‘Gurip Songpa Theater Company’ Founded

Artistic Director Kim Jeonghan and 29 Members to Perform First Show in December... Seo Gangseok, District Mayor, Says "We Will Create a Songpa Where Everyone Enjoys Culture and Arts"

Residents of Songpa-gu, ranging from high school and college students to teachers, housewives, office workers, and senior models, gathered in one place with a shared passion for the theater stage.

They are the citizens selected as founding members of the 'Songpa-gu Municipal Theater Troupe,' launched by Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok).

The district held an inauguration ceremony on the 30th at the district office auditorium to announce the start of the troupe's activities.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, explained the background, saying, "In the play 'Managers' held in February this year, a resident experienced theater for the first time and said it was very enjoyable. We established the municipal theater troupe to offer residents opportunities to enjoy a new genre of cultural arts."

The Songpa-gu Municipal Theater Troupe is a resident-centered, participatory group. Except for Artistic Director Kim Jeong-han and one senior member who is a former actor, all 28 members are residents. The age range is diverse, from 16-year-old high school students to 73-year-old seniors. They earned the chance to participate by overcoming a 4-to-1 competition ratio among 103 applicants.

Member Kim Seung-ho (62) said, "Although my profession is a judicial scrivener, I have always been interested in theater and dreamed of stepping onto the stage someday if given the chance. I feel great pride as a citizen to become a founding member. I will work hard to make this the best troupe."

Going forward, the troupe will hold regular rehearsals twice a week to build professionalism and stage their inaugural performance in December. They also plan to regularly organize performances to provide theater viewing opportunities for culturally marginalized groups and focus on discovering talent through participation in competitions.

Artistic Director Kim Jeong-han stated, "Although they are not skilled professionals, the residents gathered here have exceptional passion and interest in culture and the arts, showing great potential. We aim to create specialized performing arts content and establish ourselves as Songpa-gu’s representative arts organization."

With the founding of the troupe, Songpa-gu now operates the largest number of municipal cultural and arts organizations among Seoul’s autonomous districts. In addition to the existing ▲Choir ▲Silver Choir ▲Silver Orchestra ▲Symphony Orchestra ▲Folk Arts Group ▲Youth Symphony Orchestra ▲Boys and Girls Choir, there are now a total of eight groups.

Through these groups, the district plans to invigorate residents' lives with various performances and programs, enriching the city through the power of culture and arts.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, "With the establishment of the Songpa-gu Municipal Theater Troupe, Songpa-gu, which advocates itself as a 'city where culture and arts breathe,' now has the most cultural and arts organizations. We will continue to promote diverse cultural and arts projects to create a city where culture and arts flow through residents' lives and where everyone can enjoy culture, making it a vibrant city to live in."