Swedish development agency to stage plays for needy children

Source: ThanhNien News

With a fund from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), Vietnamese poor children will get the chance to enjoy a multitude of stage events set for 2007-2009.

Under the program ‘Children’s Voice’, SIDA will provide the three playhouses – Hanoi-based Tuoi Tre, Ho Chi Minh City Playhouse and HCMC-based 5B stage, each VND700 million (US$43,722) annually to create and arrange plays for the little ones.

Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Playhouse Tran Khanh Hoang said his playhouse would provide funds of VND120 million ($7,495) for equipment and actor training.

Hoang said, in 2007, there would be 100 plays for kids staged within the city’s 24 districts.

He added the coming plays would focus on sexual equality among other social themes geared towards children.