WEBZINE ACC

A Hopeful Green City of May

Children’s Day (May 5) is a joyful holiday for both children and grownups. Both children and grownups must be looking forward to Children’s Day since it is a three-day weekend this year. However, parents may agonize over what they should do for their children during the long weekend. If you have to stay in Gawngju during the holiday, visit the Asia Culture Center (ACC) and enjoy a variety of programs, performances, and exhibitions held from May 5 to 7.

ACC Children & Families Festival HOW FUN has been held on Children's Day every year except during the COVID-19 pandemic. HOW FUN turns nine this year. Last year, HOW FUN was held under the theme of “A Hopeful Green World”. The ACC selected the theme of “Make a Green City Together!” this year and will provide a variety of programs focusing on cities, continuing to raise the awareness of sustainability and environmental issues, following the last year’s theme.

2023 ACC Children and Families Festival
HOW FUN 9

Date

May 5 (Fri) – May 7 (Sun), 2023

Time

10 AM – 6 PM

Place

Asia Plaza, ACC

Admission

Free (booking via the website of the ACC or on-site admission)

Age limit

All ages (varies by program)

Host

Asia Culture Center

Sponsor

Asia Culture Center Foundation

Through Learn about the Cities, Meet the Cities, and Boast the Cities, you can learn about urban architecture, ecology, nature, and culture. Joy Plus, Imagination Plus, and Happiness Plus consist of a wide range of ACC programs, free/paid shows, exhibitions, hands-on programs, and food stalls.

Explore the green city!

Learn about the Cities includes the following nine programs for children’s understanding of eco-friendly cities: An Unexpected City Exploration to travel around Asian cities and their landmarks; Colorful Urban Villages by the picture book writer Yun Jeong-mi; Various Architectural Cities for actualizing imaginary structures with a 3D pen; Urban Kid Farmers Growing with Sprouts that gives you a chance to think about urban ecosystems and recycling; Can the City Become Green Again?; and Creating a City with Leftover Pieces: Come Back, Wild!. Moreover, educational programs such as City of Children’s Human Rights, The Four Civilizations of the World, and Weaving Urban Buildings Stitch by Stitch are offered.

During the Meet the Cities program, you can experience digital drawing and media art through Knock, Knock, Knock, The Adventure Behind the Door: 10 Doors and 10 Hearts linked to the exhibition of Ahn Kyu-chul. You can imagine the ancient city through the quivers found in the ancient tombs in Dongchon-ri, Jangsu, Jeollabuk-do by participating in Make a Quiver of the Three Kingdoms of Korea hosted by the Naju National Research Institute of Cultural Heritage. In addition; you can imagine and make a desirable city through The City Where We Dream Together and Your Own Airborne City; and experience numerous cities and cultures of different countries through A Cultural Trip to Overseas Cities, Yurts in the Great Plains of Central Asia, Asia Stamp City Tour, Meet the Cities with Your Friends, and Pattern Scratches.

Lastly, Boast the Cities consists of programs showing different Asian cities including Gwangju. The Multicultural Society of Singapore prepared by National Gallery Singapore and The Colorful Heritage of Singapore prepared by Children’s Museum Singapore shows the characteristics of Singapore where a variety of races, religions, and cultures coexist even though it is a city state.

This year, HOW FUN 9 is participated in by 16 overseas institutions as well as domestic institutions. In particular, National Gallery Singapore and Children’s Museum Singapore take a direct part in the events in order to provide more beneficial programs for children.

Turkish Calligraphy, HAT Hands-on Experience prepared by İSTANBUL KÜLTÜR MERKEZİ provides a chance to experience Turkish calligraphy (hat) which is unfamiliar to Korean people. Hat is a form of art that draws an image with the lines of letters. It looks like a drawing at a distance and letters at a close distance. To untrained eyes, they may look like drawings rather than letters. Experience the beauty of Turkish through the program.

In addition, you can experience a wide range of content through the following on-site programs: Let’s Go On a Trip to Mongolia, the Green Nation participated in by Mongolia Ulaanbaatar Cultural Promotion Center; The City Tour with Metro Ssing-A; Find the Hidden Heroes of the City; and A Trip to Gwangju with Omaena that gives a chance to learn about Gwangju in depth; The World’s Most Joyful Donation, Donation Bang Bang provided by Child Fund Korea; and Listen to the Books: Meet Ddalgikong provided by Woongjin Think Big.

Joy, imagination, and happiness

HOW FUN 9 provides a variety of performances, exhibitions, and events as well as hands-on programs for children and their families. ACC performances <Eoduksini> and <Banana Flowers Have Blossomed> are performed for three days. Each performance was created on the basis of a Korean and Filipino folktale, respectively. You can book a ticket for <Eoduksini> via the website of the ACC. The ACC also provides seven free performances including <Banana Flowers Have Blossomed>. Visit the website of the ACC for the detailed information of the performance schedule and the theaters.

In addition to the performances, you can enjoy a variety of hands-on programs such as a media photo zones, urban rest area, and city quizzes and the food flea market City Market from 10 AM to 6 PM, from May 5 to 7. During the festival, you can also go to the temporary hands-on exhibition for kids 〈5 Houses and 30 Doors – Imaginative Artist Ahn Kyu-chul〉 or watch the animation movies 〈Moana〉 and 〈Coco〉 at ACC Big Door Cinema. Lastly, you can watch Big Door Concert consisting of New Boys, Adios Audio, and Batoo at ACC Theater Big Door.

The Short-form Video Contest is held during the festival. You can make a special memory with your friends and families by participating in the contest. To participate in the 2nd Short-form Video Contest, you should make a short but impressive video (less than one minute) about HOW FUN. Teams consisting of at least two persons including children, juveniles, friends, and families can participate in the contest. You can submit an application for the contest via the website of the ACC in advance or at the festival. Videos should be submitted by email by the last day of HOW FUN, May 7. A special gift is given to those who submit an application in advance. Entries are evaluated by experts and through the number of YouTube likes. Awards consist of prizes from the Mayor of Gwangju, the Asia Culture Center Foundation President, the Asia Culture Center President, and the Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism.

You can participate in the programs of HOW FUN 9 in different ways depending on each program (pre-application, on-site application). Visit the website of the ACC for the detailed information of the program schedule and contents. Some of the programs requiring pre-application are already full. Hurry before it is too late!

ACC WebsiteVisit the website of the ACC