This year’s Kingston Korean Harvest Festival, organised by Korean British Cultural Exchange, forms part of the broader Kingston River Heritage Festival in partnership with Totally Thames. One of the strands of the Harvest Fest is a community dance project, which will be repeated the following day, Sunday 15 September, in the Scoop outside City Hall, near HMS Belfast.
Since 2016, KBCE has organised the Harvest Fest to celebrate major Korean cultural holiday called Chuseok. The Harvest Fest showcases variety of live entertainments created in collaboration between Korean and local people living in the Kingston area for families and children. There are also number of free audience participating programmes such as Kimchi making, paper lantern making and the opportunity to try on traditional Korean costumes that anyone can participate in with their family or friends. The food stalls will also provide mouth watering Korean food to audience to enjoy! More details below:
The highlight of this year’s Kingston Korean Harvest Festival, a part of Totally Thames, is a community dance project the Red Umbrella led by The Move, a professional dance company from South Korea. Choreographer SE Yoon will create a dance programme in collaboration with local dancers, volunteers and audience to perform together on the day.
In addition, following the success of last year, the WIKIM (World Institute of Kimchi) are coming back to demonstrate how to make Vegan Kimchi. This year, Dae An, a Buddhist Chef will demonstrate how to make Temple Kimchi (suitable for vegans and vegetarians).
Residents and visitors will be invited to participate in a free Kimchi making workshop, as well as get an opportunity to take part in craft sessions (Lotus lantern making and spin painting) and trying on traditional Korean costumes as part of the event.
There are various food stalls to sell mouth watering Korean foods and Taekwondo Demonstrations and KPOP Live performances. Furthermore, there are fundraising activities and events to support local causes. Kingston Korea Festival will be a unique and exciting community event and KBCE would like to welcome everyone to take part and experience Korean culture. It is fun, family friendly and free for everyone! It is truly a family oriented community festival for everyone to enjoy.
Schedule
Note that the programme may be subject to change without prior notice.
Ganggangsullae / The Move with volunteers and audience
The Move (Artistic Director SE Yoon)
The Move: Red Umbrella (photo: Arrian Evans)
The MOVE is a performing art company which proceeds by creating a program to guide emotional exchanges with action for aesthetic experience that can be felt by a human body. Through the aesthetic approach towards culture and the humanity-oriented interpretation in life, we aim that the movement of the body will be connected to the catharsis of spectators and the participants. We also attempt to spread the process of aesthetic appreciation of the value of art, insightful life and society through three areas – performance, education & community dance.
Audience Participation events
All programmes are free and no booking is required. Children must be supervised by an adult at all times.
Korean traditional costume trial
Suitable for ages five and above
Did you ever fancy time-travelling back to the ancient Korean society? This is a great opportunity for you to try the Korean traditional dress, Hanbok. Share your picture on Instagram with friends. If your photo is one of the most liked photos during the festival time, you’ll get a prize!
Kimchi making
Suitable for ages eight and above
Learn how to make kimchi here for free! Professional chefs have prepared all the ingredients for you to make authentic kimchi. Please bring a tub to take Kimchi back home to share with your beloved family and friends!
Spin Painting
Suitable for ages five and above
If you find drawing fun but still hard, try this programme out with your friends. Spin art is a great way to get familiar with the colour paints and patterns. Simply pour the paints and spin the wheel. It’s mesmerisingly beautiful – you won’t believe that it’s you who created such art.
Lotus Lantern Making
Suitable for ages five and above
The most popular and representative craft programme of KKF is back! Make a beautiful lantern with Korean patterns here. It is more special because you made it yourself! If you have that lantern by your bed every night, you will feel like you’re in Korea.
Kimchi Exhibition (With WIKIM)
Think you know your kimchi? Not so fast! Experience various types of Kimchi you have never seen before. Free booklets about kimchi are provided at the booth.
Photograph Exhibition
The Malden Camera club has been running a series of workshops on ‘Smartphone Photography’ in the last few months, focusing on composition and editing skills. The participants have shown amazing levels of skills and creativity. The exhibition will display the best pictures entered by workshop participants, with awards to be given out to the best photographs.
This is a part of Kimjang Project which is supported by the National Heritage Lottery Fund
