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Không gian sáng tạo trong đời sống văn hóa đô thị (qua nghiên cứu một số không gian sáng tạo tại Hà Nội).Không gian sáng tạo trong đời sống văn hóa đô thị (qua nghiên cứu một số không gian sáng tạo tại Hà Nội).Không gian sáng tạo trong đời sống văn hóa đô thị (qua nghiên cứu một số không gian sáng tạo tại Hà Nội).Không gian sáng tạo trong đời sống văn hóa đô thị (qua nghiên cứu một số không gian sáng tạo tại Hà Nội).Không gian sáng tạo trong đời sống văn hóa đô thị (qua nghiên cứu một số không gian sáng tạo tại Hà Nội).Không gian sáng tạo trong đời sống văn hóa đô thị (qua nghiên cứu một số không gian sáng tạo tại Hà Nội).Không gian sáng tạo trong đời sống văn hóa đô thị (qua nghiên cứu một số không gian sáng tạo tại Hà Nội).Không gian sáng tạo trong đời sống văn hóa đô thị (qua nghiên cứu một số không gian sáng tạo tại Hà Nội).VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES PHAM THI HUONG CREATIVE HUB IN URBAN CULTURAL LIFE (BY EXAMINING SOME CASE STYDIES OF CREATIVE HUBS IN HANOI) SUMMARY OF THE THES.
VIETNAM ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES GRADUATE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES PHAM THI HUONG CREATIVE HUB IN URBAN CULTURAL LIFE (BY EXAMINING SOME CASE STYDIES OF CREATIVE HUBS IN HANOI) SUMMARY OF THE THESIS HANOI - 2022 The work was completed at Gradute Academy of Social Sciences – Vietnam Academy of Social Sciences Name of supervisor: Assoc.Prof.Dr Bui Hoai Son Dr Dao The Duc Reviewer 1: Assoc.Prof Dr Tran Thi An Reviewer 2: Assoc.Prof Dr Vu Thi Phuong Hau Reviewer 3: Assoc.Prof Dr Pham Thi Thu Huong The thesis is defended before the thesis appraisal board of the Academy at the Graduate Academy of Social Sciences at: hours, date month 2022 The doctoral thesis can be found at: - National Library of Vietnam; - Library of Graduate Academy of Social Sciences INTRODUCTION Rationale 1.1 In recent years, cultural life in Vietnam in general, and in Hanoi, in particular, has witnessed an "explosion", an exciting and vibrant atmosphere of creative hubs Not only increasing in number, but the creative hubs are also diverse in the way of organization, rich in operating models From Zone (Tran Thanh Tong street) in 2015 - one of the original buildings, born spontaneously and freely, like "an explosive dream", short-lived but it is already a playground which is full of sublimation and inspiration for other spaces in the future such as Hanoi Creative City (Luong Yen street), Heritage Space (Tran Binh street), Manzi (Phan Huy Ich street), Bar 98 (Ngo Van street) Department), Ơ Hanoi (Hoang Hoa Tham Street), Cà phê thứ bảy (Ngo Quyen Street), Tổ chim xanh (Dang Dung Street) The creative hubs are still forming, maintaining, and developing as spaces for art, a place to be freely creative and academic, a place to connect thoughts, exchange stories about society, education, culture, art, religion through which forming communities that share many commonalities in interests, personalities, opinions, and lifestyles Many spaces were opened but soon closed silently after many struggles and difficulties to survive Many spaces are still trying to find ways to maintain, new buildings are being created to meet the needs of many groups of people in the city The creative hubs have many fluctuations and changes in the number, operation methods and cultural practices which also creat great impacts on social life The appearance, maintenance, existence and development of creative hubs raise many questions: how is a creative hub created and what does it mean for groups of subjects? What makes it attractive? Why does it appeal to many strata of society? In what context creative hubs exist and are discussed so much, and what dynamics they reflect in contemporary society? 1.2 Recent discussions in Vietnam as well as in the world have considered creative hubs as a new business model aimed at developing creative industries, and creative cities, providing exhibition space and business This business supports young people to become entrepreneurs in the creative field, where to meet the demand for entertainment spaces, to create an urban identity from renovating old spaces to become spaces for creativity… These points are given to explain the strong development of ecotourism However, these reasons aren’t able to fully explain about the distinctive features of the practices in ecotourism as well as the purpose of people who created creative hubs From a concept pioneered in Vietnam by the British Council to support and promote the development of creative industries, but when “embedded” in the modern Vietnamese urban context, it has been granted an additional new class of meanings If we consider a creative hub as a business model to gain profits and promote creativity to develop the cultural industry, it seems to reflect only a part of the meaningful dimensions of creative hubs In addition to the meanings which mentioned above, what other meanings does creative hub have? Why are cultural practices in those spaces important to subject groups? Through cultural practices in those spaces, what groups of subjects want to express, and by extension, what needs of society they represent? In this thesis, from a cultural perspective, placing ecotourism in the contemporary urban context, I want to find out about cultural practices in ecotourism as well as see more clearly the profound motivations and purposes of building creative hubs in the contemporary context For the reasons mentioned above, the Ph.D student chose "Creative hub in urban cultural life (by examining some case studies of creative hubs in Hanoi)" as the research topic for the thesis Research purpose and tasks - Research purpose: The thesis focuses on the development of creative hubs in Hanoi, explores cultural practices and diverse meaningful dimensions of creative hubs in the contemporary urban context - Research tasks: (1) The system of important theoretical aspects in the study of urban space, creative hubs; (2) Analyze and explain factors affecting the formation, existence and development of creative hubs associated with contemporary urban contexts; (3) Analysis of cultural practices in two creative hubs sites in Hanoi: Giấc mơ nhỏ and Cà phê Văn; and Analyze the meaning of cultural practices in creative hubs Object and scope of research 3.1 Research object - Research subject: cultural practices give meaning to spaces to become creative hubs, in other words, the way to construct a creative hub of subject groups Two creative hubs in Hanoi were selected as case studies, including: Giấc mơ nhỏ and Cà phê Văn - Research object: In the case of the two creative hubs mentioned in this thesis, they are young people at creative hub named Giấc mơ nhỏ and intellectuals at Cà phê Văn 3.2 Research scope The thesis focuses on cultural practices of constructivist groups The thesis pays attention to the meaning of practices in creative hub, puts those practices in interaction with the cultural, political and economic contexts of contemporary urban, considers creative hub as a place to reflect people's concerns about the problems that are happening in society About the research period: the thesis was carried out from mid-2017 to the end of 2020 About research space: The creative hubs mentioned in the thesis are all in Hanoi Research methodology The Ph.D student identified this as a qualitative study The main methods used in the thesis include: Synthesis and analysis of secondary documents; Observe attendance; Indepth interview method; The material of the thesis is also gathered from the thoughts and feelings of the individual researcher after each event as a participant Contributions of the thesis - The thesis is the first work to explore the cultural dimensions of the creative hubs in Vietnam - The thesis investigates cultural practices and the meaning of those practices to groups of subjects in society, who participate in the creation of creative hubs - The thesis provides explanations on the causes and motivations of cultural practices at creative hubs, thereby pointing out the social impact of creative hubs as well as changes in the Vietnamese social context nowadays Theoretical and practical implications - Theoretical implication: Firstly, from the analysis of cultural practices at creative hubs, the thesis expands the meaningful aspects of creative hubs, recognizing them as important places for subject groups in the field, cities that contribute to the creation of groups and individual identities, where intellectuals express their concerns about many important issues of social life, where efforts are made to widen the boundaries of freedom of expression within the limited context of urban public spaces Secondly, the thesis contributes an academic perspective on a type of space set in the context of contemporary urban space: creative hubs, adding to the research an overview of urban space which is already very dynamic and diverse in Vietnam - Practical implication: Through the study of cultural practices and the meaning of cultural practices in creative hubs for groups of subjects, the thesis shows that creative hub plays an increasingly important role in urban life, reflecting the desire to widen the boundaries of freedom, as a forum for open discussion, a place to express the aspirations of citizens and the right to participate in the society Creative hubs are considered social spaces, cultural spaces, which take on many roles in daily life at the same time: providing information and bringing opportunities to enjoy and create art, a place to meet, chat and connect Above all, creative hubs are an ideal environment that allows people to express their thoughts about many ongoing issues in society With that in mind, the thesis is a reference for cultural researchers, policymakers related to creative hubs, cultural management agencies, as well as urban authorities Structure of the