Sejong Center for the Performing Arts 'Walking Together with Art' Benefits 40,000 Citizens Over 7 Years

Social Contribution Program for Underprivileged Groups
Visits to Medical Staff, Police Officers, Firefighters, Welfare Facilities, Jjokbangchon, Orphanages, and Special Schools for the Disabled

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts' social contribution program "Art Together" is gaining great popularity among citizens and is progressing smoothly. Art Together is a program where artists from the Sejong Center's affiliated arts groups directly visit socially disadvantaged groups or culturally marginalized communities who find it difficult to attend performances. The program has been in operation since 2016.

According to the Sejong Center on the 7th, now in its 7th year, Art Together has held over 170 performances and reached more than 40,000 citizens directly. During the severe COVID-19 period, the program continued its activities by reaching citizens through non-face-to-face (video) performances. It conducts 25 to 30 visiting performances annually.

Although Art Together, which has been operating since 2016, slowed down temporarily due to COVID-19, it has regained momentum and is collaborating with 25 autonomous districts of Seoul this year as well. The program visits welfare centers, homeless support organizations, jjokbangchon (small room villages), orphanages, special schools for the disabled, hospitals, and more, with a total of 30 scheduled performances.

The cultural blind spots that Art Together visits are not limited to economically marginalized groups. It also targets medical personnel, police officers, and firefighters who find it difficult to attend performances due to the nature of their jobs requiring them to work day and night for the safety of our families, neighbors, and citizens. Art Together actively identifies citizens who have difficulty enjoying cultural benefits due to economic or environmental factors and visits them directly on site.

Ahn Ho-sang, president of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, said, "The Sejong Center will always contemplate and strive to ensure that art takes root in the lives of Seoul citizens." He added, "Especially, the experience of communicating through art very close to citizens gives vitality and inspiration to artists and provides comfort and great emotion to citizens, so we plan to carry out our activities more actively."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.