Clik | Edition 10 | July 2021.
Clik | Edition 10 | July 2021.
Presented in association with
Hyunjang Theater Company
with support from
Our focus has been to present exceptional performances from Korea across a South India circuit - at Children's Festivals such as the Little Festival in Chennai, the Aha! Festival in Bengaluru and with the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Korea in Hyderabad and Guntur - with an aim to connect meaningfully with a large network of school children, their parents and teachers. All our productions aimed to focus on what was unique in Korean theatre, to examine how traditional technique and training continue to have contemporary relevance and to present messages that were universal and timeless.
While presenting interesting and innovative examples of Children's theatre productions from Korea, we look out for opportunities to research and develop new, vibrant Indo-Korean collaborative theatre productions for children.
We are delighted this year to virtually present Junk Clown by Hyunjang Theater Company to continue to share the magic of theatre, specially created for children! The production was all set to tour India on our Children’s Festival circuit but the exigencies of the present moment has meant that the performance will now be presented and viewed virtually.
Most people exist due to their social roles or needs for existence of others and groups. However, I think people still have their own existential values. In my opinion, understanding how precious we and others are and sharing empathy through understanding, those values are most important in our lives. Junk Clown is a play illustrating those values, even though it is not a participatory play. Through the show, I hope the audience, including children and adults, become happy, share their affection and a common love for humanity.
Hyunjang Theater Company was founded in 1974. The company has been officially approved by the Korean government as an Arts corporation. The company is a professional theater company, with 43 corporation members and ten full-time actors. The company has won a Presidential prize in Korea Theater and is a 4-time winner of the Minister prize from of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Republic of Korea. Since 2000, the company has produced plays for children who they believe will be future artists and audience members. The Company has various repertoires, including mime plays, plays with text and musical plays. The Company has taken part in cultural and art education programmes and the production of community festivals of culture and art.
Actors of Hyunjang Theater Company try to bring experiences of daily life to the stage. Conversely, they work hard to take what they have realized on stage to people, to integrate the lessons learnt or insights gained with their lives. Through this process, they attempt to understand the circle of life. This is the understanding that they aim to communicate with their audience by constantly exploring concepts and themes expressed through various forms of play.
Premieres on www.inkocentre.org/Virtual_Connect_Infotainment.html at 6.00 p.m. IST on Friday, 16 July 2021 and will be available for viewing until Sunday, 25 July 2021.
From ancient times, people in Korea, as indeed in India, have maintained a belief that food and medicine have the same origin and hence perform the same function, following the adage that ‘food is the best medicine’.
With harvests from lush green rice paddy fields, sun-drenched tangerine orchards, and mountain valley chili pepper farms, Korean food exudes freshness. It delights the senses, invigorates the palate and has proven immuno-boosting qualities.
Episode 1 on Annyeong Station’s K-factor platform is an opportunity to interact, learn, share, in an informal setting. Moderated by our Korean language student, Shwetaa, this episode will include interactions with invited guests and a demonstration to make the popular Korean dish, Japchae.
Tune in to www.inkocentre.org/Virtual_Connect_Infotainment.html on Thursday, 22 July 2021 at 6.00 p.m. IST.
In the words of the artist, Myoung Nam Kim:
I mainly work with hanji and with Korean ink. For my exhibition Writing in white, I made traces and perforations with tools and sewed together the different parts with white thread.
To me, Hanji represents the Earth and the hardiness, sensitivity and subtle thinking of one’s spirit. This translucent paper symbolises meekness with the power to uplift!
With Korean ink, I can paint my interior scenery which naturally comes out of my memories. I tell my story in this way in my "Writing in white" artworks. Then, my brush full of ink dances on Hanji, producing rhythm, harmony and nuance. The Ink shades that are like the Earth and the white and translucent Hanji paper, which is like the huge misty skies are the language of my poetic landscapes that invite spectators to enter into a dialogue with the drawing and the words.
Hanji and Korean ink are my roots and thanks to this firm grounding, I am stand upright and stay upbeat, always!
After being diagnosed with glaucoma, I stopped painting with colours. However, I often strongly feel like painting the way I did in the past! I find that I need to go back to the times when I draw with Korean ink, a practice that I have fondly nurtured since childhood when I learnt Korean and Chinese calligraphy and Sumukhwa or Ink wash painting that uses black ink and monochromatic tones with great emphasis on virtuoso brushwork to convey the perceived "spirit" or "essence" of a subject.
My exhibition Writing in white, does not need a lot of explanation because my language is similar to a daily bout of silent contemplation. What can I explain? I hope that, when looking at my works, and even as I cannot really reproduce the sounds I heard when working, one can "read" these words and feel these sounds.
On the other hand, the variable lights lead to many different feelings but, if there is empathy and communication, nothing more can be desired. These works of paper too will one day return to Nature...
Clik on at www.inkocentre.org/Virtual_Connect_Cultural_Collaborations.html 6.00 p.m. IST on Wednesday, 28 July 2021 to view this exhibition at Prism, InKo Centre's virtual gallery.