thesis Besides the introduction, conclusion, and references, the thesis is structured into chapters: Chapter 1: Overview and theoretical framework Chapter 2: Social context in cities and the formation of creative hubs Chapter 3: Cultural practices in creative hubs Chapter 4: Creative hubs: freedom of expression and identity creation CHAPTER OVERVIEW AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 1.1 Overview 1.1.1 Research on urban space Studies on urban space often focus on two basic aspects of urban space: functional space and social space In this thesis, in order to build a theoretical basis for the following analysis of creative hub, the researcher only selected an overview of some studies from the perspective of the second approach, considering urban space as a social space With the theory of social production of space, the classic work The production of space by Henri Lefebvre (1901-1991) – a French sociologist and philosopher - written in 1974, the English translation in 1991, has made an important contribution to urban spatial theory, creating a "spatial turn", opening a new interest in urban space According to Lefebvre, space is not a static structure but a social product created by humans, constructed and recreated by people, and shaped by ideas, beliefs, values and, principles, from people's preferences and preoccupations In this study, Lefebvre proposed the concept of space as the unity of three aspects: physical space, social space and, mental space Later, the research on space more and more Meaningful aspects of space are gradually opened up in relation to people, contributing to explaining the meaning of many cultural practices In the urban context in Vietnam, the construction of different communities and groups of cultural subjects also creates different spatial dimensions, reflecting the dynamics of society as well as the needs and expectations Most of them are public space (KGCC) studies The concept of public space is mentioned and studied from many different angles: architecture, urban planning and, management; sociology; school culture; anthropology… The studies all acknowledge the positive contributions of public spaces to city life, the variety of types of public spaces as well as their significance for each specific group of people The researchers also look into the size of public space through the understanding of the "elasticity", expansion or contraction of spaces and strategies to personalize public space for personal purposes In the discussion of daily urban life and the socio-political-economic transformations reflected in urban spaces, many studies have shown the ways in which spatial groups are constructed with diverse subjects, such as Youth-friendly public spaces in Hanoi in 2015, Youth-Driven Tactics of Public Space Appropriation in Hanoi: The Case of Skateboarding and Parkour by Stephanie Geertman, Danielle Labbé, Julie-Anne Boudreau and Olivier Jacques shed light on the ways in which young people bond with the city, find ways to access space for recreational activities, sports, meeting friends or for new practices such as skateboarding, parkour To be able to "appropriate" public spaces, urban youth adopted small-scale, non-ideological, and non-confrontational tactics, in the face of many of his principles Various parties, from the space management policy of the State, business organizations and the people… Study on Hanoi sidewalk - interactive multi-dimensional space by Nguyen Thi Phuong Cham - Hoang Cam (2021) Focus on sidewalk space, explore the layers of meanings that sidewalk space carries The sidewalk space in urban areas in general and in Hanoi, in particular, appears through many studies by foreign authors, under the prism of the concepts of "public space", "private space" is an interesting and lively variation of public space, superimposed with layers of meaning that the lives of urban people have created Some typical studies can be mentioned such as: Street scenes: practices of public and private in urban Vietnam by Lisa Drummond (2000), Wards of Hanoi by David Koh (2006), The pavement as civic space: history and dynamics in the city of Hanoi Hanoi) by David Koh (2007) … These discussions focus on blurring the distinction between “public space” and “private space” in the Vietnamese urban context where the present day is often present The idea is that private activities are allowed to take place in public places (inside out) while private spaces are subject to interference from outside, from the state (outside in) (Lisa Drummond, 2000) According to the authors, in Vietnam, there is no clear distinction between "public space" and "private space" like traditions in Western countries Academic concepts of the West, when applied to Vietnam, need to take into account the specific social context, and therefore also need to be understood flexibly Research Redefiding public space in Hanoi: places, practices and meaning by Sandra Kurfürst (2011) focus on changes in relationships The power between the state and society are reflected in the development of public spaces in Hanoi From the perspective of a sociological approach, Lam Thi Anh Quyen (2011) considers public space as the main feature of urban space, where the urban face as well as urban identity is expressed, making "good cities" (words used by Douglas, 2008) Public space is defined by the people's ability to access and use it The author thinks that public space has a relationship with "public" (pulic sphere) in the sense that "public requires a physical space This space is called a public space.” Studies on Semi-Public Space and the Formation of Public Opinion by Nguyen Quy Thanh, Trinh Ngoc Ha (2009); The thesis Rumors and the formation of rumors in semipublic spaces (a case study of coffee shops in Hanoi) by Lu Thi Mai Oanh (2019) considers a particular form of public space which is the public spaces semi-public space, seeing it as a place to form public opinion Through the thesis of some works, it can be seen that studies have shown the importance in different ways of public space for groups of subjects in urban space Public space holds different roles associated with the purpose of construction: it can be a space for recreational activities or social interaction, a space to maintain the legitimacy of political power, or a space for competition, dispute and compromise, or to form public opinions 1.1.2 Research on creative hubs Creative hub from the perspective of the creative industry Numerous studies and reports show the interest of countries in the creative hubs, the role of creative industries in economic growth, community cohesion and social security: Needs analysis on culture and creative hubs in Asia and Europe 2005, Cultural and creative hubs network Asia-Europe: a project for kick - starting a new network between Asia and Europe 2015 by Cultural and creative hubs network Asia - Europe Asia-European creative cultural space), Creative hubs: understanding the new economy by the British Council, etc and a series of researches on mapping the creative hubs in many countries In the world Creative hubs have become a global concern, connecting creative economies, creative industries, and cultural industries Ragarding to research on creative hubs in Vietnam, the British Council - the UK's international educational and cultural organization has made many important and pioneering contributions towards the goal of supporting Vietnam to develop a creative economy From the Creative Economy project in 2008 until now, the British Council has had many activities in many aspects: from policy advocacy in the years 2014-2016 through consulting support for the drafting of the Strategy for the development of cultural industries in Vietnam to 2020, vision to 2030 to organize the implementation and publication of independent researches on the creative hubs, training to improve the capacity of the creative hubs or organize conferences to connect and expand the understanding about creative hubs In a series of activities in the field of arts and creative industries, in 2014, the British Council in Vietnam released the Report on Creative Hubs in Vietnam by journalist Truong Uyen Ly The term used in the report is translated from “creative hub”, which means the association of dynamic entrepreneurs in a specific space to experiment new projects or business ideas and connect to find investment and opportunities Independent studies by the British Council in Vietnam have also clarified various issues on creative hubs, such as Initial Research on Creative Hubs in Vietnam, Research on Policy and Creative Hubs in Vietnam, Report on Creative Hubs in Vietnam Studies show a stronger, more diverse and geographically widespread development of creative hubs (from 40 creative hubs in the 2014 report to 140 creative hubs in the 2018 report) as an indicator of the rapid development of the creative economy in Vietnam The definition of KGST in these independent studies is based on keywords such as “connection”, “creation”, “business orientation” The studies mention the social impact of ecotourism in many aspects: connecting, supporting businesses, supporting leasing premises, supporting space for young artists in displaying, communicating and providing space for young artists business your art works or entertainment space, bringing art closer to the community Creative hub - from an artistic perspective From the perspective of art researchers, many domestic and foreign authors have mentioned a number of creative hubs in Vietnam and consider this a space of art, for art Some important studies approaching this perspective include Vietnamese Anti-Art and Anti-Vietnamese Artists: Experimental Performance Culture in Hanoi's Alternative Exhibition Spaces by Nora Taylor (2007), Vietnam comes of age, a new arts complex in Hanoi reveals a generational shift by Elisabeth Rosen (2013), Nguyen Nhu Huy (2013) with a series of articles and