Ganggangsullae Project
As a part of Maeulmisul Project, a government funded art project which takes place in decrepit regions that seek to renew their towns through art, in Usuyeong, Haenam, Korea, Ganggangsullae project was to research the regional context and familiarize residents with art activities and assist them to refresh confidence in their region through them.
It was also to revitalize the deteriorated villages by reviving communication among residents and guide them to autonomously search for local specificity.
Composed 10 small villages, the town of Usuyeong is where the prominent Korean traditional dance Ganggangsullae originated from. Women still practice the dance regularly and perform at regional events; however, as aging population takes up majority of the region, the pass down of the dance is also at stake.
WORKSHOPS:
Art Workshops took place at each village at village centre. Women in town seem to enjoy longevity more than men, for it was always old ladies occupying the centre.
Worked as farmers most of their lives, many hesitated to even hold a pen at first, but soon after, they expressed their artistic abilities and shared their stories of singing and performing Ganggangsullae.
Throughout the workshops, they confessed their wish of having more young generation to visit the town and for them to recognise the greatness of their dance.
USUYEONG BARLEY BREAD CONTEST:
In the process of workshops, the story of barley bread came about. Never a prosperous town, it was a specialty only made for special days. Barley bread evokeed the elderlies of their youth, hard-working days paid off with the mind-freeing dance.
Usuyeong Barley Bread Contest was not only to attract the attention of the neighbouring towns and media, but to provide the villages a chance to be reminiscent of their olden days and collaborate.
This big event elated everyone and the town’s farmers’ band hightened the excitement. Divided into 3 teams, they each elaborated on the original barley bread and the residents evaluated their new recipe. The recipe of the winner of this contest will be utilized for a new product of the town.
GANGGANGSULLAE PATH:
Women go outside under the moonlight, hold each other’s hands, make a big circle and rotate, singing ‘Ganggangsullae’. The big circle resembles the path that goes around the 10 villages. The path has been anonymously called ‘Ganggangsullae path’. Some villagers wished for others to walk along the route and have a glance of the serene town.
A symbol to mark the path was needed. Drawings of dancing woman were collected from the women still participating in Ganggangsullae. Placing one next to another, the drawings were printed on ribbons in the colours of their skirts.
The ribbons were tied along the path to mark the route and to invite visitors to go around the town in a circle, be a part of Ganggangsullae.
