The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service said March 16 they will begin full-scale operations of “Dream Studio” as a regular program.
To do so, they will accept applications from March 16 to April 15 to select 20 regional hub institutions to run the program nationwide.
Dream Studio is a new project under the “Dream Arts Group,” introduced with a focus on visual arts, following the existing Dream Orchestra, dance troupe and theater troupe programs. After a yearlong pilot, it will shift to a regular program this year and expand nationwide.
The program is designed to help children grow as creators who interpret and express the world. It will be based in artists’ studios or professional workspaces and support visual arts education across media including painting, sculpture, video and artificial intelligence.
Eligible applicants include public institutions and incorporated organizations such as local cultural foundations and cultural facilities that can operate the program over the mid to long term. Applicants must secure a dedicated visual arts space, such as a workshop or studio, though operations may also be linked to private artists’ studios.
The 20 selected hubs will receive continuous national funding of 100 million won through the third year, and up to 50 million won in years four and five, to encourage stable local settlement. From the sixth year, the plan calls for systematic growth support so local governments can operate the program independently.
Separately, the ministry and the agency will run a pilot “Dream Arts Group Plus” program this year to offer broader arts experiences beyond single-discipline instruction. Centered on the Dream Orchestra, it will add new music fields such as Korean traditional music and choir, and expand participation from children and teens to include infants, toddlers and families, aiming to build a more comprehensive arts education environment for future generations.
Applications for 10 operating institutions will be accepted from March 26 to April 23 from public institutions and incorporated organizations nationwide that run children’s and youth orchestras, including Dream Orchestra hubs. Selected institutions will receive about 100 million won each to operate new convergence programs combined with orchestras. More details will be posted March 26 on the agency’s website.
Applications for Dream Studio will be submitted online via e-Nara Help Desk starting March 16. An online briefing for interested institutions and organizations will be held at 2 p.m. March 25. Details are available on the agency’s website.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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