#INTRO

So far, we have looked at some examples of non-profit startups, social ventures, and social enterprises. Next up are a few social economy businesses in the cultural art sector. There is no better way to communicate “beauty” than through cultural expression, which is why cosmetics companies frequently partner with creative professionals across all channels and brands.

Despite the lack of recent data on social economy enterprises in the cultural art sector, it is estimated that there are around 340 social enterprises and 1,350 social economy organizations overall (as of the end of 2018). Social economy enterprises in the cultural art sector cover various areas of cultural art, including art, music, exhibitions, and performances, through which they pursue social ideals by hiring the socially disadvantaged, disseminating cultural resources to the underserved, and passing on heritage practices. Here are five such organizations with potential opportunities for collaboration with Amorepacific's brands and channels, from among those recently introduced under the 2022 Cultural Art Social Economy Enterprise Cooperation Project of the Arts Management Support Center.

Yangyang Youth Cooperative, upcycling used surfboards

Are any of you surfers? In the past, the only place to witness surfers vanishing under the white foam and reappearing all of a sudden was in the movies. In the last few years, however, there has been a surge in the surfing population in Korea. The surfing community now flocks to popular surf spots, such as Mallipo Beach and Yangyang. This increase in surfing population has accordingly led to an increase in the number of used surfboards. I also found out only recently that surfboards are made mainly out of styrofoam. (This explains why it floats!) It is estimated that each year in Yangyang alone, the number of surfboards that are thrown away accumulates to 1,000, and the total weight of these discarded surfboards totals 5 tons. This number is expected to increase threefold next year. The only places where styrofoam that has been contaminated with foreign substances ends up are incineration plants or landfill. A group of surfers has come together to form a cooperative to brainstorm ways to address this problem. They are exploring options for reusing old surfboards, such as using them as canvases for art projects. The goal of this so-called “surf art” is to transform otherwise useless surfboards into works of art that can be purchased and displayed. With surfboards being a unique material, the number of artists hoping to participate in this project is reportedly growing rapidly.

Clearly, there are limitations to this method of recycling, but different approaches can be experimented with, such as repurposing old surfboards as part of the decorations in a retail space. Brands like Outrun that target the extreme sports market strike me as the kind of partners with potential for collaboration on resource recycling and cultural art initiatives. The Yangyang Youth Cooperative definitely sounds like a fun collaboration partner.

Kimu Studio, working with extraordinary designers

In the previous part, I introduced Bear.Better, which works with individuals with developmental disabilities. Today, I’m going to talk about Kimu, a social enterprise that creates one-of-a-kind content together with designers with developmental disabilities. Samsung Electronics, KB Kookmin Card, and Ferrero Rocher are just a few of the companies Kimu has already worked with. The enterprise’s unique approach to addressing social issues through works of art explains why it is a popular collaboration partner among larger corporations. The organization has worked since 2008 to lay the groundwork for fostering designers with developmental disabilities. Its primary goal is to identify and connect with 10,000 “exceptional designers” all across the world.

From its proven high-quality designs, ‘limited art editions,’ to goods that are sure to be popular among design fans, I don’t see any reason not to work with Kimu. 

88 Hood, engaging in collaborations with local artists

As they say, horses should be sent to Jeju, and people to Seoul, but even so, overpopulation in the metropolitan area has become a major issue. Recently, however, young people have gradually begun to settle in the suburbs, including artists. Thanks to this, the number of collaborations between local specialties and local artists has been seeing a growth. 88 Hood is one of the enterprises that propose ‘open innovation,’ an expanded version of win-win art collaboration. For example, it has commercialized ‘sparkling fermented liquor with a sweet camellia scent’ in the form of a ‘picnic set’ in collaboration with artists in Jeju. Its goal is to add value to the region and local products and to induce collaborations with local artists that can contribute to the continuous provision of local products and services.

JoeunSorine, connecting the mind through sound

We are now living in the era of noise pollution. There are even people who close ‘the door to their mind’ due to noises that come from neighboring apartments. JoeunSorine is an audio content production company whose goal is to create a ‘safe society for the mind’ through works of art. The benefits of healing through music have already been proven. There are many studies that suggest that good music can improve anxiety or depression and that it can even increase ego resilience. The TV program Sing for Gold, which demonstrates the effect of singing together in harmony, has also been receiving rave reviews. Potential collaboration opportunities with JoeunSorine include healing the mind through music and songs, ‘tending the mind with sound and art,’ and ‘creating audio picture books.’

Impact Station, tending the mind through art

Are you also seeing red flags in your mind? Those of you working in the customer service department probably have the highest level of stress. Sexual harassment occurs on a daily basis, and foul language even more frequently. It is no wonder that the risk of depression among call center employees is 80.3%. This also leads to decreased productivity and, in worse cases, resignation. In particular, since COVID-19, social isolation has contributed to a significant increase in the proportion of people who feel depressed. The number of those potentially at risk has increased by 6 times, and the number of those suffering from suicidal ideation by 3.5 times. To say that our public mind is on the verge of breaking down is no understatement. There may be a variety of solutions to this problem, but the first thing that comes to mind is ‘art therapy,’ a form of psychological healing through art. Think of it as painting your mind with non-verbal expressions of emotion. It is said that people who suffer from various forms of stress, conflict, burnout, interpersonal conflict, and trauma at work, at home, or for personal reasons are seeking peace of mind through the art classes designed for healing. Impact Station proposes art-based psychological counseling solutions that take care of the mind while contributing to the revitalization of the cultural art community and creating jobs.