Q&A with the CPI Secretariat
CPI will be carried out with upgraded goals and different programs from this year.
Let's hear from the Secretariat how the CPI has changed and what is happening.
Q1. Could you describe this year’s CPI program?
There are going to be many changes in the CPI this year. Previously, we focused on exchanges between cultural professionals from the around world and Korea. we supported them to create collaborative art works, to carry out research, and to strengthen their artistic capabilities by interacting with each other more than 4 months.
Starting this year, we are going to focus more on providing not only interacting experience but also professional training to cultural professionals who has strong will to contribute to solving social problems and increasing public interests. CPI Participants will be able to participate in training sessions such as designing a cultural project, developing a action plan, and competence empowerment.
Q2. Why did you change the program’s direction?
Most CPI participants are concerned with how they can contribute to the growth of their society and culture. In fact, after the training, participants return to their countries and voluntarily carry out follow-up projects such as expanding the base of artists activities, conducting art lessons for public, and cultural research. We aim to support participants' follow-up activities so that they do not end up as individual activities but expand into highly influential social and public contribution projects.
CPI secretariat hopes many cultural professionals are interested in new CPI program if they want to find a way as a responsible and social-minded experts.
Q3. What has been the most rewarding moment for you?
We recently held a ‘CPI Achievement Contest’ for about 1,200 existing participants. The contest aimed to discover participants who are engaged in cultural project of the public interest in their country by utilizing their knowledge and experience and to stimulate their activity. We received a lot more applications than we expected, and we could feel the passion and responsibility of the applicants as artists in all those reports.
In particular, several notable cases such as taekwondo classes for refugees (Uganda), dance classes for the socially disadvantaged (Madagascar), and opening the course for tourism resource development (Pakistan) made us feel how much culture and arts could contribute to healing and caring for the community, and help people dream of a better life than reality.
Q4. What would you like to say to prospective CPI participants?
Among the many things we want to say to prospective participants, we ask them to consider these three. Firstly, CPI program will take place in the second half of this year, so you can feel the winter in Korea. You all know that winter in Korea is very cold, right? When it's really cold, it goes down to minus 15 degrees. With this in mind, I hope you are ready to enjoy the winter. Secondly, we encourage the participants to join the language session because it will be useful in adapting to life in Korea. Lastly, make sure to join in the ‘official CPI group’ in facebook and gain a lot of fun and useful information!
Q5. What are the next plan?
We are going to support follow-up projects. If you want to conduct social/public projects to supports your neighborhood and community, we ask you to apply for it. Also we are planning to expand supporting CPI reunions to activate CPI alumni’s collaborative works. Why don't you take this opportunity with your talented, enthusiastic alumni while strengthen the global network!