interviews in Sports and Culture newspaper Thus, creative hubs have been studied from different perspectives in both domestic and international studies, which mainly focus on the role of creative hubs in creative industry, cultural industry, with the development of contemporary art However, these reasons not seem to be able to fully explain the distinctive features of the practices at the creative hubs as well as the reasons of the architects and users of the creative hub in the contemporary Vietnamese urban context And if we only consider creative hub as a core element to develop the creative industry, from a cultural point of view, perhaps the meaning of the creative hub has been simplified, leaving out many other layers of meaning KGST is a concept translated from a foreign term (creative hub), but when used, mentioned here opens up many different layers of meaning associated with the unique dynamics of Vietnamese cities Placed in the context of urban space, the study of the creative hub - a place where free and open discussions take place, where democratic values are practiced, thus contributing to the recognition of a spatial form of urban areas, thereby reflecting the dynamic changes of Vietnam's urban landscape 1.2 Theoritical basis 1.2.1 Key concepts Creative hub In this thesis, the creative hub is understood as social constructions through cultural practices, connecting individuals with similar interests, meeting diverse needs of social groups, affecting cultural life urbanization in different ways The creative hubs are diverse, flexible, changing and adaptive spaces Creative hub can be a specific venue for art creation and performance activities, a space to display and exhibit works, and a place for art enjoyment with diverse forms such as music and films Photography, painting, literature creative hub can also become a place for workshops, seminars, sharing and discussions on many issues of social life But not only places, marked by a specific geographical location on the map, creative hubs are also places with their own attractiveness because they meet the specific needs of social groups that place others cannot respond Creative hub was created to spark creativity, bring an open atmosphere, and promote freedom of expression Urban cultural life It is possible to understand that urban cultural life is formed and developed in the process of social activities and interactions of urban people in the urban context It includes all the cultural practices of people in the urban space, satisfying the cultural needs of the people, and those cultural practices, in turn, have a strong impact on the cities themselves, the subject of practice, contributing to the formation of people's thoughts, opinions, and personality, and broadly affecting society Public sphere Habermas is one of Germany's contemporary sociologists and philosophers and the public sphere is an important subject of study for him The concept of the public sphere was presented in the 1960 work The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere The public sphere, according to him, is place of open discussion which open for citizens, rational to form public opinion The public sphere is open, where groups of people voluntarily come together to conduct free discussions Habermas is interested in the public sphere because he sees it as the foundation, the source of nurturing and maintaining democracy and equality The public sphere is a necessary condition for democracy, where discussions happen to form opinions and show the aspirations and desires of citizens which are expressed Public space In this thesis, public spaces are understood as specific places where the public organizes many discussion activities, exchanges, and discusses many issues in society, where the opportunities to access are for all people, a place for democratic and free expression 1.2.2 Habermas's public sphere theory In this thesis, the Ph.D student uses the theoretical concept of "public sphere" of Habermas to understand the creation and formation of the creative hub as well as to consider and recognize the meaning of the creative hub as a specific expression of the "public sphere" in the context of urban Vietnam The public sphere, according to Habermas, has the following characteristics: Being public, where all citizens have the right to access and participate in expressing opinions and debating issues of their interest The content of those discussions is public domain issues with unlimited scope Critical, where they can critique and control, where consensus or conflict occurs, can form common views, common opinions Habermas views the public sphere as an intermediary between society and the state, organized by the public and in accordance with the principles of the public sphere Habermas' theoretical concept of the public sphere provides a useful analytical lens for interpreting the significant dimensions of the creative hub If the research of Lisa Drummond (2000) has shown that in Vietnam, there is believed to be very little evidence of the tradition of a public sphere as well as a public space - where the expression of the public sector is lacking Traditionally about a field of public discussion due to state interventions, the practices in the creative hub shows the expansion of democratic practices, creating spaces for freedom of expression and discussion It is possible that the practices in the creative hub not fully reflect the characteristics of the “public sphere” as mentioned by Habermas, but these are efforts to widen the boundaries of freedom, creating space for freedom diverse expressions in the contemporary urban context Sub-conclusion of chapter CHAPTER THE SOCIAL CONTEXT IN THE URBAN AND THE BIRTH OF THE CREATIVE HUBS 2.1 Hanoi city - an urban area – a favourable environment for creative hubs Hanoi is a rich cultural and artistic environment, a lively place with a bustling entertainment life, where many new ideas and cultural trends are received This city used to have many cultural spaces, a place to keep and maintain the habits of intellectuals, writers and artists, a place to meet and interact in the style of a cultural salon, associated with the need to share, exchange, discuss, open up creative ideas Since the colonial period, the city began to witness many new ways of living, many new places with characteristics of urban lifestyle such as streets, parks, theaters, cinemas, bookstores, cafes … Going back to Hanoi in the early years of the twentieth century, there were also many clubs established, such as the Association for Enlightenment, which was established in February 1919 with many activities such as: organizing lectures on culture, history, places to comment, talk Thus, although creative hub has only been talked about in recent years, it is not a completely new phenomenon and has certain connections with people In the past, such space existed in urban cultural life before 2.2 Changes in Vietnam’s society since Doi Moi Since the Doi Moi policy in 1986 with the transition from a planned economy to a market economy, the speed of Vietnam's integration with the outside world has been rapid and extensive Also from this starting point, until now, Vietnam in general and Hanoi in particular have witnessed many profound changes in social and cultural life The busy economic, political and social context of the city is considered to be extremely important conditions for the birth of the creative hubs, and is also a "material" for many discussions at creative hubs after that The process of economic liberalization with the reduction of government regulations and restrictions and in exchange for more participation of the private sector has contributed to the integration of the country into the global economy, bringing about economic prosperity over the past 35 years The transition to a market economy has brought positive effects such as poverty reduction, job creation, social stability, and the pressure on social issues has also been significantly reduced This process also requires the legal system as well as the operation of state agencies when it comes to accountability and improvement of the legal system, along with fundamental reform However, many shortcomings and shortcomings have also been revealed such as group interests in the political system, corruption, wastefulness, lack of publicity and transparency, abuse of power for profit These are also topics that are talked about a lot in stories on sidewalks and public spaces The process of democratization takes place in many ways, on a wide scale, in many areas of life, bringing profound changes, especially under the impact of globalization In the context that the internet and social networks are powerful tools to disseminate and spread information, people can easily access policies, regulations as well as the implementation of the meetings in the creative hubs These “imaginary communities” share common interests, interact, seek empathy, agree on points of view and on the direction The Internet also provides new forms of organization as groups are formed, prolonging unfinished discussions in the real world With social networks, the finiteness of both space and time is broken, creating endless links and interactions The Internet and social networks increase the number and diversity of sources of information access for urban people, providing opportunities for full, multidimensional and up-to-date access to important social issues Cultural practices in creative hubs Sub-conclusion of chapter CHAPTER CULTURAL PRACTICES IN CREATIVE HUBS 3.1 Young people and diverse cultural practices in Giấc mơ nhỏ 3.1.1 The space to connect independent readers A creative hub named Giấc mơ nhỏ has certain priorities for reading and organizing events of reading clubs, discussions, conversations around a book, a topic, sharing of reading experiences, exchanging exchange books, meeting people with similar