Vietnamese of the Year, says Its not so often that
people from the Vietnamese community come together to share their memories and
experiences. Vietnamese Storyexchange is the first of its kind in Australia breaking the
barrier between two generations that dont often share stories, thoughts, ideas and
visions.

Vietnamese Storyexchange is a culmination of works produced by both young people
and their elders where we ran a series of workshops that explored themes of memory,
culture and identity. The elders created their own visual work using a collection of
photographs and writing. The young people were provided with training in introductory
filmmaking, scriptwriting, editing, audio-production and storytelling producing a series
of mini-films.

When: Saturday, 26 September
Time: 1pm 3pm
Where: Cabravale Leisure Centre, Broomfield St, Cabramatta



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MEDIA RELEASE | MAY 2009

VIETNAMESE STORYCUBES

Let your stories be told for the next generations...

4 FREE storytelling workshops for people from Vietnamese backgrounds who are 40
years and older living in Western Sydney. These workshops will be run by
experienced filmmaker and art facilitator Maria Tran, Vietnamese Australian of
the Year 2009, Joseph Hieu Dinh as well as Anh Linh Pham and Kim Huong.

Vietnamese Storycubes will host up to 27 Australian-Vietnamese people in a series
of narrative exercises, video documentary and digital photography. Here, they will
receive a cube, having 6 sides, that are designed to represent an aspect of their lives, a moment in
time, a story; through writing or images. Together, they will be showcased as a part of an exhibition
during September, 2009.

Vietnamese Storycubes will run every Sunday for four weeks during mid June, 10am 2pm at Cabravale
Leisure Centre, Broomfield St, Cabramatta.

Maria Tran, trained by UK artists Proboscis during their arts residency for the Sydney: Lattice Project 2007
was introduced to the concept of storycubes as a means of recording peoples experience and their
personal story. Storytelling is a powerful language and I believe the novel storycube concept is a
refreshing way to present these personal stories.

It is a very rare opportunity for the older generations, the parents and grandparents of children who are
born in the country to tell their experiences and be heard. Joseph Hieu Dinh adds.

Vietnamese Storycubes is presented by Vietlish in partnership with Fairfield City Council. This project is
made possible with the support of the Vietnamese Community Australia (VCA) NSW Chapter,
Information & Cultural Exchange (ICE) through the Youth Digital Cultures Project, Switch Multimedia and
Digital Arts Access Centre and Foundation for Young Australians.

Register now! Limited space, bookings are essential. Lunch is provided.

For more info, or to register, please contact Maria on 0433 803 449 or email
maria.tran@vietlishentertainment.com

Please register for 1 of the sessions:
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009