Hanyong #5 - Breaking New Ground
Planning for the next Hanyong Project is now well underway, with new partnerships made, a new central concept, and performances scheduled for 2025-26. As yet untitled, it is in some ways the most ambitious to date - taking the Hanyong approach into new areas, addressing the changed and changing world.
Once again the company is working with young people in UK and Korea, to create a new play. This time, the focus is on a group of teenagers with learning difficulties, and the two companies we are bringing together as partners are a thrilling combination of ground-breaking artistry, energy, and experience. Put together with Hanyong's now well established approach to collaboration - this promises to be a super-inclusive, challenging and joyful project - the most exciting yet.
The Hanyong mixture - Korean and British artists and young people, working together to make magic - scenes from the devising stages of Orange Polar Bear. The new project is equally committed to having teenagers at its heart.
New Partners Bringing Exciting Possibilities
Buksetung [BST] is a wonderful Korean theatre company, which has been creating fantastic work for young audiences for 20 years. Blending traditional Korean and contemporary forms with live music, they have been admired by audiences across the world, and Hanyong is delighted to have agreed this partnership as the key to the new project. The project will reunite Hanyong with Kim Sori, and Nam in Woo, key figures in the success of The Bridge, who are the leaders of BST.
BST was recently chosen as the only company from asia to perform at the ASSITEJ World Congress in Cuba in May 2024.
Open Theatre have spent 30 years making drama with young people with learning disabilities, and are unique in their commitment to non-verbal theatre, and to the audiences/co-creators they serve. Based in Birmingham and Coventry, they have been involved in work alongside previous Hanyong projects, but now they are stepping up as our key UK partners, bringing all their passion, experience and expertise to the new project. Emerging professional artists with learning disabilities will work as part of Hanyong's team throughout, and the whole project will be led by the ideas and imagination of the young people.
The Belgrade Theatre, Coventry is Hanyong's producing partner for the new project, and in addition to hosting performances in 2025-6 will be involved in the whole process from the start. Hanyong is thrilled to be working with Artistic Director Corey Campbell at this exciting moment in the theatre's history.
Birmingham Hippodrome's burgeoning Education Network is another key partner, and we will be drawing new schools into their network through the project.
We are also involving colleagues from Barrowfull in Barrow-in-Furness, where some of the R and D work will be taking place. Several Hanyong alumni have been involved in Barrowfull's development, including director Dan Tyler, a key member of the Orange Polar Bear team.
Trailer for Orange Polar Bear
The fifth Hanyong project will aim to build on the success of the previous four, with the unique quality that stems from the bringing together of the best of Korean and British artists and the wisdom of our young people.
