Gyeonggi baby arts festival 'Komjirak, First Art' wraps up successfully

The 2026 Gyeonggi Baby Culture and Arts Festival "Komjirak, First Art," jointly organized by the Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation, Namyangju City and the Namyangju Cultural Foundation, concluded successfully after running from June 6 to 11 in and around Namyangju.

The festival drew particular attention for reframing infants not as passive recipients of care but as active participants in cultural life, showcasing new possibilities for babies and caregivers to connect with each other and experience the world through art.

Demand was strong throughout: major showings sold out within three days of tickets going on sale, and walk-in seats were taken early as well — a sign that public appetite for early-childhood arts experiences in the province continues to grow.

A diverse lineup of domestic and international arts groups took part during the festival. The opening work, "A Lullaby a Mother Made, to Her Child" by the Socially Engaged Musicians Network, brought to the stage the process through which mothers composed songs expressing what they wished to convey to their children, drawing strong resonance from audiences.

A standout performance was "Kao Kome — A Story of Rice That Nurtures Life" by Bambino, a Japanese company specializing in theater for infants. Created in collaboration with Thai director Ladda Kongdach, the work made its Korean debut at the festival and illustrated the international reach and expanding possibilities of arts programming for very young children.

Programming for artists and practitioners also yielded meaningful results. At an international forum, experts from Korea and abroad shared definitions and creative case studies in infant arts, and discussed ways to build sustainable policies and ecosystems for the field.