Canada Day, consular services at Cheongju Biennale

While Canada Day is always on July 1, for those in the Cheongju area this special day in every Canadian`s heart falls on Oct. 17, for more ways than one.

One reason is that the Canadian Embassy`s consular section will be offering services at the Cheongju International Craft Biennale.

The other reason is that Canada is the featured guest country for this year`s festival.

Approximately 200 Canadian top artists will participate in Canada`s section titled "Unity and Diversity."

This theme highlights Canada`s distinctive culture, as Canada is a multicultural nation composed of aboriginal people, English- and French-speaking communities, and more than two hundred ethnic groups.



But back to the consular services before we move on to the Canadian cultural extravaganza.

The consular section of the embassy will be on site to provide consular services to Canadians living in this area from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

"The Canadian Embassy recognizes that it is not always easy for Canadians living in other parts of Korea to travel to Seoul for consular and passport services," said Canadian Ambassador Ted Lipman.

"I am therefore pleased to note that on Saturday, on a trial basis, the embassy will have staff on hand to provide passport and other consular services to Canadians visiting the biennale or simply living in the Cheongju area," he added.

If successful, the embassy will consider offering the mobile service again at future events outside of the nation`s capital.

For questions, contact the embassy at (02) 3783-6030.

During the biennale, there will be lots of cultural events where Canadian artists, local Koreans, and Canadians resident in Korea can get together and share their interests and cultures.

In particular, a special event for Canada will be scheduled on Saturday and special field trips with Canadian artists and teachers, as well as other events are planned.

Furthermore, the Canadian Crafts Federation will bring Canadian craft artists and academics to the event to give lectures, demonstrations and cultural performances.

For more information and updates visit www.okcj.org and www.korea.gc.ca

The Cheongju Biennale is the largest of the many visual arts events taking place in Korea this year.

Since its launch in 1999, the Biennale has attracted visitors from all over the world with its variety of fine craft in both sculptural and functional forms.

The Biennale runs until Nov. 1.

(yoav@heraldm.com)





By Yoav Cerralbo