The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism announced on the 16th that it will officially launch "Dream Studio," a visual arts education program enabling children and adolescents to fully develop their creative capabilities, in partnership with the Korea Arts & Culture Education Service. Applications for 20 regional hub organizations to operate the program nationwide will be accepted through April 15.
Dream Studio is a new initiative under the "Dream Arts Troupe" umbrella, expanding into visual arts following the ministry's existing Dream Orchestra, Dance Troupe, and Theater programs.
After a one-year pilot phase, the program transitions to regular operations this year with nationwide expansion. The initiative will operate from artists' workshops and professional studios, supporting children in growing as "artists" who interpret and express the world themselves. The curriculum encompasses diverse visual arts media including painting, sculpture, video, and artificial intelligence.
Eligible applicants include cultural foundations, cultural facilities, and other public institutions or organizations capable of operating the program on a medium- to long-term basis in their regions. Applicants must secure dedicated visual arts spaces such as workshops or studios, with partnerships with private artists' studios also permitted. The 20 selected hub organizations will receive up to 100 million won in government funding annually for the first three years, followed by up to 50 million won in years four and five to facilitate stable regional establishment. From year six onward, the ministry plans to support systematic growth management enabling local governments to operate programs independently.
Additionally, the ministry will pilot "Dream Arts Troupe Plus" this year, providing multifaceted arts experiences beyond the existing discipline-specific framework. Building on the orchestra as the foundation of the Dream Arts Troupe, the program will add new music genres including traditional Korean music and choral singing while expanding participation from children and adolescents to include infants and families, creating a more comprehensive arts education environment for future generations.
Applications for 10 operating organizations will be accepted from March 26 to April 23, targeting public institutions and organizations nationwide that operate children's and youth orchestras, including existing Dream Orchestra hub organizations.
A ministry official said, "We aim to support our children and adolescents in experiencing high-quality arts in their daily lives and growing creatively and healthily through the Dream Studio and Dream Arts Troupe Plus programs."
