[Asia Economy Reporter Yuri Kim] The Paradise Welfare Foundation announced that it will hold the metaverse festival for disabled youth, the '11th Aisori Festival,' from the 1st to the 3rd.
The Aisori Festival, hosted by the Paradise Welfare Foundation and organized by Kaywon University of Art and Design, is the first event in Korea to combine a university festival with opportunities for cultural and artistic experiences for disabled youth. It is supported by Paradise Group and sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Education.
Now in its 11th year, the Aisori Festival is held online under the theme "Play Ontact," utilizing the metaverse game Minecraft. Approximately 700 participants, including 600 disabled youth who applied from the Seoul metropolitan area and Busan, students from Kaywon University of Art and Design, and volunteer employees of Paradise Group, are expected to join.
For this event, Kaywon Play World, the campus of Kaywon University of Art and Design, and Aisori Dream World were implemented as metaverse spaces. In each space, participants can enjoy various attractions such as jump towers, mazes, and boat riders, as well as watch performances including a K-pop DJing show and the Aisori Ensemble, the world's first cochlear implant choir for hearing-impaired children.
Participants are provided with craft kits to make items such as leather pencil cases, paper toys, and cubes applying universal design. They can also enjoy games like treasure hunts and "Mugunghwa Flower Has Bloomed" in real time with the virtual character "Letty."
Choi Yoon-jung, director of the Paradise Welfare Foundation, said, "This year's event is significant in creating a festival space where disabled youth can experience and participate in a metaverse environment," adding, "We will continue to develop projects so that disabled youth can experience various cultural arts in line with the new normal era."
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