interests in reading and writing Therefore, in this creative hub, books play a particularly important role Giấc mơ nhỏ creative hub is also responsible for connecting young people who have a passion for reading and writing In addition to interacting on social networks, many meetings with group members (often called offline sessions) are also organized by Minh as an administrator of the group's Facebook page so that members have the opportunity to gather together, get to know new members and talk about books 3.1.2 Free discussion on concerned topics Also related to reading and networking, Giấc mơ nhỏ is also a place where many groups of young people organize intellectual activities, discuss and share a previously discussed topic In the minds of the creators of these spaces, they often see this as a forum built on the spirit of "come to talk, come to speak" Content is not a common topic of daily life but an academic issue, somewhat difficult to understand, but reflected and associated under the lens of background knowledge as well as experience in many fields difference Criticisms, even contradictory ones, are not judged and are acknowledged The story sometimes "randoms" to many other things, reminiscent of this author, the point of another author The circuit of discussion continued to expand, leading participants from one idea to another, from one point of view to many other points of view The fact that the group of young people chose Giấc mơ nhỏ for these exchanges and discussions is because of the open and free spirit that this space creates, unlike many other places, meeting the demands to have a forum for young people's opinions, views and thoughts 3.1.3 Watching and discussing movies Besides creating space for independent readers, music and movies are also effective forms of connection to nurture the "Mozart souls" At Giấc mơ nhỏ, every Tuesday night is the time for movies The movie screenings at Giấc mơ nhỏ are organized in a similar way to Cà phê Văn and many other creative hubs when they share the same formula: screening watching movies - discussing The screenings are completely free; attendees support the cost of the operation by paying for drinks How to conduct a screening (before and during the screening) is usually organized through four steps: Introduction of the event on facebook, Introduction before the screening; Audience watching movies in front of a 10 small projector screen; Discuss after watching the movie under the coordination of a facilitator Films selected to screen at Giấc mơ nhỏ are usually pre-conceived and planned, by theme Choosing a movie is sometimes quite random, by letting the audience vote on the movies they like and want to see, the audience will nominate the movies they have seen, are impressed and want to share with everyone In this case, it is the audience - the movie proponent who becomes the moderator of the discussion after watching, learning more information, and the side story of the film to be able to liven up the discussion The films selected for screening are all artistic films that are meant to evoke other lives in the audience Each film is conceived as a newly created world, thereby questioning the humanity existing in each person The dissecting analysis from many perspectives about which people, and societies are reflected in the film, the most scholarly, academic or simply crude sentimental analyzes are all geared towards understanding The presence of movies can therefore be seen as a means to help individuals deepen their efforts to understand themselves, others, and the world 3.1.4 Discussions relating to environment issues and social responsibility At Giấc mơ nhỏ also connects and forms a small community that cares a lot about the environment and social responsibility There is a sustainable consumption corner to introduce environmentally friendly products such as bamboo straws, stainless steel straws, spoons, wooden forks, cloth bags, water bottles, handmade soaps made from natural materials, loofahs for use scouring… When serving guests, this creative hub has not used plastic cups or paper cups for a long time, instead using stainless steel straws Minh – the founder of Giấc mơ nhỏ also created a Sustainable Consumption Corner with the desire to create a space for dialogue and sharing about choices towards a sustainable lifestyle in the community Thus, it can be seen that Giấc mơ nhỏ creative hub is a diverse and flexible space with many different cultural practices associated with different groups of young people Cultural practices at Giấc mơ nhỏ described above are a way to give meaning to spaces, turn ordinary spaces into creativity, into creative hubs Creativity is first and foremost reflected in being in a small physical space, but multi-functional, flexible, and transformative with many meaningful activities Not only a coffee shop, it is also a place where young people organize many cultural events themselves: film screenings and discussions, conversations and exchanges on diverse topics of life, small fairs for products are originated from nature, organizing workshops on crafts… This is also a space for literature, music, cinema, painting, etc., which are classified as creative fields Through interpretations of the cultural practices of young people in the Giấc mơ nhỏ creative hub: the group organizes events related to books and reading, the group organizes intellectual activities, the group organizes film screenings and discussions about films and groups interested in environmental issues, can be seen in only a small space, but have connected and created many different social groups Each group is formed based on common interests, shares concerns and questions about people, life, and bonds through 11 sharing emotions The groups here usually are open because of the relevance of the fields, members of one group can participate in the activities of the other group or participate in similar activities at many other creative hubs in the city In other words, the creative hubs can be viewed as the articulation point of common interests 3.2 Participants in the creative hub Cà phê Văn 3.2.1 A space for artistic practices Cà phê Văn is the result of a collaboration between people who love Hanoi, want to create something for Hanoi, and share the same thought towards developing the elite in society Although it is an open space for many groups in society, Cà phê Văn has long been known as a space for intellectuals of different ages Starting operation in 2015, in addition to being a place to enjoy a drink, a place to work for each individual, a place to meet, chat, share news, Cà phê Văn also has a series of events Events take place continuously over the weekend, from Friday night to Sunday night Like Giấc mơ nhỏ, this is also a flexible space with diverse cultural practices From the space for creating and enjoying music at first, it was later expanded to revolve around many other art forms such as architecture, art, cinema, literature Cinema corner is both as an entertainment channel, relaxing on weekend evenings and a space to bring a lot of knowledge about cultural celebrities in the world Weekly or fortnightly music events are organized for the classical music-loving public Many programs about painting are not only a place to exchange and meet artists, but also a place to acknowledge those who are interested in If at creative hub Giấc mơ nhỏ, every Tuesday night is the time for screening and discussion, then the cinema corner at Cà phê Văn periodically takes place on Sunday night Movies are selected diversely but are also designed according to different themes and according to the "gout" that the founders of this creative hub have chosen It is a series of films about celebrities in the fields of culture, religion, art, painters, genius musicians, military geniuses, scientists whose lives and careers had a great influence on history Movie screenings here usually have main parts: watching movies and discussing with guests - this is also the difference between watching movies at creative hubs compared to watching at theaters Feelings about the meaning of the movie, analysis of the content, art or simply sharing a small detail are also excitedly discussed Many stories are opened as the context of birth, references to cultural conditions, history, social realities, about the country, people, biographies of filmmakers, the inspiration of the film, anecdotes related to the story, related to the actors in the movie, or sometimes analyze a small detail or a character's expression This creative hub also organizes many events to discuss issues of literature and art During events held here, they together ask questions and find answers to concerns such as: why Vietnamese art is not noticed and interested internationally; the role of art in community development, art culture as a means to reflect and contribute to solving major problems of society, art has long been must seem too far away from people, especially the disadvantaged community, those who are marginalized by society, etc The story of art is compared in terms of time: past - present - future and space: the world - Vietnam, from the perspective of artists, the public, art practitioners, investors for art 12 It is possible to say that art plays an important role in the creation of ecotourism Art is a great source of inspiration, is the main theme of many events at creative hubs, in which life is seen through different lenses and mediums Music, painting, literature and other issues of life are therefore inseparable, attached and blended to create a typical atmosphere for the space with daily cultural activities Therefore, the art here is also the form of expression, the different expressive languages that the creators of the space have skillfully combined 3.2.2 A space for meetings, connection and dialogue In addition to art, the creators of this space are also interested in many other issues in