The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is launching its latest initiative to bring the arts to the country’s most remote areas. The project is geared toward educating children and the elderly living in non-metropolitan areas where access to museums, theaters and concert halls are not readily available.

The Ministry has organized several programs to provide the public with more opportunities to get involved in the world of art and culture, including the “Moving Arts Bus,” “Visiting Arts Education,” “Exciting Arts Trip” and the “Spreading Talent Bus.”

“We think it is important to give people an opportunity to experience and learn about the art world no matter their geographic location,” said Kim Tae-hoon of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The mobile arts programs are, in part, modeled after the “The Arts Bus Project” in the U.S. and the “Arts Bus” in Hong Kong, where buses are driven to remote areas in order to reach out to children who are unable to experience many cultural or arts performances and events.

In February, Korea’s “Moving Arts Bus,” operated by the Culture Ministry’s Korea Arts and Culture Education program, went on a one-day trial where elementary school kids went on board to try out all that the bus had to offer. After five months of adjusting and making improvements following the initial trial, the buses are scheduled to make their inaugural launch in August and run to December.

The “Moving Arts Bus” mobile arts program will include three large buses with state-of-the-art digital facilities including a big-screen TV with a variety of educational programs as well as many organized hands-on activities for children. A lecturer will be aboard the bus to educate and inspire young kids to be active in the arts.

The three buses are scheduled to make stops throughout the country with varying themes of media, art, music and culture.

Other art-spreading programs organized by the ministry include hosting visiting performances, exhibitions and education programs focusing on literature, visual arts, theater and dance, as well as organizing cultural events where people are given the opportunity to view works of contemporary artists and participate in hands-on arts education.

By Julie Jackson (juliejackson@heraldcorp.com)