There’s something for everyone in the upcoming celebration of Kingston’s Korean community. Congratulations to the organisers for assembling such a varied programme of events. Full details at www.kingstonwelcomeskorea.org.
No borough in Britain, royal or otherwise, has thrown a party to welcome friends from the other side of the world whom the tides of history have brought to our shores. We have the largest Korean community in Europe, 10% of our Kingston population. We want to celebrate that fact.
Kingston Welcomes Korea is a party with a purpose. We are combining an arts festival with a trade fair. Four brilliant Korean dance and comedy companies will be visiting the Rose Theatre from Seoul. There will be Anglo-Korean concerts and recitals at All Saints Parish Church and an exhibition from the new generation of outstanding Korean artists at the Creative Industries Centre. At Jangmadang, the Korean word for market place, there will be the ideal networking centre for British companies that want to trade with Korea and Korean companies that want to trade with Britain. There will be designs and models for a new Royal garden for the Coronation Stone, a Green Debate with leading speakers at the Guildhall, a Korean picnic, breakdancing, and many more events.
The festival runs from 30 July to 8 August. A summary of the progarmme of events can be found below. For up-to-date information visit www.kingstonwelcomeskorea.org.