ICETAI 2026 opened on the morning of August 28 with a performance by the Vietnam Puppetry Theatre (Nhà hát Múa rối Việt Nam), invited to bring a program of traditional puppetry to the stage ahead of the conference's keynote sessions at the National Economics University.
The program moved between registers: a rod-puppet fan dance in which performers, hidden behind rows of green folding fans, worked pairs of puppets in flowing skirts and conical hats through a synchronized routine; a pastoral scene built around a puppet water buffalo led by its handler, evoking village life alongside performers carrying traditional baskets and sheaves; and a further ensemble piece pairing live performers in brown and pink áo dài with hand-carried puppets, set against a projected bamboo backdrop.
The Vietnam Puppetry Theatre described the invitation as part of a broader ambition for the art form: to move beyond its own stage and reach audiences at schools, conferences, and cultural exchange programs at home and abroad, giving more people the chance to encounter Vietnamese puppetry directly.