society, closely following many events or situations that are happening in life Because of that, Gặp gỡ đối thoại is an important part to create Cà phê Văn This is not only the name of one of many programs held at Cà phê Văn, but it is also the spirit of this creative hub: a place to meet, connect, share and exchange Meetings and dialogues are held regularly on Saturday afternoons, lasting from 2-3 hours Sometimes, depending on the guests, the event can be flexibly adjusted before or after Saturday afternoon Each event revolves around a theme, but there are also themes that will be repeated again and again, from other perspectives of course The story of intellectuals revolves around issues of cultural and artistic life, expanding into many fields: philosophy, education, culture, literature and art Even at events about art, revolving around art forms, people who Attendees still return to the question of what life is being expressed in art The "hot" issues of society have also become the main topic of many meetings and dialogues such as corruption, inequality, the destruction of the environment by humans, and the existence of the education system in the country Many events have taken place that is considered as questioning sessions about how the comprehensive and radical reform of education is being carried out, with noise and inadequacies; The fundamental issues of education such as educational philosophy, educational content, educational methods, subject structure, school system, the role of teachers, relationship with education systems in the world in a comparative position Many programs refer to enlightened education as one of many options where instead of training people for tools, education should be directed towards training free people The spirit of the sessions is to value asking and answering questions openly and freely 3.2.3 A space for social discussion and criticism In addition to their interest in literature and art, intellectuals in the creative hubs also reflect on pressing problems in society, express their independent views on many ongoing issues Some of them include topics that are considered "sensitive" Criticisms are sometimes just additions in the form of side stories, cross-sectional associations outside the current content of the event But there are issues that are mentioned directly, are the main topic of the whole session or are repeated in many subsequent events, partly because the content is quite wide, multi-dimensional, cannot be covered in the whole session, partly because it was a "hot" topic, discussed a lot in society at that time For many intellectuals, they also have other spaces, other forums for opinions: seminars organized by agencies, universities, media channels but this space still has special meaning to them First of all, be able to speak frankly, speak all of their thoughts, and 13 express their views on many issues related to personal, community and social life Expressing opinions is also a way to listen and seek approval and support from others, to confirm that their views are correct but in other dimensions seem to be ignored: “I say but they didn't listen" or even didn't get the chance to say those opposing counter-arguments Finding an open, free space like this is for individual voices to become more powerful when shared Moreover, in many events, for the reason of "journalists here", they expect their voices to be heard more widely However, many programs at Cà phê Văn were canceled before the date of the event, which was announced on Facebook "for objective reasons that cannot be remedied" Attendees were a bit surprised at first with such "sudden" stops, but later dimly realized and speculated on the reason when thinking about the guest composition that had been considered problematic, like One person once shared: "the programs here are closely monitored by security because of their reactionary elements - according to their evaluation criteria" Various interventions such as power cuts and water cuts were also used to prevent the event from taking place In the discussions, the problems that Phan Chau Trinh posed such as innovation, enlightenment, and democratic spirit received the most attention Put in the historical context, the thought Phan Chu Trinh set out at that time was "declare the people, restore the people's climate, and make the people's livelihood" somewhat more basic and complicated when he pointed out the biggest cause of the loss of life, country and becoming a slave lies in the background of backward culture and outdated education The urgent issue is national civilization, modernization of the country and also the problem of escaping China The subject covered is a historical figure, but the story not only takes the audience back to the past, but also references the present Many opinions have affirmed that "the issues raised by Phan Chu Trinh are still valid", posing the question "what is the way forward?", "what should we do?" In addition to adding an opportunity to understand the great ideas that the ancients have aroused, such discussions are also an attitude of agreement with the lines of innovation, fundamental ideas Therefore, it is not just "remembering" in the direction of moving back in time, but actually moving between the two dimensions of the past and the present The story of the past reflects on the present or from the present to the past, thereby building up visualizations and visions of the future Sub-conclusion of chapter CHAPTER CREATIVE HUBS: FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND IDENTITY CREATION 4.1 Creative hubs: spaces for expanding the range of freedom 4.1.1 Open and diverse spaces for participants One feature of the public sector that Habermas pointed out is its openness, where no one is excluded regardless of class, gender, or status It is a place where individuals equally and voluntarily join together for free discussion In the creative hubs, the openness is also clearly illustrated The beginning was an idea to satisfy the wishes of individuals (the desire for a reading space for themselves in Giấc mơ nhỏ, the desire to contribute to Hanoi of the founder of Cà phê Văn, but the creative hubs are not just spaces Although it is a private space, it has become a common space where many people can access It is said to be a space for young 14 people, but Giấc mơ nhỏ welcomes many people of different ages considered as a space for writers, artists and intellectuals, but in many events, this place is like a miniature society with the participation of many different sectors invitations via email for friends, acquaintances or those who have left an email address wishing to receive information Events are held free of charge; attendees not have to pay fees/tickets entrance but only pay for drinks as a form of contribution, to support the space to maintain operation, also to create opportunities for the public easy access to art culture, including academic art forms such as classical music performances, film screenings, meetings with famous intellectuals, leading experts Content The event is developed by the moderators of the creative hubs, but the participants themselves also contribute to propose or open up issues for further discussion It can be seen that, from the consciousness of the founders, creative hubs are spaces created by individuals and for the community, towards the community Another dimension of "openness" in creative hub lies in freedom, which at the same time creates creativity for space, because in the end, freedom is the root of creativity, only to be freedom can be creative Although it’s small in terms of actual area, this place has created open spaces for personal thoughts and experiences, for individuals to come together with ideas and views They share, discuss, constantly ask questions to question themselves and those around them, neither shy nor avoid even the so-called sensitive topics in Vietnam Coming to the end of those questions is also an expression of freedom, freedom of consciousness, free to write and to speak Moreover, young people who come to Giấc mơ nhỏ always seem to want to break out of the default, the stereotypes that are taken for granted to challenge their thinking as well as the desire to be understood and traced to the root of human thoughts, questions, philosophical questions like who am I, what is this world, what roles are people in the world's operation At Cà phê Văn, everyone is free to express themselves express their opinions, participate in social criticism, together speak out about the inadequacies in society, from top-down policies of the state and the government to the practices of the people Creativity also implies change Creative hub is a place for freedom of self-expression, academic freedom, freedom to exchange, share and discuss The spirit of the discussion is non-judgmental, it is not necessary to clearly distinguish one opinion as right, another as false, no final conclusion, only questions and answers will be viewed is important Many exchanges and discussions but no "conclusions" or "resolutions" like the usual form of meetings that always leave open the possibility for people to continue thinking Creative hubs are also diverse spaces when they are a place to receive and create opportunities for everyone, including those who are considered “marginal” The marginal component is a word to refer to those who are seen as dissidents from the government, considered to be in the underground Some people are always watched by security agencies, classified as a "politically sensitive phenomenon" Many of them have made many contributions in their work, used to hold important positions in the state government apparatus, are famous, but because of different views or direct and direct criticisms, they are marginalized at official forums organized by state agencies While the public sector, according to Habermas, is a place where everyone has the right