Seoul City Announces Six Major 'Post-Corona' Culture and Arts Policies with 107.9 Billion KRW Investment

Shift Support Paradigm to Process-Centered Over Exhibition Results... Application and Settlement Sites Also Established
New Attempts at Long-Term Artist Development Programs by Experts and Influencers in Foundation-Owned Creative Spaces

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture announced on the 18th that it will focus on six major cultural and artistic policy projects this year in line with changes in the post-COVID-19 era, investing 107.9 billion KRW in these policy projects.

The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture prioritizes the recovery of the cultural and artistic ecosystem, which is on the brink of collapse due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, and the cultural activities of citizens that have virtually come to a halt. At the same time, it actively supports new formats suitable for the 'With COVID-19' era. To this end, the foundation has designed policies in a completely new way, different from before COVID-19, covering everything from project planning to support content and festival hosting methods.

The six major policy projects of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture are: ▲Creative support responding to the With COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 era ▲Introduction of the ‘Seoul Culture and Arts Support System (SCAS)’ for efficient operation of art support projects ▲Process-centered artist development projects ▲Customized convergence creation and production projects for everyone from youth to professionals ▲Transformation of the ‘Seoul Street Arts Festival’ into a new model ▲Opening of ‘Yesulcheong,’ an artist-participatory governance space in Daehangno.

First, reflecting the uncertainty of face-to-face activities, support that was previously focused on outcomes such as works and exhibitions will shift to focus on the creative process and foundation. The 'Re:Search' program, which helps with creative conception and preparation, will increase its support fund from 2 million KRW to 3 million KRW and support 300 people. Support for space rental fees will also be provided up to 10 million KRW on an actual cost basis, regardless of the type of space, including studios, rehearsal rooms, and complex cultural spaces.

A new in-house website, the ‘Seoul Arts Support System (SCAS),’ which allows users to view all Seoul city art support projects at a glance and handle everything from application to subsidy disbursement in a one-stop manner, will be launched and operational from the 22nd.

A new program will also start to nurture artists with mentors from various fields, including experts and influencers, participating at genre-specific creative spaces owned by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture such as the Seoul Theater Center. Promising emerging artists will be selected and professionally nurtured over about a year, from preparing works to producing actual pieces.

The Seoul Street Arts Festival, Seoul’s representative festival, will introduce a new method suitable for the COVID-19 situation. Instead of gathering many people in large public spaces like Seoul Plaza, the festival will be dispersed throughout Seoul in small-scale events, and the festival period will be moved forward from October, when many events are concentrated, to late August to early September. Daehangno’s former Dongsung Art Center will also be reborn as ‘Yesulcheong,’ a collaborative governance space, by the end of June.

Kim Jong-hwi, CEO of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, said, “As COVID-19 prolongs, the foundation for artists’ survival and activities is being completely transformed. Now, cultural and artistic support policies must shift to a ‘subject and process-centered’ approach that allows artists to continue their activities without being constrained by external environments.” He added, “Reflecting the various experiences tried last year and the voices of the arts community continuously gathered on the ground, this year we will implement policies that benefit both citizens and artists.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.