Korean Fairy tales enchanted Indian students

Korean Cultural Centre India visited NGO School in Bihar with Storytelling program

Gaya, July 2017: A storytelling program organised by Korean Cultural Centre met students of Sujata Academy, an NGO school for underprivileged outcastes in Dhungeshwari, Bihar on 13^th July. The performance made in collaboration with ASSITEJ (International Association of Theatre for Children) India consists of three fairy tales from Korea, ‘Mr. Moon and Miss Sun’, ‘Faithful Daughter Sim Cheong’ and ‘The Woodcutter and Heavenly Maiden’, which has been introduced to 10,263 Indian students since 2015. It was the first time to bring the production to outside of Delhi NCR.

Sujata Academy, built in 1994 by JTS(Join Together Society), Korean NGO organisation,  held this event with 830 students from UKG to 8^th grade who are studying in the school while fully supported for lunch, shoes and uniforms.

The stories brought messages of didactic morality and filial duty while enchanting children with depictions of heaven, dragon king and tiger. Three professional artists of ASSITEJ India enthusiastically delivered the tales to students with various themed costumes.

“It may be a life time experience for children living in this culturally disadvantaged area”, said Shabi, General Manager of JTS India,  as sharing feedbacks for the performance. Principal of Sujata Academy Miss Priyanka told the artists that the children were swept away by the mesmerizing performance and they would like to have storytelling workshop where students can learn and get to know more about Korea.

Korean Cultural Centre India in New Delhi has been running a partnership program with Indian schools to introduce Korea and Korean culture through diverse programs since 2013. Mr Kim Kum-pyoung, director of Korean Cultural Centre India, accentuated the role of the centre as a cultural bridge between India and Korea that should reach to the minorities of society.

Korean Cultural Centre – Indian School Partnership Program

The School program is a special project for students in India to introduce Korea and Korean culture through diverse programs since 2013. The program is divided into annual and special program.

Annual Programs: ‘Korean Cultural Centre Tour’, ‘Korean Cultural Workshop’, ‘Korean Cultural Classes at Schools’

Special Programs: ‘Korean Cultural Bookshelf <Window on Korea>’, ‘Korean Performing Arts at Schools’, ‘Korean Fairy Tale Storytelling Tour’, ‘Indo-Korean School Exchange Program’’

Sujata Academy and JTS India

Join together society (JTS) is an international relief organization for famine, disease, and illiteracy. The headquarters of JTS is in South Korea with overseas branches in India, Philippines, and Sri Lanka. In 1993, when Ven. Pomnyun made a pilgrimage to The Shadow Cave in Prak Bodi Hill, Dhungeswari,  he encountered many village children begging.  Ven. Pomnyun looked around the area and found that although there were 16 villages around Prak Bodi Hill, there were no schools, not even a kindergarten. With the land donated by 10 villagers in Drugapur, he started Sujata Academy in 1994. The focus of Sujata Academy is that of elementary learning. If one does not know how to read, write, or count, he or she may suffer from many disadvantages in daily life. Therefore, the goal of Sujata Academy is basic education. In the school, children learn how to read and write in their mother language, and how to calculate basic numbers.