Gwangju University Operates Cultural Arts Education Program for People with Disabilities

Gwangju University is gaining attention for its cultural and artistic education program for people with disabilities, planned and operated as a collaborative project with Gwangju Metropolitan City and the Gwangju Talent Lifelong Education Promotion Foundation.

Starting in November, this project, under the theme "Free Me Through Dance," is led by Professor Jinyoung Park (Department of Youth Counseling and Lifelong Education), who is responsible for conducting a total of 10 sessions of cultural and artistic education based on dance-oriented theater and photography until December.

Professor Jinyoung Park has previously promoted memorandums of understanding with 10 local cultural and artistic institutions, including five autonomous districts of Gwangju Metropolitan City, to revitalize cultural and artistic education in Gwangju since 2021. As part of these collaborative cultural and artistic education projects, he planned and operated the "Dreaming Youth City La La Land" program for young people under the Gwangju Cultural Foundation in 2021, and in September 2022, the "Expressing Myself Through Culture and Arts" program for seniors aged 60 and above under the Gwangsan District Office.

Additionally, to promote welfare for people with disabilities and support lifelong education, on October 6, 2022, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the Gwangju Talent Lifelong Education Promotion Foundation, the Gwangju Metropolitan City Comprehensive Support Center for the Disabled, and the Gwangju Disabled Culture Association. As a follow-up cooperative project, the program developed through the "2022 Gwangju Metropolitan City Cultural and Artistic Education Research for People with Disabilities" is now being implemented as an operational project.

Professor Jinyoung Park stated, "At this time when the university's role in regional lifelong education is strongly demanded, I will actively strive to create a cultural and artistic city of Gwangju by developing and operating diverse cultural and artistic education models tailored to different groups, including people with disabilities, together with graduates of Gwangju University's Lifelong Education major."