Gyeonggi Province to Host Arts Festival for Children

Gyeonggi Kids Arts Festival
April 30 to May 6, Gyeonggi Arts Center
Anthony Browne Originals Exhibition “Willy’s Picture”

Dreams come true at Gyeonggi Arts Center square

The Gyeonggi Arts Center holds the Gyeonggi Kids Arts Festival from April 30 (Saturday) to May 6 (Friday) to celebrate Children’s Day.

The first-ever Kids Arts Festival will debut this year at the Gyeonggi Arts Center under the theme “Art Makes Children’s Dreams Come True.” The event is all about helping children to express their inner selves through art and ultimately discover their hidden talents. The festival is special because it has been exclusively designed for children.

The Kids Arts Festival consists of ballet performances, musicals, classic concerts, plays, gugak (Korean traditional music), and other carefully selected genres to stimulate imagination and artistic minds. Children will experience a whole new variety of art and related programs.

The Art Center’s most ambitious program is a large collection of Anthony Brown’s original illustrations. Including a number of pieces being revealed to the public for the first time, the exhibition showcases Browne’s greatest works spanning from his early career in the 1960s to now. Patrons can enjoy his exclusive collection from April 27 (Wednesday) to June 3 (Friday) at the Grand Exhibition Hall and the Small Exhibition Hall.

Anthony Browne will be visiting Korea in person during the festival period. Children will have the opportunity to meet him through special events.

The popular book Mysterious Pencil and Baby Bear’s Magic Flute will be introduced in one of the special events. Under the book’s motif of Shape Game, children will be able to draw on an extra large canvas and awaken their inner artist. Children will be encouraged to explore their imaginative worlds by creating pieces of their own.

The most notable program will be the opportunity to create an illustrated book with Anthony Browne about peace on the Korean Peninsula. What do the children have to say about a divided nation? This will be a chance for them to learn about Korea’s reality and the meaning of peace.

There are numerous concerts and events at which children can meet their favorite television stars.

The opening performance will present none other than the three-time winner of SBS Star King. His performance using nothing but light effects and shadows has awed audiences all over Korea.

The Seoul Ballet Theatre will perform their 21st century interpretation of Alice in Wonderlandin the Grand Performance Hall between April 30 (Friday) to May 1 (Sunday), taking the audience to the past, the future, and into a world of pure imagination.

The family musical Peter Pan will be performed at the Grand Performance Hall from May 5 (Thursday, Children’s Day) to May 6 (Friday). Adopting US special effects company ZFX’s flying techniques, the actors have the freedom to fly all over the stage and even over the audience. Children will love seeing all the flying action.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Philharmonic Orchestra will be debuting their first Let’s Play Orchestra! [April 2 (Monday) at the Grand Performance Hall] performance during the festival period. The orchestra’s very own Art Director, Gu Ja-beom, and the orchestra members have made classical music fun and approachable. Children, performers, and parents will have an intimate experience with each of the instruments, making the event truly special.

The Small Performance Hall will put Anthony Browne’s original illustration on stage in its Willy’s Pictureperformance [May 1 (Sunday) to the next day]. It is a book reading accompanied by heartwarming music with a variety of unfamiliar instruments. The performance’s format resembles a music class, prompting young audience members to participate in an unforgettable experience through this new form of book reading.

Korean traditional music also gets its own spotlight during the festival, merged into the children’s plays Baby Piggy Kkomkkomi and Cheongi Story. The latter, about the adventures of cheerful Sim Cheong and the squirrel family, is a regular performance by the Gyeonggi Provincial Drama Company. Korean traditional music will have children swaying to the beat.

Each performance features dreams, hopes, the future, art, and family love. There is something for every child in the myriad of performances, exhibitions, and experience programs customized for young audience members.

Art programs include a chance to experience different genres in art. Artistic inspiration does not always come from exceptional experiences; it can come from everyday things in a child’s life such as family, art, and small objects. The Gyeonggi Arts Center has decorated its courtyard with five colors, each representing the values of the future world. It will also present a wide variety of activities relating to art and performances.

At the Blue Hope Hill, children will be able to participate in the musical expression game Air Action Music and play all kinds of Korean traditional musical instruments at I’m a Musician. Concurrently, the Green Life Hill will be presenting art-related activities that will enhance a sense of connection with nature.

Visit the Yellow Happiness Hill and make your own doll at the Worry Doll corner or attend the educational art program Kaemomi to create pictures with eco-friendly materials. The Red Love Hill presents the Brother Sister Doll corner where children can make toys for their future brothers or sisters. The White Heart Hill will offer an art education program related to the community art project A Visit to the Art Museum in which children will be able to decorate the surroundings with their work.

Children who were chosen to participate in the community art project A Visit to the Art Museum have created the exhibition entrance with school teachers and volunteers during a three-week course. As a result, children took part in the festival as artists, sculptors, designers, directors, and as the audience. They are the true center of this celebration.

Han Jem-ma — well known for her book The Woman Who Reads Paintings, an introduction to fine art for the layman — will be coaching mothers on how to bring out their children’s creativity in her seminar Art Mom and Children’s Creativity. There will be seminars hosted by educational specialists who will evaluate children’s artistic potential and creativity and teach parents how to bring out special talents. Parents can participate seminars early in the day and enjoy a nice family outing with their children in the afternoons.

Actors Ha Ji-won and Yu Seung-ho, honorary ambassadors of the Gyeonggi Kids Arts Festival, have played pivotal roles in advertising the event. Yu professes to have been a long-time fan of Anthony Browne, stating “I love his illustrations. It is an honor to be part of this festival, side-by-side my childhood hero.”

This is not Ha’s first time as an advocate for children, and she accepted her role as an honorary ambassador immediately upon receiving the proposal. Both actors will be attending the opening ceremony and other events during the festival.

A government official stated that the event will be different from other Children’s Day events because children will truly be the focus of the entire Kid’s Arts Festival. Children can explore their creativity to their hearts’ content. Hopes are high that the festival will become a reoccurring event and a children’s favorite in the years to come.

Inquiries: Culture & Art Division +82-31-8008-227

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