Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture New Youth and Senior Artist Support Project Receives 13:1 Response

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture's newly established 'Youth Arts Support' and 'Senior Arts Support' programs have received enthusiastic responses from artists, recording competition rates of 13:1 and 4:1 respectively.

The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture launched a total of 800 million KRW worth of support projects in October and December targeting youth artists under the age of 39 and senior artists aged 60 and above, respectively. This effort aims to narrow the blind spots in support that were not covered by the existing arts creation activity support, and was newly established to create a 'net-like arts support system' by advancing the application period compared to previous years.

According to the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture on the 2nd, the Youth Arts Support was designed to help young artists enter the arts field, and the application period from October 4 to 28 ended with a competition rate of about 13:1.

The Senior Arts Support received applications from December 5 to 22, showing a competition rate of 4:1. Considering the age of applicants, an offline consultation desk was operated at the Foundation’s Daehangno Center, where about 200 artists visited in person.

According to the 2021 Artist Survey, artists aged 60 and above account for about 30% of all artists (220,000), yet as of 2022, the proportion of those aged 60 and above among the selected recipients of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture’s arts creation activity support was less than 10%. Senior artists who visited the Daehangno consultation center during the application period expressed expectations that they could restart their activities as artists who had been forgotten, along with reactions that they would regain their self-esteem as artists.

The Senior Arts Support provides free activities based on individual plans from preparation to presentation for artists planning to engage in arts creation activities in Seoul in 2023. A fixed amount of 3 million KRW is supported per person, and senior artists must submit individual activity reports after the completion of their activities. The Senior Arts Support is provided as a small grant in the form of prize money, and there is no separate settlement obligation.

Lee Chang-ki, CEO of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture, stated, “The revamped arts support system was improved to minimize blind spots in the arts ecosystem in line with the policy direction of accompanying the vulnerable.” He added, “We will make 2023 the inaugural year for arts activities in Seoul and establish a more meticulous support system to ensure that no one is marginalized within the arts community beyond the selected artists.”

The results of the support projects will be announced in mid-January and can be checked on the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture website or the Seoul Arts Support System.

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