Group Photo with Theater Company Majung and the Student Club

■ A social cooperative–based theater project rooted in major-specific talent donation, praised as a regional arts collaboration model

■ Led by students of the Department of Performing Arts’ “Applied Theatre” club, who participated in the entire process—from acting coaching to production

■ A case demonstrating strengthened public value in culture and the arts through collaboration between the community and the university

Students from the Department of Performing Arts at Incheon National University (President In-jae Lee) collaborated with Majung, a theater company for people with developmental disabilities in Jecheon, to co-produce the play Almost, Maine, which was successfully performed on November 28 at the small theater of the Jecheon Civic Center. This production, created through a social cooperative model by a professional theater company for people with developmental disabilities and university arts majors, has drawn attention as a new collaborative model for regional arts education.

The project saw full participation from students of the “Applied Theatre” club in the Department of Performing Arts at Incheon National University. Over several months, the students traveled back and forth to Jecheon, providing acting instruction, scene analysis and emotional arc coaching, as well as stage composition and production management—engaging in major-based talent donation activities throughout the process. Tailored guidance aligned with the expressive styles and emotional rhythms of actors with developmental disabilities was evaluated as “an experience in which students directly solved on-site challenges and internalized the entire production process,” expanding the project’s significance into social solidarity and educational value through the arts.

Ho-seong Kim, Standing Director of the Jecheon Cultural Foundation, which supported the performance, commented, “It was particularly meaningful that students were able to apply their academic training in real social settings to support the growth of others,” adding, “The actors with developmental disabilities also demonstrated remarkable confidence and a strong sense of accomplishment as they completed the production together with their university student mentors.”

Professor Il-jin Lim of the Department of Performing Arts at Incheon National University, who supervised the performance, stated, “This collaborative experience—where people were naturally connected through art beyond distinctions of disability and non-disability—was a valuable opportunity for students to reflect on social responsibility and the essence of the arts,” emphasizing that “such participatory experiences will have a positive impact on the career paths of students aspiring to work in the performing arts.”

Audience members who attended the performance also responded enthusiastically, describing it as “a warm stage where the sincerity of the actors and the students’ thoughtful guidance came together.”

The Applied Theatre Club, composed of students from the Department of Performing Arts at Incheon National University, has continuously collaborated with the Bupyeong Arts Center from 2022 to 2024, operating creative performances and cultural arts education programs for youth and local residents. Through productions such as Dreams That Move the Heart, A Dreaming World, Oz, and To the Little Prince, the club has expanded opportunities for arts experiences among youth and local children, with students participating as Teaching Artists to support acting instruction and performance production. These accumulated experiences not only built collaboration know-how with regional institutions but also strengthened students’ field-oriented practical competencies, which have now naturally expanded through the partnership with Majung in Jecheon.

Professor Lim added, “The department’s long-standing experience in collaborating with regional arts institutions generated even greater synergy in the Jecheon project,” and noted, “We plan to continue expanding partnerships with regional arts organizations to sustain socially contributive arts projects.”