Australian actor and bass-baritone singer Philip Quast confirmed at a press briefing in Hanoi on Sunday that he expected Vietnamese learners to resist their phones during his art training sessions. 

The three-time Laurence Olivier award winner imposes this rule on all learners participating in his classes, not just Vietnamese.

Quast is one of the leaders in the art training program called ‘Culture in You,’ running from Sunday to November 11 in Hanoi and co-held by The Youniverse Education Training and Entertainment Company, the Interstellar Musical Society, and the Center for Journalism Culture under the Vietnam Journalists Association. 

The event is meant to empower young generations with firm cultural knowledge and a plethora of skills through training sessions by Australian artists such as Philip Quast, Ann-Maree McDonald, and Nicholas Gentile.

Quast's stringent no-cellphone requirement originates from his viewpoints on education and working, aligning with Vietnam’s educational system as several schools nationwide have piloted a ban on using smartphones in classrooms. 

The actor highlighted that this ban helps to increase discipline and concentration.

Quast acts as an expert and a coach during the program, focusing on equipping young people with a passion for art with confidence onstage and facial expression skills.

What brought Quast to the program was his wish to pass on his skills and experience to younger generations, he shared.

Through the program, he expected to help all Vietnamese participants learn about international stage techniques to unlock their potential and utilize a newfound understanding of national cultural features.

The celebrated Australian thespian hoped that young Vietnamese people will bring forward their cultural heritage rather than copy skills from the West. 

He said that he was willing to provide the Vietnamese learners with vocal and stage performance skills and working in group dynamics.

Apart from sharing his experience and expertise, he wished to inspire art enthusiasts through a story about his life at a live concert called ‘The Road I Took,' slated for November 7, in Hanoi.

The audience will be treated to classical melodies from various works of art that helped him shoot to stardom.

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