A developing international partnership: BA Theatre Design students visit Korea National University of the Arts
- Written byAndrea Picazo
- Published date 30 January 2024
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In November 2023, Course Leader for BA (Hons) Theatre Design at Wimbledon College of Arts, Lucy Algar, and 4 BA (Hons) Theatre Design students visited Korea National University of the Arts (K-Arts) in Seoul, South Korea as part of a developing collaborative relationship between the 2 institutions. The visit came a year after K-Arts were welcomed to Wimbledon College of Arts where they participated in workshops and performed an impressive show in the College’s recently re-developed theatre.
Both visits build on a long-running collaborative project between Wimbledon College of Arts and K-Arts, which has been co-led by Lucy and Professor Hyoung-Min Kim from the dance department at K-Arts, giving students from both institutions invaluable experience in an international setting.
As the bustling capital of South Korea, Seoul is home to a rich culture of performance arts and design, and the group were able to visit sites such as Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), a major art and culture hub, the National Gugak Centre, which showcases Korean Traditional Performing Arts, and Gyeongbokgung Palace, which houses Korea’s National Museum.
The visit coincided with performances taking place at K-Arts, giving the Wimbledon students the opportunity to learn about Korean performing arts directly from students and staff at K-Arts. Wimbledon students also had the unique opportunity to sit in on rehearsals for the K-Arts dance shows, and attending the shows themselves was a highlight of the trip.
Speaking about the experience, BA (Hons) Theatre Design student, Jhanae Hutchinson, said “their performances were mesmerising and wonderful to see. I also think it was great to work with some of them prior to their performances because we built an emotional connection with them.”
In addition to watching performances, the group gained first-hand experience of life as a K-Arts student through their stay in a dormitory located on the grounds of the K-Arts campus in Seokgwan-dong.
Formalising links between Wimbledon College of Arts and K-Arts was top of the agenda, with the students and staff exploring the facilities and finalising an exchange agreement for students from BA (Hons) Theatre Design and the Stage Design programme at K-Arts. BA (Hons) Theatre Design Course Leader Lucy Algar met with K-Arts International Co-ordinator Jinim Chung, as well as the head of the stage design department, Professor Yoon Si-joong, and it was agreed that an exchange between the 2 institutions is a natural progression, with incredible benefits.
Speaking about the exchange programme, Lucy says “K-Arts is a dynamic and welcoming university, and I am keen for my students to have the opportunity to undertake exchanges within their stage design department.”
The exchange will allow a small number of BA (Hons) Theatre Design students to spend half of their second year living in Seoul and studying on the stage design programme at K-Arts. Wimbledon College of Arts will, in turn, welcome students from K-Arts for 5 months during the second year of the course.
Dean of Performance Arts and Foundation for Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon Colleges of Arts, Jayne Knowles, says "international partnerships are so important to us. They enable sharing of ideas within specialist disciplines across borders, which benefit our students greatly. The work and commitment that Lucy Algar has demonstrated in developing the collaborative projects between us at Wimbledon College of Arts and K-Arts has been amazing. It was a pleasure to host K-Arts last academic year and see the exciting projects that have evolved since."
As well as the future plans to work with the stage design department, Lucy will continue to work on projects with Hyoung-Min from the K-Arts dance department. She said, “I find their energy and approach to teaching very positive in general and Hyoung-Min Kim and I feel very strongly connected as both educators and creative practitioners.”
The BA (Hons) Theatre Design course at Wimbledon also has a long-standing connection with South Korea through its alumni. Lucy and the 4 students who visited Seoul in November were fortunate to meet with a group of former BA (Hons) Theatre Design students for dinner one evening. They were also joined by Giyong Lee who represented UAL’s Korean Alumni Association.
The opportunity to build connections and networks, both with alumni and students at K-Arts, was highly valued by the Wimbledon students during the visit, with Naina Allencherry stating “it has opened up a network to a group of people that I previously did not have access to, and I would love to collaborate with them in the future. I have a massive interest in Asian cultures as well as dance in particular, and have hopes to experiment in those areas in my future practice.”
The visit to K-Arts was one of a series of short-term international mobility projects run by the International Office for Camberwell, Chelsea and Wimbledon Colleges of Arts. The International Office’s objective is to offer a wider range of international opportunities for students.
Through this partnership with BA (Hons) Theatre Design, K-Arts joins a growing list of international partner institutions for Wimbledon College of Arts.