For its first edition, the “Kingston Welcomes Korea” festival will take place from Thursday 30 July to Saturday 8 August 2015. The KWK team has prepared an impressive range of events from which you can take your pick, or enjoy the whole thing!

 

• Drama and Comedy Performances at the Rose Theatre

 Thursday 30 July 20:00 – 21:30 & Friday 31 July 19:30 – 21:00: In Nam-Soon and Company

With marvelous costumes and elegant choreography, to beautiful music from ancient Korean sources, the director of the Institute of Traditional Korean Culture, In Nam-Soon, performs four works, including the Royal Court Dance and Arirang, to present the joys and sorrows of Korea.

Saturday 1 & Sunday 2 August

• 14:30 – 15:30 (Rose Studio): Brush

A multiple-award-winning production from the Haddangse Company, Brush tells the story of young boy Daesung’s quest for a baby brother through mime, music and drawings.

• 19:30 – 20:45 (Saturday) & 20:00 – 21:15 (Sunday): Ongals in Babbling Comedy

The Perfordian Factory presents comedy mime, juggling, beatboxing and acrobatics in a non-stop performance of sustained slapstick: no words, only laughter. “The Ongals” were hailed at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and received five-star accolades from the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Tuesday 4 & Wednesday 5 August 19:30 – 21:00: The Stem, the Bud, the Bloom and the Seed

A collaborative performance, created for the KWK Festival, between dancer Jason Piper and the composer/music director, Wan Il, who creates fun and intricate Korean music, using traditional Korean instruments. The production is directed by Philip Parr.

Friday 7 & Saturday 8 August 19:30 – 20:45: Alice in Wonderland

A contemporary dance tribute to Lewis Carroll’s classic children’s book, using astonishing projection effects by Media Art, and lyrical dancing, choreographed by Kim Hyo-jin. A father wishes to read “Alice” to his son but has a little quarrel with him, before falling asleep. The father meets Alice in his dreams and enters Wonderland, to find the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat and Queen of Cards, before he is woken up by his son during a surreal game of croquet.

 

• Concerts at All Saints

Saturday 1 August

13:10 – 14:00: Lunchtime Choral Recital

• Choir of the London Korean Catholic Church of London
• Choirmaster: Brian Yoon; Conductor: Maria Kim

19:30 – 21:00: Anglo-Korean Crossover Concert + Gala

• Choir of the Korean Catholic Church of London & London-based ensemble, Sounds Positive;
• Includes world premiers of “Korea Garden” by David Sutton-Anderson (sponsored by the British Korean Society), “Scattered” by Slavko Zagorac and “The Kings’ Stone” by Avril Anderson.

Monday 3 August

13:10 – 14:00: Lunchtime Piano Recital by Shin Yoon-seok, inc.  works by Joseph Haydn & Chin Unsuk

Tuesday 4 August

19:30 – 21:30: Rising Stars of Korea – Grace Yeo (piano) & Marisol Lee (violin)

 Thursday 6 August

19:30 – 21:30: Anglo-Korean Crossover Concert – Kim Hye-lim (taegum), Dennis Lee (changgu), Melanie Henry (saxophone, clarinet) & Sally Mays (piano)

Saturday 8 August

19:30 – 21:30 Independence Day Concert – SANI: traditional Korean music ensemble – In Jieum

• Kim Hee-sun (gayageum), Lee Ji-young (gayageum), Huh Yun-jeong (geomungo),
• Lee Tai-baek (ajaeng), Lee Seok-ju (piri), Kim Seong-a and Im Hyeon-bin (pan’sori).

Ticket prices: Midday recitals – £15 (Full), £10 (concessions). Evening concerts: £25 (Gala invitations, which include a drink and meeting the artists), £15 (full) and £10 (concessions). Concessionary rates for students, senior citizens and those with a Rover card.

 

• Green Debates Session at Guildhall Council Chamber

Presented by Prof James Crabbe (Wolfson College, Oxford) & moderated by Nileema Yesmin.

Tuesday 4 August: One Earth – How Fragile is Our Planet?

• 11:00 – 13:00: Session One
• 14:00 – 16:00: Session Two

Wednesday 5 August: What are the Real Risks?

• 11:00 – 13:00: Session Three – Must We Change Our Lifestyles?
• 14:00 – 16:00: Session Four – What are the Global Odds for success?

Thursday 6 August: What are the Real Risks?

• 11:00 – 13:00: Session Five – Is the solution more spiritual than technical?
• 14:00 – 16:00: Session Six – Is Geo-engineering a whole-earth solution?