to access, the right to 15 participate without being excluded, it is the term "marginal" that shows to some extent that there is a limitation in receiving the flows Other opinions are critical, confrontational or opposing views, contrary to the official views of the state in other spaces On the other hand, the appearance of the "marginal" shows the openness of the creative hubs, which accept and respect diverse and different voices Creative hub is a diverse space not only by many participants but more importantly, it accepts the difference in thought All opinions, views and perspectives are encouraged and respected In discussions on social issues such as education, economic development policies, management practices in all areas of life, etc., they are free to express their personal views and speak frankly what they think, although it may be different from the way the majority think If in other dimensions, it is likely that these voices will not be raised due to taboos or will bring trouble to the speakers themselves Creative hub is the place where intellectuals come together to think and understand more about many issues going on in life: corruption, poor management in various fields, materialistic life, decline of cultural values… from which to be aware of their duty in finding solutions to social problems It is a space where diverse voices are voiced, distinct personalities are revealed, personal identities are created and re-created, new positions are established, changed and redefined create Habermas (1989) considered public space as a foundation for a representative democracy and a trustworthy and responsible government The ever-expanding creative hubs in the city also shows the need for public spaces in an increasingly democratic society Creative hubs can be seen as spaces promoting liberalization and democratization when the participants are self-consciously responsible for the country's affairs, and gradually begin to "worry", "think" about the future country and feel that they have the right and responsibility to contribute to the state 4.1.2 Creative hubs: private and independent spaces The meaning of independence in this context can be explained in two ways: self-sustaining in terms of funding to operate and independence in view to maintain cultural practices, so as not to be influenced by or not subject to the influence of foreign influences external factors (in this case, the domination of the state) The independence of funding makes the creative hubs, although flexible, dynamic and diverse in ways of doing things, it is still quite difficult, struggling to manage between revenues and costs of maintaining the space However, creative hubs attract a large number of attendees in part because they maintain diversity and strive to maintain independent views and positions to maintain freedom, openness, and respect difference In some events, the attendance of "sideline" elements is always monitored by security agencies In Giấc mơ nhỏ, activities are more "free" because not many events have the participation of "sideline" people, but they are still noticed because they are related to foreigners (in part because Minh often participating in many cultural events of foreign organizations, so there are many friends from different countries) In addition to the participation of "sideline" parties, some events will be "watched" by the government until there are elements that are considered "sensitive" such as topics touching 16 on "hot" issues "such as corruption, national sovereignty, policy criticism, etc., where there are often conflicting views, critical opinions, and sometimes criticism of the state's way of doing things and governance, etc There are risks of harm, affecting the reputation of the government, the institution, national security, from the government side, the state also has moves to suppress, in some specific situations, by specific strategies to prevent it Intervention can take many forms, directly affecting whether the practices of the ecoregions are allowed to take place or even whether the ecotourism is allowed to exist The monitoring, intervention, restriction or ban on events that they consider "sensitive" seems to show the government's attitude towards the direct, multi-dimensional view of society by subject groups at these creative hubs Therefore, in order to dialogue and convince the government, the creative hubs also have quite specific "strategies" such as: communicating and persuading the government to understand all the events held in their space is to expand knowledge and understanding, towards community development, to promote cultural activities in urban areas, the criticisms are constructive; Actively present and participate in programs organized by the state or the British Council on creative sites Under the guidance of the concept of "public sector", creative hub has been shown as a form of public space that the urban intelligentsia has created and established Creative are considered open and free forums for diverse perspectives, respecting differences The stories of the guests, of the attendees and of the characters being talked about, are all told by experience and thus bring a lot of meaning It is a space where intellectuals can express their role to society through strong and relevant criticisms, where they dare to say what they think and pursue those thoughts to the end It is also a space of marginalized voices, "absences", from which one can see urban chaos, diversity, complexity and vibrancy of society And so, the creative hubs are spaces of freedom, democracy, spaces of humanity, for people and for people It arouses the spirit of freedom when looking at problems, it expands people's vision and awareness, helps people to be more open in thinking to receive diversity 4.1.3 Creative hubs: special public spaces Habermas' concept of the public sphere (or public sphere) thus includes social spaces where individuals gather to discuss and dialogue about common affairs, where criticism and protest forms of authoritarian and oppressive power According to Habermas, the public sphere “is a realm and a comfortable place for citizens to debate, weigh, agree, and act.” Concepts such as “public sphere” and “public space” are all fairly basic concepts in Western society and are commonly used in Western experience and tradition However, when applying Habermas' concept of "public sphere" to the Vietnamese context, there are significant differences In Vietnam, according to Lisa Drummond, there is little evidence of the tradition of a public sphere as well as a public space, whether in pre-colonial, colonial or post-colonial times There is little room for public discussion or expression like in the West, where politically politicized spaces are virtually non-existent Sandra Kurfürst (2011) argues that Habermas' concept of the public sphere is difficult to apply to the 17 Vietnamese context where the three domains of state, economy and civil society often overlap However, here and there a number of studies have begun to show that there are manifestations of the existence of a “public phere” in Vietnam From the perspective of journalism, politics and history, research by Nguyen Thi Thuy Hang - Vu Thi Minh Thang has confirmed that "in Vietnam in the period 1925-1945 there was indeed a "public space" according to the theory of Habermas", was formed in big cities like Saigon and Hanoi where there were many premises for the formation, especially focusing on printing activities Public space is then understood as "the space under the government and above the village, in which individuals and collectives participate in symbolic exchanges and struggles" Thus, some of the above studies have argued and made the conclusion that there is a "public space" in the Vietnamese context according to Habermas' theory As for the practices in the ecoregions as analyzed and mentioned, it may not necessarily be that there exists a true "public sphere" like Habermas's concept, but it can also be considered as an effort to expand the boundaries of freedom, creating spaces for discussion, exchange and sharing on many issues in society, for freedom of expression And to a certain extent it can be understood as an expression of the public sector in the Vietnamese context The application of the concept of "public sphere" - a concept born in the context of Western countries - in the context of Vietnam, therefore, needs to take into account distinct cultural, economic and political conditions The concept of "public sphere" in Western society where everyone is entitled to discuss, exchange and talk about various topics in life, in Vietnam, there are topics that are "sensitive", are not widely available or are classified as "taboo" The very concept of "marginal" to refer to people who have different views, or disagree with the government has also shown that there is exclusion, marginalization for someone, for certain individuals, not for people space “designed, created, for all (this is different from Habermas’ concept of the public sphere) The concept of "civil society" in Vietnam is still considered dangerous, rarely mentioned, or considered a "forbidden zone", "taboo", different from the Western tradition, where people are allowed to self-develop, conduct activities in public to discuss any issue, dialogue with the authorities on any subject of their interest, in the context of Vietnam there is little room for public discussion or expression as in the West The concept of "public sector" of western society has implicitly understood that there is a clear separation between "public" and "private", while these two concepts in Vietnam, as Lisa Drummond pointed out, not clearly distinguished by state intervention Cultural practices in creative hubs, in addition to the interest in art, are clearly a place to express the desire to expand the boundaries of freedom, to create spacious spaces for discussion