Gangwon Cultural Foundation Expands 'Artist Support' Including Artists with Disabilities

'Culture Day Silver Mic' Project and Support for Artist Dispatch, etc.

[Asia Economy Reporter Ra Young-cheol] The Gangwon Cultural Foundation under Gangwon Province is expanding and operating support projects for local artists.

The foundation has been selected as the lead organization for the government's '2022 Culture Day 「Silver Mic」' project, which supports voluntary cultural activity participation by senior citizens.

Accordingly, during the weekly 'Culture Day' each month, performances by senior citizen performance teams aged 60 and over with professional expertise will be supported at multi-use facilities and community-based spaces.

This month, they plan to recruit 20 performance teams aged 60 and over active in popular music, Western classical music, Korean traditional music, theater, dance, multidisciplinary arts, and general arts fields.

The selected teams will perform a total of 100 times, with each team performing 5 times from April to November during the 'Culture Day' week across four regions (Chuncheon area, Wonju area, Gangneung area, Donghae area).

From this month, the 'Artist Dispatch Support - Arts for Local Projects 「Jungganjipjeom」' aimed at improving artists' welfare, creative conditions, and artistic collaboration will also be actively operated.

This project aims for regional revitalization by having companies (institutions or villages) directly solve issues or create spaces that harmonize with local residents, as well as transforming organizational culture.

However, forms that simply apply or maintain previously operated projects are excluded.

Through recruitment this month, they plan to operate 4 institutions, 20 artists, and 4 teams of 5 members each, providing monthly activity fees of 1.2 to 1.4 million KRW.

The foundation will also promote the 'Support Project for Cultural and Artistic Activities of Disabled Artists' to activate cultural and artistic creation and enhance cultural basic rights for disabled artists.

Disabled artists residing in the province who have registered their artistic activities with the Korea Artist Welfare Foundation are eligible, and 3 million KRW will be supported per project across all cultural and artistic fields. Overlapping support with foundation projects is not allowed.

Goseong-eun, head of the Cultural Business Division, said, "We will continue to support local artists who devote themselves to creative activities despite poor creative environments and financial conditions, and strive to improve creative conditions."