 

• A Celebration of Contemporary Korean Art

Rain Doesn’t Fall For Nothing at Kingston College’s Creative Industries Centre (Penny School Gallery)

Using various media, the acclaimed Korean artists, Kim Ha-young, Kim Sang-jin, Lee Sea-hyun, Park Se-jin, and Shin Meek-young will question the problems inherent to the Western perception of reality, based on its classical Enlightenment methods of thought. In contrast, they will offer an interpretation and representation of reality, filtered through their own sensibilities and sense of otherness.

• Preview: Monday, August 3, 2015 (For invited guests*)
• Exhibition Open: Tue 4 – Fri 14 August, 11am – 4pm

August 8 – 31: Korean traditional Wedding and Bridal Room at Kingston Museum

 

Other exciting events to take place include:

• Tuesday 4 & Wednesday 5 August: “Meet the Korean Author” evenings at the New Malden Library;
• Thursday 6 August 18:00: Prof Colette Balmain’s session on Korean culture at the Kingston Library;
• Saturday 8 August:
  • Korean Food Section at Kingston’s International Food Festival;
  • Korean Picnic with performances of the Korean Traditional Performing Arts Foundation’s drummers and dancers;
• Break dancing in the Market Place.

 

So, if you don’t want to miss out on the unique and numerous performances at the Rose Theatre, do not wait to book your tickets at http://www.rosetheatrekingston.org/rose-productions/kingston-welcomes-korea

Date	Morning	Afternoon	Evening
Thursday, July 30			ROSE THEATRE In Nam-Soon and Company 20:00 to 21:30*
Friday, July 31			ROSE THEATRE In Nam-Soon and Company 19:30 to 21:00
Saturday, August 1		ALL SAINTS Korean Catholic Choir, Desorgher and Mays 13:10 to 14:00	ALL SAINTS Korean Catholic Choir Sounds Positive 19:30 to 21:00*
		ROSE THEATRE Haddangse Company “BRUSH” 14:30 to 15:30	ROSE THEATRE Perfordian Factory Ongals 19:30 to 20:45
Sunday, August 2	Ride London	ROSE THEATRE Haddangse Company “BRUSH” 14:30 to 15:30	ROSE THEATRE Perfordian Factory Ongals 20:00 to 21:15
Monday, August 3		ALL SAINTS Yoon-Seok Kim (Piano) 13:10 to 14:00	Penny School Gallery Art Exhibition Private View 19:00
Tuesday, August 4	GUILDHALL Green Debate How Fragile is our Planet? (1) 11:00 to 13:00	GUILDHALL Green Debate How Fragile is our Planet? (2) 14:00 to 16:00	ALL SAINTS Rising Stars Grace Yeo (piano) and Marisol Lee (violin) 19:30 to 21:00
			ROSE THEATRE Stem, the Bud, the Bloom and the Seed Won Il and Jason Piper 19:30 to 21:00*
			Penny School Gallery Art Exhibition
Wednesday, August 5	ROSE THEATRE Upper Foyer/ Gallery UKTI Seminar: “Doing Business in Korea” 08:30 to 13:00	GUILDHALL Green Debate Can we achieve global agreements? 14:00 to 16:00	ROSE THEATRE Stem, the Bud, the Bloom and the Seed Won Il and Jason Piper 19:30 to 21:00
	GUILDHALL Green Debate Can we change our lifestyles? 11:00 to 13:00		Penny School Gallery Art Exhibition
Thursday, August 6	GUILDHALL Green Debate Are the answers more spiritual than scientific? 11:00 to 13:00	GUILDHALL Green Debate. Is Geo-engineering the whole earth solution? 14:00 to 16:00	ALL SAINTS Cross-over Concert Hye-lim Kim, Dennis Lee, Melanie Henry and Sally Mays 19:30 to 21:00
			Penny School Gallery Art Exhibition
			Kingston Library Prof Colette Balmain (on Korean Culture) 18:00
Friday, August 7			ROSE THEATRE Kim Hyo-Jin and YMAP Alice in Wonderland 19:30 to 20:45*
			Penny School Gallery Art Exhibition
			Kingston Museum Korean wedding gifts and costumes New exhibition
Saturday, August 8			ROSE THEATRE Kim Hyo-Jin and YMAP Alice in Wonderland 19:30 to 20:45
			ALL SAINTS SANI, the classical Korean ensemble, In Jieum 19:30 to 21:00*