Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, Training Artists and Planners in 'Convergent Arts' Based on the 4th Industrial Revolution

Four Programs of the 2021 Convergent Creation and Production Project Combining AR, VR, XR, and Art

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture announced on the 15th that it will lead the field of ‘convergent arts’ based on 4th Industrial Revolution technologies such as AR, VR, and XR this year by nurturing professional planners and supporting artists’ creative activities.

Based on the know-how and networks accumulated over the past 10 years supporting technology-based cultural and artistic creation and production activities, the foundation will significantly expand the target groups and types of programs. By the end of the year, it will operate a total of four customized programs for planners, artists, technicians, and youth.

Since 2019, the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture has conducted a total of 11 Convergent Arts Academies to provide general citizens with knowledge, information, and discourse related to convergent arts in preparation for the 4th Industrial Revolution era. Through a convergent arts expert training course co-planned with Chung-Ang University and Yonsei University, it has produced 35 experts.

Through a program to train experts in the convergent performance and exhibition fields, 70 planners have been trained, and young artists engaged in creative activities in AR, VR, and XR fields have been selected to receive education and showcase support worth up to 50 million KRW. For art educators (TAs) responsible for education at schools or Kiwoom Centers, training related to non-face-to-face and online content production and related technologies will begin. Workshops will also be held for youth to experience technology-based artistic activities.

The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture aims through these four target-specific programs to reduce the gap between artistic creativity and technical expertise so that advanced technology can coexist not as a means to replace existing culture and arts but as a catalyst leading to the sustainability and new possibilities of creative activities.

The four target-specific programs are ▲Convergent Cultural Planners: step-by-step expert training programs ▲Young Artists: customized support to improve creative and production activities and work completeness using VR, AR, XR, etc. ▲Art Educators: training for developing non-face-to-face online programs ▲Youth: creative workshops experiencing various media such as AR and VR together with artists.

Additionally, a roundtable titled ‘Disability Arts and Convergence: The Uncomfortable Companionship of Technology and Disability’ reflecting on the relationship between technological development and disability will be held on May 7 at the Seoul Arts Education Center (17 Seobinggo-ro, Yongsan-gu). This event, conducted in two sessions, will feature lawyer Kim Won-young, author of “Becoming a Cyborg,” and novelist Kim Cho-yeop, who will reflect on the relationship between people with disabilities living with the help of technology and technological advancement. Furthermore, it will question the dichotomous perspectives of normality and abnormality in various media and share possibilities for new creation through technology.

Kim Jong-hwi, CEO of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, said, “As COVID-19 prolongs, the fusion of arts and technology is an important time to keep pace with the changing cultural and artistic environment,” adding, “We hope that the convergent creation and production projects prepared by the foundation will serve as a catalyst for building a new cultural and artistic ecosystem.”

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