Gwangju Dong-gu to Hold 13 Neighborhood Resident Participation Festivals Until November

Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, will hold the participatory value festival 'Soso Village Art Festival,' where residents directly participate to transform their villages, in 13 neighborhoods within the district until November.

Dong-gu formed a village art festival planning team centered on the resident autonomy committees of the 13 neighborhoods from early this year to develop the existing residents' general meetings into a festival and communication opportunity with more resident participation. With expert consulting, they planned and supported festival programs that actively utilize each village's unique resources and village brand. The first to launch this harmonious event with residents was Sansu 1-dong.

On the afternoon of the 8th, the 'Sansu 1-dong Atta Village Residents' General Meeting and Village Art Festival' was held at Sansu Cultural Square under the theme 'Recording People, Village, and Memories.' The most eye-catching event was the 'Atta Gallery Exhibition,' which involved all students of Sansu Elementary School. About 200 works, clearly showing traces drawn by little hands, offered special dreams and memories to the village residents.

The Go competition for seniors and the 'Atta Village Life Song Contest,' which contained stories of songs that became life’s anthems, also received enthusiastic responses. Some participants shed tears while singing songs that soothed their pain through life's ups and downs. Joo Sun-ja, who passionately sang trot singer Kim Yong-im's 'Yeoldoojul,' received high scores with her melodious voice and won first place.

In particular, the Sansu 1-dong Village Art Festival created a synergy effect by bringing together resident autonomy committees, neighborhood leaders, the volunteer crime prevention squad, the Baruge Salgi Council, and other self-governing organizations and residents. Kim Seung-do, chairman of the resident autonomy committee, said, "It is meaningful that Sansu 1-dong is the first to start this year’s village art festival along with the residents' general meeting," adding, "I hope the village art festival, which allows communication with residents and sharing of village issues, will be successfully completed in all neighborhoods."

The schedule for the village art festivals by neighborhood is as follows: Sansu 1-dong on the 8th and Hak-dong on the 12th, followed by Jiwon 1-dong (Nam Elementary School auditorium) on the 29th of this month, Jisan 1-dong (Salesio Girls' High School auditorium) on September 8th, Hakun-dong (around Unlim Middle School) on September 21st, Chungjang-dong (Chungjang 22) on September 28th, Sansu 2-dong (Yulgok Elementary School) and Jiwon 2-dong (Namgye Children's Park parking lot) on October 19th, Gyerim 2-dong (Gyerim Elementary School) and Jisan 2-dong (Dongsan Elementary School) on October 26th, Gyerim 1-dong (around Masil-gil) on October 31st, Seonam-dong (around Seoseok Elementary School) on November 2nd, and Dongmyeong-dong (Dongmyeong-dong 2nd public parking lot) on November 9th.

Im Taek, mayor of Dong-gu, said, "The ‘Soso Village Art Festival’ created by the residents themselves will be a golden opportunity to share the stories of the village and get closer to neighbors," adding, "I warmly invite all residents to the village art festival, filled with the scent of people, where we communicate together until November and promote coexistence and development of the village."