and exchange, where demonstrate the intellectual's right to participate in the issues of society, where democratic practices are demonstrated And so, creative hub can be considered in this case as the places of the "public sphere", which are specific public spaces 4.2 Space for creating group and individual identities 4.2.1 Creative hub for emotional connection Here, from the perspective of Giấc mơ nhỏ, creative hub paints a portrait as well as the spiritual world of a section of young people in Hanoi with changes in thoughts, feelings, and lifestyles It is a group of young people from many different fields, but they are similar in that they all value and orient towards spiritual values, always questioning themselves 18 and others about the world and people They observe the world through movies and literature, think about reality, ponder, wonder, to see themselves and freely express their thoughts and opinions The world they are heading to, they feel that although there are many confusions, they are still together on the journey to find In that search, they have created spaces to connect with each other, form small groups, and share their views, ways of thinking, and feelings about life They identify and call the creative hubs for themselves These are places of dreams, places to nurture spiritual values, a place to shape new living values, a place of refuge and tolerance for struggles to grow up A small dream like a museum dedicated to the existence of young people, who really want knowledge, dream and look for a desirable perspective that may not be as it is or not as the reality is The space of Giấc mơ nhỏ is like a place for souls looking to grow, where life slows down, where art, literature, music, movies are what connects Creating space, using space to nurture spiritual values, towards new values, this is how the young people in Giấc mơ nhỏ create spaces for themselves in the context of transformation , as they stand between old social ideals and new aspirations Emotional connection plays an important role in creating group identity and as a means of creating group identity (Pham Quynh Phuong, 2017) Through creating and experiencing the space of each group of subjects, ecotourism becomes specific places, marking emotions, where people feel they belong to The feeling of belonging emphasizes the emotional aspect, which is not only a state of being "there" but also expresses a desire, a longing for attachment From a story or a common problem, individuals participate in conversations, present their opinions, discuss and discuss with others as a way of locating their social existence and also by doing so Through direct relationships, people know they belong to a community Creative hub Giấc mơ nhỏ become the "home" of Minh and other young people, a place to nurture and realize their dreams, a place where they bond and feel like they belong Here, the emotions, secrets, desires, dreams of each individual are attached in a specific space Creative hub Giấc mơ nhỏ witness the concerns about life, people, the place of dreams and hopes, the place where fantasy about life is built, and also the place to witness the confusion, breakdown and despair of young people who are trying to grow up and position themselves in society In this case, at creative hub Giấc mơ nhỏ, art (specifically, literature and movies), community development activities, and knowledge enhancement for the community are the things that are shared and circulated as a common language, a means to connect and form groups Thus, the process of creating identity is associated with a place where people feel they belong (belonging) 4.2.2 Creative hubs and the need for identifying personality Like Minh, many young people when coming to Giấc mơ nhỏ together shared about their struggles to determine their own direction, answering the question of who I am, what I want, what values I want to pursue From personal questions in the journey to become who and how, has brought together strangers in a common space, where they can share their own stories, visualize how the organization works life or visions of the future In his efforts to reposition his desires and values, Minh tried and found his own answer, which is 19 to create reading spaces for himself and the community, and to promote culture reading, supporting young people like me, upholding spiritual values and bringing them to the right place in life Minh's work was then shared and known, many other young people also came when they were also in the journey to find their own paths For young people who come here, there are many reasons why they come to read, considering reading a serious and meaningful job Reading is not due to being forced by reading requirements to write back, not because of "running a deadline", pressure to complete this project or that Minh sees reading as a method of practice, self-discipline through which to expand his vision to the world, to understand others and to understand himself Minh and many other young people who come here all identify themselves as independent readers The word "independence" contains the meaning of reading as a journey that the individual must go through, test, to self-understand and grow The scope of reading, therefore, in addition to the depth of interest, also aims to read widely, search for books in many different fields, to expand awareness about life The concerns of this group of young people not seem to concern the vast majority of people their age In their stories at Giấc mơ nhỏ, they still talk about K-pop music, about the phenomenon of mass entertainment in the country and the world, music videos or movies that are trendy Fashion is dominating and swaying young people, becoming a “hot trend” … Their preoccupation is not with such popular emerging phenomena but things that are less noisy, somewhat quiet and even sometimes even forgotten: quietly, persistently, persistently pursuing classics, enlightening books, elite knowledge Set in the general trend, this group of young people at creative hub Giấc mơ nhỏ found themselves somewhat out of place with the crowd There were times when he was depressed, Minh used to think that "literature, art, long ago seemed to have ceased to be the interest of many people" When together thinking about the work they are pursuing, Minh considers it as "commitment on a risky path to realize dreams and ideals", "a long and lonely journey", "a long and lonely journey" long" At Cà phê Văn, when creating this space, the owner of the space was very aware of his position, aiming for the elite in society This is reflected in the layout of the space, the choice of tables and chairs, the paintings that are on the wall for decoration Music events at this space are usually chamber music, classical music, consistent with the "gut" chosen from the beginning, rather than choosing market songs, following the tastes of the majority of the audience to target commercial purposes Even the films selected to be shown in the cinema corner every Sunday night are not at all popular, blockbuster films that resonate in the market, but often have their own themes, aiming at their own values such as: movie series about celebrities, love movies, movies that evoke big aspirations, big dreams and big jobs With creative hub Cà phê Văn, group identity is constructed in a different way By creating and participating in activities in this space, they have positioned themselves as 20 belonging to a group of intellectuals in society with their own interests Many people consider this an academic space, where attendees all have a certain cultural background, education, and deep understanding In the associations and comparisons with the world, many people are aware of the position of this space, considering it like the "agora" of the west, calling it "chieu anh cac" of Vietnam The associations in the talk, many times the speaker mentioned words such as elite, amateurs, aristocracy, "elite" class, etc elite” selfreferred to by participants as not those who are in power, have positions in society, have a lot of money, but people with a high level of knowledge, knowledgeable people, committed to living according to values of the elite In the opinion of the architects of ecotourism, intellectuals are not only those who have good expertise but also those who have a deep cultural background and knowledge in many different fields And in order to create and cultivate that cultural "background" so that intellectuals have an atmosphere and a cultural environment, creative hubs have always diversified fields and topics of activities From music, cinema, literature, it also extends to other art forms such as painting, theater, architecture, etc The image of intellectuals envisioned here always seems to be associated with aspirations and nostalgia storm, about a particular cause or contribution to society Many events mention words like "dream", "aspiration", "dedication" as one of the duties and responsibilities of an intellectual The films selected for screening and discussion events are also films about inspirational characters who have made great contributions to changing society and history 4.3 Creative hubs and their impacts in urban cultural life The world's conceptions of creative hub as a business model with the main goal of generating profits only reflect one of the concerns of ecotourism in the specific context of Vietnam today Creative hub also has another, seemingly more important role, that of creating forums, places for discussion, spaces for participation, change and social construction Ecological spaces are also independent, free and democratic spaces, evoking many new values, aiming for innovation, making society change, and space for new possibilities It is this meaning that is an important reason for the emergence of more and more ecotourism sites in urban areas It is also necessary to say more about the role of the city in the existence of