Come Watch the ‘Cozy Story Bag’ Unfolded by the ‘Story Grandmothers’

The Ministry of Culture Sports and Tourism (Minister Yoo In-chon hereinafter referred to as MCST) in collaboration with the Korean Studies Advancement Center (Director Jeong Jong-seop) will host 28 performances of the Cozy Story Bag across 14 cities nationwide from Saturday October 26 2024 to Saturday January 25 2025. The performances will feature participation from the Beautiful Story Grandmothers*.

Since 2009 this program has dispatched elderly volunteers to preschools and elementary schools to share traditional stories with children supporting social participation of the elderly and promoting intergenerational cultural communication. In 2024 approximately 3100 ‘Story Grandmothers’ were dispatched to around 8300 educational institutions nationwide.
A Fusion Story Play for All Ages with Expanded Venues and Performances

This fusion story play Cozy Story Bag features the ‘Story Grandmothers’ stepping out of the classroom and onto the stage where they narrate inspiring traditional tales and folktales alongside professional performing artists. The performances are designed for the whole family to enjoy and combine traditional stories with various performing arts such as Samulnori (Korean traditional percussion) magic and original musicals. Through this the elderly take center stage children can enjoy traditional stories in a fun and engaging format and opportunities for intergenerational communication are created. After debuting last year the performances received positive feedback from students and parents for seamlessly integrating diverse performing arts.

This year the number of performance venues and shows has significantly increased compared to last year* with a total of 28 performances in 14 cities including Seongnam Incheon Jeonju Chuncheon Andong Changwon Yongin Seoul Gwangju Jeju Daejeon Daegu Sejong and Busan. Additionally new artistic elements such as shadow plays Korean traditional music media art and puppet shows have been incorporated to create a richer and more diverse stage experience.

Last year: 10 performances in 4 cities.
Free Admission for Children Aged 4 and Up and Their Families with Special Souvenirs Provided

Each performance lasts for 60 minutes and showcases three stories over two sessions per day. Admission is free for children aged 4 and up and their families with advance reservations required. Tickets can be reserved through:

‘KakaoTalk Booking’
QR code on the event poster
Pre-booking link (https://bit.ly/도란도란24)
The ‘Beautiful Story Grandmothers’ website (https://storymama.kr)
The ‘Cozy Story Bag’ website (https://kstory.storymama.kr/).
Special souvenirs will also be provided for attendees.

Lee Hae-don Director of the Cultural Policy Division at MCST stated “The ‘Story Grandmothers’ play a crucial role in passing down traditional Korean stories imbued with Korean sentiment to children helping to cultivate their character and promote our cultural heritage. We hope this performance serves as a space where the ‘Story Grandmothers’ and children can connect through culture. MCST will continue to provide support to ensure that our traditional stories can serve as a bridge for cultural communication across generations.”

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