A creative festival was organized in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday, where crowds of young art enthusiasts were inspired to nurture and indulge in their passion.

The event, called Vietnam Creative Festival, took place on the last Sunday of this year at 3A Station, which is located at the end of alley 3A on Ton Duc Thang Street in District 1.

The festival drew several thousand young people and offered an array of artistic, creative activities including “colorshed battles” and “brainstorms” between teams.

Participants were also shown how to create artwork which bears their hallmarks.

The roughly 2,000-square meter 3A Station art venue boasted 26 stalls which offered various handicraft items such as greeting cards, masks, notebooks, and hand-made T-shirts.

The venue also featured visual art, contemporary dance, and electro music sections which appealed to local youth.

The stall owners are mostly young, independent artists and designers working in advertising, fashion design, music, performing arts, photography, gaming, fine arts, handicrafts, and digital content.

Several established names in the underground Vietnamese art arena such as Red Cat, Team Show, Art Soup, San Si Studio, Clayyot, Sundog Studio, and Nhong also made it to the festival.

A major highlight of the event was 10 talks on creativity which featured experts, artists, and guest speakers.

The talks, which were packed beyond the organizer’s expectations, addressed pressing topics in the local creative industry such as how to properly reconcile the young artist’s “ego” with his targeted audiences’ tastes, or doing art for art’s sake or for a living.

The event was jointly organized by the Creative Entrepreneurs Network, Lai Studio, and Freeland.

A seven-year strand within the British Council East Asia’s “Creative Cities” project, Creative Entrepreneurs Network is a cultural and artistic partnership between East Asia and the UK and aims to develop the concept of creative cities as cities with successful knowledge of economies where global citizens can thrive.

According to Tuyet Mai, co-founder of 3A Station and owner of Mai’s Gallery in the area, the venue – a dilapidated housing block dating back to the 19th century – has become a familiar destination for art fans since it was turned into a contemporary art setting in April.

The hub features a fusion of exhibition space, studios, clothing shops, handicraft stores, pottery shops, and cafés.

“3A” means “Alternative Art Area,” where Mai and other creators offer artists booths to rent and a place for them to spark their creativity, she told Tuoi Tre News in an August interview.

One of the highlights of the area is the huge graffiti walls that guests can use as backgrounds when posing for photos.

Besides indoor activities, 3A Station has also hosted other outdoor events like paintings, concerts, and flea markets which have attracted many Ho Chi Minh City residents and tourists alike.

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