People With and Without Disabilities Unite Through the Arts
Space Heard Us Holds Its First Concert
Space Heard Us Featured in The Korea Times
Space Heard Us was recently featured in The Korea Times following its inaugural concert held on August 29, 2026, at Open Door Presbyterian Church in Virginia.
The article highlighted Space Heard Us’ mission of bringing musicians with and without disabilities together through music and creating meaningful performance opportunities for musicians of all abilities.
The article also recognized the strong musical abilities of the musicians with disabilities, whose performances were every bit as impressive as those of their fellow musicians without disabilities.
The concert also featured a special collaboration with Start Within Art, bringing music and visual art together and demonstrating how the arts can create connection, inclusion, and a stronger sense of community.
Space Heard Us is grateful to The Korea Times for sharing the story of our inaugural concert and helping introduce our mission to the wider community.
Space Heard Us
Empowering Musicians with Disabilities
spaceheardus.org
English Translation of the Korean Newspaper Article
People With and Without Disabilities Unite Through the Arts
Space Heard Us Holds Its First Concert / Start Within Art Presents Its First Exhibition
A special event bringing together people with and without disabilities through music and visual art was held on August 29 at Open Door Presbyterian Church in Virginia.
Space Heard Us (SHU), a music organization for musicians with and without disabilities, held its first concert that day, while Start Within Art, which supports artistic activities for individuals with disabilities, presented its first exhibition alongside the concert.
Space Heard Us is a nonprofit organization founded by Founder Hye Kyung Joo and Co-Founders Hee Han and Seulgi Kim. Its mission is to provide performance opportunities for talented musicians with disabilities who may have limited chances to perform on stage because of their disabilities, and to help them connect with and become more integrated into the community through music.
The concert featured musicians with disabilities, including Kaden Joo (12), Sarah Shin (16), Eric Kim (17), Taemin Kim (13), and Henry Kwon (17), along with many musicians without disabilities.
The performance was presented in a storytelling concert format, centered on the themes of new beginnings, challenges, joy, and hope. Through music, the audience was able to follow the story and experience both inspiration and emotion.
Il Ryong Moon of Fairfax County attended the event as a special guest speaker and offered words of encouragement to the performers and their families.
The first exhibition by Start Within Art, which was held together with the concert, featured works by artists Henry Kwon, Giseo Kwon, and Sunghyun Bang.
Start Within Art plans to continue organizing various exhibitions and art competitions so that individuals with disabilities can express their own stories through art and communicate with the broader community.
Photo Caption:
Members of Space Heard Us (SHU), an inclusive music organization for musicians with and without disabilities, pose for a commemorative photo following their first concert.
— Article by Lee Chang Yeol