In partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Korea and the Korean Foundation for International Cultural Exchange (KOFICE), the Chuncheon Puppet Festival trained cultural experts from across the globe through the Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI) on developing "Capacity Building for Citizen-Led Festival Programs."
Participants of the CPI 2024 training – Developing citizen-led festival programs (Image Credits– Gunjan Joshi)
Official Poster of the 36th Chuncheon Puppet Festival 2024, (Image Credits – Chuncheon Puppet Festival)
This program spanning from 22nd July 2024 till 6th September 2024, included three weeks of on-site and two weeks of online training, uniting 11 experts from 8 countries: India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Peru, and Nigeria and Argentina. The focus was on working with communities to curate diverse festivals, enhance branding and marketing, foster citizen involvement, and navigating challenges using innovative technology. Throughout the training, we engaged in diverse interactive and fun practical sessions, enriching our experience even further.
Participants of the Citizen-Led Festival Programs at the Final CPI day 2024 (Image Credits - Gunjan Joshi)
About the Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI)
The Cultural Partnership Initiative (CPI), backed by KOFICE, aims to use Korea's cultural industry experience to promote social growth in partner countries. Since 2005, it has brought over 1,400 experts from 105 countries to Korea for training, aligning with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
CPI focuses on three goals: enhancing cultural expertise, supporting cultural projects, and fostering cooperation between Korea and partner nations. Each year, KOFICE customizes training programs to address specific needs, offering support from project planning to implementation.
Under the four courses for training offered to cultural experts across the globe, I was happy to represent India for the training: ‘Capacity Building for Developing Citizen-Led Festival’ Program organized by the Chuncheon Puppet festival.
The Participants of all the CPI 2024 training programmes at the Final CPI day. (Image Credits - Gunjan Joshi)
Highlights of the Training at the Chuncheon Puppet Festival
The Chuncheon Puppet festival Building (Image credits - Gunjan Joshi)
The training commenced with an enriching orientation that helped participants refine their project ideas through concept papers. Led by Mr. Lee Jaewon, the Artistic Director and Festival Director, mentoring sessions emphasized the importance of networking and human relations in festival planning. He emphasized maintaining flexibility and provided valuable templates that trainees could use in their group projects and concept papers.
Ms. Joshi presenting her concept papers during the orientation session.
Mr. Lee Jaewon, Artistic Director & Festival Director conducting the mentoring sessions (Image Credits: Gunjan Joshi)
During the mentoring sessions, we explored domestic case studies, gaining practical insights into successful festival management. Additionally, we learned the significance of centering community narratives in festival design, inspired by successful events of Korea, like the earlier editions of the Chuncheon puppet festival, the Wonju Dancing Carnival, the Royal Culture Festival and the Jeongseon Arirang Festival to name a few.
The field visits to local culinary spaces, notable tourist spots and traditional literature village enriched our appreciation for Korean culture.
Participants during a field visit to relish Korean food (Image credits – Gunjan Joshi)
Participants with Mr. Lee after their mentoring session (Image Credits – Gunjan Joshi)
On-site training included participation in the 36th Chuncheon Puppetry Festival, where we experienced the parade, watched puppet shows, connected with artists, visited the art market, and attended the international forums. This immersion allowed us to network with local arts and culture organizations and create an environment where trainees could experience the festival program process led by local citizens. Planning and consulting sessions by experts such as Mr. Seon Wookhun, the Artistic Director of the festival provided invaluable insights. Another notable special lecture was with Mr. Soonsuk, CEO of Cultural Consulting Bara, who introduced the participants with the use of art in community narratives through various case studies.
Special lecture with Mr. Seon Wookhun, the Artistic Director of the festival provided invaluable insights.
(Image Credits - Gunjan Joshi)
Mr. Soonsuk, CEO of Cultural Consulting Bara, who introduced the participants with the use of art in community narratives through various case studies. (Image Credits- Gunjan Joshi)
Another engaging lecture featured Ms. Choi Soohyun from the Chuncheon Cultural Foundation, who spoke about Chuncheon's aspirations to gain recognition as a cultural city. Her insights into human management, branding, and community involvement deepened our understanding of the cultural landscape. As the program progressed, we delved deeper into cultural festivals, with sessions focused on innovative approaches to blend the traditional elements with modern storytelling and technological advancements. One-on-one mentoring provided valuable feedback for refining our group project concepts to better align with community needs.
Session with Ms. Choi Soohyun at the Chuncheon Cultural Foundation. (Image Credits - Gunjan Joshi)
Scene from a performance and community engagement during the festival, (Image Credits - Gunjan Joshi)
The key highlight was participating in the largest street puppet parade, which illustrated how festivals can foster community spirit. We also created our own puppets under the guidance of Kim Soomin, the CEO of a puppet theatre company, emphasizing citizen engagement in festival activities. Our journey culminated with us attending the vibrant 36th Chuncheon Puppet Festival, where performances and community interactions showcased the unifying power of cultural festivals. Networking opportunities with local arts organizations further highlighted the importance of collaboration in enhancing festival initiatives.
The participants created their own puppets under the guidance of and Kim Soomin, the CEO of a puppet theatre company, to take part in the street parade of the festival (Image credits - Gunjan Joshi)
The participants enjoying a street festival organized for the elder members of the community neighbourhood.
(Image Credits– Gunjan Joshi)
Through this training, we learned to curate diverse festivals, engage communities, and master branding and marketing strategies. The CPI training program was not just educational, it was transformative. It deepened our appreciation for the role of festivals in cultural exchange and community bonding. I look forward to carry ahead the mission of CPI and proudly represent our community as an alumna, inspiring and connecting with future batches.
Reflecting on my experience representing India, I feel an immense sense of gratitude for the friendships formed and the insights gained along the way.
A sincere "Kamsahamnida" (감사합니다) to all who played a part in making this journey so memorable!
The beautiful city of Chuncheon that hosted the participants for 3 weeks, surely left a lasting impression on them.
(Image Credits– Gunjan Joshi)
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Ms. Gunjan Joshi represented India as a Cultural Expert for the CPI 2024 – ‘Capacity Building for Citizen-Led Festival Programs’, organized by Chuncheon Puppet festival.
She is an Independent Cultural Heritage Professional (ICH Expert) and an UNESCO ICH facilitator from India. Addionally, She's an ICH Consultant for Culture Masters and an International Reporter for the Arirang Culture Connect.
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