ecotourism The eco-designs appear a lot in Hanoi, where there is a cultural atmosphere, dense with intellectual spirit Hanoi is pretty The difference from other cities is not because Hanoi has long-standing cultural symbols, but also has the presence of many cultural works, atmosphere of cultural activities, intellectual spirit but in other places not much Hanoi has a system of large and small libraries concentrated in the city, public libraries, university libraries with specialized bookstores, and many private libraries in the form of family bookcases family, book cafe, library cafe It is this rich source of material that creates wide opportunities for urban people to have access to knowledge Therefore, the city also becomes a destination for intellectuals, where people who are passionate about knowledge will work together, maintain, spread and create the spirit of knowledge Cities satisfy the thirst for information, the desire to participate Cities are also open to multidimensional discussions, to marginalized and peripheral voices 21 Although the operation of ecotourism sites faces many difficulties, it is clear that the creative hubs have many reasons to exist For many people in urban areas, especially intellectuals, creative hub is a place that provides an abundant and multi-dimensional source of information Minh once saw himself, "this model of ecotourism has really developed over the years, when people were still "thirst" for information and understanding" This is also a space to nurture participation capacity, critical capacity, and nurture values such as democracy, justice, and freedom Participation here can be understood as being involved in important life issues, the right to know, discuss, and share decision-making power Although the spirit of democracy in Vietnam is clearly expressed: "people know, people discuss, people do, people check", the current legal system does not seem to have created a "wide corridor" For substantive and effective participation between the parties, there are not many forums for people to express their views freely and frankly Therefore, the fact that groups of subjects create their own spaces, it seems to compensate for those limitations and shortcomings, so that they have the opportunity to contribute their individual voices to the construction of the space country This also shows that the shaping of the landscape in the city are examples that reflect the relationship of power (LiLy Kong and Lisa, 2002), in other words the city is built under the influence of the economy, the social and cultural factors, thus also implicating political relationships Space is not simply a place where people live, on the contrary it lives in each person, shaping each person It represents both reality and the possibility of social change Spending a lot of time at such ecotourism sites, groups of subjects seem to be searching for new ideals, envisioning a future with many human and human meanings, towards democratic and equal values, freedom, encouragement of diversity, respect for multidimensional voices about life Sub-conclusion of chapter CONCLUSION The creative hub is an important phenomenon, once likened to the "lighthouse" of the new economy in the context of countries around the world focusing on developing creative industries and cultural industries Previous studies on creative hub have mentioned many different effects of creative hub It can be a place to connect businesses in the cultural industry, support and promote the creative artist community, and provide space for exhibition, exhibition, communication and sales of products art, where connecting and drawing close the distance between artist and audience… The model of creative hub mentioned is quite flexible, can exist in a specific location or just an online space, a page web, is a coffee shop, a gallery or a studio, a co-working space You can even watch each KGST with its activities have presented a way of understanding the creative hub However, in the urban context in Vietnam, in addition to important contributions to the formation and development of the cultural industry, ecotourism also has many other meanings and impacts, reflecting changes in energy of society in a transitional context The fact that more and more eco-designs are formed and developed in the heart of Hanoi city, despite the difficulties in maintaining their existence, is a clear demonstration 22 of the significance of eco-design for urban life From 40 creative hub in the report on creative hub in 2014 to nearly 140 creative hub in 2018 or when a certain creative hub closed, at the same time, other creative hub were born which showed the influence and necessity of KGST creative hub before needs of the urban population The attraction of ecotourism sites comes from the fact that ecotourism meets different needs for many diverse social groups: a space to enjoy and create art to foster understanding of art; a place to meet, exchange and discuss ongoing issues in society; is an open library with many books that open up thoughts and concerns; is a place to connect people with similar interests, like-minded; A place for freedom of expression… From the perspective of Cà phê Văn and Giấc mơ nhỏ, it can be seen that eco-designs are vivid entities created by different groups of subjects, especially intellectuals in urban areas, reflecting the diverse preoccupations of people After Cà phê Văn and Giấc mơ nhỏ, there are many other ecodesigns that are still being maintained, newly created or being cherished, inspired by the ones that preceded them From the theoretical prism of Habermas' concept of "public sector", creative hub can be considered as specific public spaces Although it is an open and diverse space, the main participants are intellectuals of different ages, associated with the need to express and raise their voices to contribute to solving common problems of society These are flexible spaces, converting many functions in many different situations, sometimes as a space for literature, art, creative practices, sometimes as a space for meeting, dialogue and connection They are also independent spaces, not only having autonomy in finance and operating expenses, but also maintaining independence in views and attitudes, where independent and frank criticisms of the issues of society If some previous studies have shown that Vietnam does not have much evidence for the existence of a public sector as well as a public space where the public sector is expressed Or if we talk about public space, that concept of "public" is also different from the understanding and meaning in western societies where in Vietnam there are few spaces for discussion or public expression Western style or spaces like this have always been dominated by state power Analysis of practices in ecotourism shows that there may not necessarily exist a true "public sphere" like Habermas' concept because eco-designs also always face interference from the state in their perceptions determine which topics are "sensitive", "taboo", which components are worthy of attention and also have to have adaptive and flexible strategies to survive However, the creative hubs also seem to show an attempt to widen the range of freedom, creating more open spaces for diverse discussions In other words, Habermas' concept of "public sphere", when applied to the analysis here, has revealed unique features of the social context in Vietnam From many activities in the fields of art, culture and society, the creative hubs are making an important contribution to change It can be seen there the emergence of a democratic society when promoting democratic values, the spirit of enlightenment, enlightenment, civilization or it can be said that eco-design is one of many diverse ways that Vietnam is developing future cultural and social negotiations Obviously, creative hub is not just a mark of a geographical location, it is not there, present there, available in nature but is the product of tectonics It is made up of social 23 relationships and cultural practices It is cultural activities in these small spaces that contribute to preserving and maintaining the spiritual life or "soul" of the city in the context of urban modernization when commercial centers crowded, the buildings juxtaposed with each other were erected forever creative hub brings a cultural atmosphere, sparks, spreads, affects the lifestyle of a part of urban residents, creates an intellectual atmosphere, orients towards spiritual values, and values values such as freedom and freedom, democracy, creativity Such creative hub can be considered as a reservation and continuation of previous cultural practices, but is vivid and imprinted with the contemporary urban context with changes, changes, and faults Thus, each design is a story, a narrative hidden somewhere in the hustle and bustle of the city but also comes alive because it is like a miniature world, absorbing and accommodating many different ideas And it is the stories and cultural practices that define ecotourism, create the present and participate in building visions of the future It is not only a creatve hub, it is also a cultural space, a social space And if we imagine the city as a large space, eco-spaces are small pieces but important and progressive pieces, promoting the development of the city 24 ... and Cà phê Văn - Research object: In the case of the two creative hubs mentioned in this thesis, they are young people at creative hub named Giấc mơ nhỏ and intellectuals at Cà phê Văn 3.2 Research... articulation point of common interests 3.2 Participants in the creative hub Cà phê Văn 3.2.1 A space for artistic practices Cà phê Văn is the result of a collaboration between people who love Hanoi, want... that, Gặp gỡ đối thoại is an important part to create Cà phê Văn This is not only the name of one of many programs held at Cà phê Văn, but it is also the spirit of this creative hub: a place