Korean arts organisations have set up carefully designed programmes of study and cultural interchange projects in order to preserve Korean customs overseas. Observations of factors that influence adjustments of the original art forms, such as displace...
Korean arts organisations have set up carefully designed programmes of study and cultural interchange projects in order to preserve Korean customs overseas. Observations of factors that influence adjustments of the original art forms, such as displacement and resettlement will be made. A key objective is to maintain original styles and to prevent modification of traditional practises by supplying expertise and guidance. Korean artists are dispatched to participating countries on a voluntary basis in order to teach traditional Korean arts. Students from the CIS are then invited to Korea, to undertake professional training, where they have access to literature, media, materials, equipment and high quality teaching from skilled artists. Students whose ancestors were displaced in the 1930s are often restricted by their economic situation. Seasonal working patterns have been identifi- ed. The winter season, when unemployment is at its highest, presents an opportunity to recruit for overseas projects without halting the participant’s potential income.
Currently only dance and music are presented to potential partakers in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan and Russian. In order to make projects accessible to a wider audience, there needs to be more variety in the art forms offered. There is potential to include many other nations in the CIS and to raise the profile of Korean traditional arts in the region.
The implementation and outcome of projects has not been recorded. The absence of any data, depicting the success of such ventures hinders analysis, which could lead to improvements. An effective, consistent system of documentation needs to be introduced. In order to fairly assess the effectiveness of cultural interchange projects in retaining true traditions and promoting ethnic culture, projects need to be ongoing and analysed over a longer period of time.
President Lee Myung Bak agenda for supporting ethnic Koreans in the Commonwealth of Independent States. The Korean president aims to improve the quality of life of those with Korean ancestry in the region, many of whom are descendants of ethnic minorities who were forcibly transferred from Russia during the 1930s. This report sets out to present an accessible way to support Lee Myung Bak’s objective. By making international connections through the arts, we can begin to build bridges and forge the way for further collaborative projects between Korea and the CIS.