Mapo-gu seeks elementary school students for summer creative arts camp

Mapo-gu is accepting applications through Friday for its "2026 Sangsang Switch Creative Arts Camp," a summer program pairing elementary school students with working artists, the district announced Monday.

The camp is part of the Mapo Education Cooperation Special District project and falls under the Sangsang Switch youth arts education initiative run by the Mapo Cultural Foundation. The program aims to broaden young people's access to cultural and arts education by connecting professional artists with school-age students — flipping a new "switch," as the name suggests, in their everyday routines.

Five programs are on offer — music, photography, performance, visual art and sound — each capped at 12 participants. Admission is free.

In "Play Today's Me in Music," led by artist Mongu, participants build personal playlists and use music to express their emotions. Photographer Pluto leads "Walking with Light, Recording with the Heart," in which students photograph light and everyday scenes to develop their own visual perspective.

Space Jam's "MY FIRST STAGE: My First Performance" introduces students to performance art through house dance, while illustrator Jeong Tree's "Imagination Cell Operation — Another Me Starting from My Body" has participants use paper tape to create a physical representation of themselves.

"I hope this camp gives young people a chance to create and express freely, and to discover the joy of culture and the arts," Mapo-gu District Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun said.