Whether you're students hitting the books or emergency rescuers constantly on standby,
it's not easy to make time for some cultural activities, be it visiting the opera halls
or theaters.
What if the performers visit your neck of the woods instead?
Lee Ji-won shows us how they deliver... closer to your doorsteps.
(standup) "Here at Hamtae elementary school, in Taebaek
city on the eastern side of the country, there is a very special opera class held for the
day.
Let's go find out."
A team of opera performers has come to this school with an interactive show to give students
a sneak peek of the grand world of opera.
(SOV) Opera is what you get when you mix beautiful
music and a fun story.
With different characters dressed in costumes to tell the story, and quizzes to intrigue
the students and get them to actively participate, the team is able to not only bring opera closer
to its young audience, but also make it a lot of fun.
(Korean) "I was disappointed because I was waiting
for more characters to come out and sing.
The singers' voices were cool so I had a lot of fun."
(Korean) "I wanted to see more but it ended so soon.
I want to go see an opera at a real theater next time."
This opera team is one of the many across the country that take their show to the people,
performing at community centers, schools and workplaces.
Some audiences can't travel to theaters or opera halls themselves, as they're either
too busy, live in remote areas, or just haven't thought about going to a theater, so these
teams are taking culture to them.
So since 2010, the Korea National Opera has been bringing the stage to the audiences.
(Korean) "It's not easy for students in remote areas
to go and enjoy the opera.
So, we thought of visiting the schools ourselves,... and the students seem to really enjoy these
classes because it turns their ordinary classroom into a stage.
We hope our efforts bring students closer to opera.
"
But it's not just these remote schools that get to enjoy performances in their classrooms.
At Seoul Topsan Elementary School, in the west of the city,...
performers play traditional Korean instruments to entertain the students.
Students get to appreciate the unique sounds of the janggu, a Korean drum, and the haegeum,
a string instrument, combining to make Korea's traditional folk music, gugak.
(Korean) "Many students still find gugak difficult
and boring.
So through this class, we hope to show them how fun and easy these instruments are to
play."
(SOV) What do you think this is?
Take a guess
With quizzes and hands-on activities, the students also get to learn the different parts
of the instruments and how they work.
(Korean) "Young students like myself, only enjoy listening
to K-pop.
But learning about gugak made me realize how nice our traditional music is.
I think the class helped me find new interest in this genre."
(Korean) "Having these classes in regular school hours,
and not as afterschool clubs, show that gugak is just as important as English or Math.
We hope students realize that gugak is part of our country's precious culture that must
be learned."
And these on-the-road performances are not just for students, but for busy adults as
well,… including firefighters.
A symphony of saxophones filled the Bundang Fire Station, south of Seoul,.. as the Gyeonggi
Arts Center hosted its "Culture Therapy Concert" for the fire fighters last week.
The saxophone quartet played a mix of classics and Korean folk songs to help the firefighters
relax for a moment and give them a well-earned break.
(Korean) "Many of those working in small and medium
enterprises, and civil servants like the firefighters don't have much free time after work,... especially
to enjoy cultural events.
They can be seen as being deprived of culture.
So, we thought to give them this kind of therapy,… to give them a boost in their everyday life."
While many fire fighters, still stiff from stress and not used to this kind of relaxing
morning,... are too shy to actively participate,... their enjoyment could be seen in their faces.
(Korean) "Yesterday was a tough day because there were
a lot of emergencies.
But it's really nice to be enjoying this performance this morning.
I feel healed and very comfortable.
I hope there are more of these performances held, not just in our station, but in other
departments as well, so that we can reduce our stress levels and stay mentally healthy."
Though organized by different institutions, these performing groups share the same goal--
to enrich the lives of people by bringing music and culture to them.
Lee Ji-won, Arirang News.