2024 Busan International Performing Arts Market Opens on the 4th

The 2024 Busan Performing Arts Market (BPAM), under the theme "A New Wave of Performing Arts," will open its doors on the 4th.

2024 Busan International Performing Arts Market Poster.

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Marking its second edition this year, the Busan Performing Arts Market will be held for five days from October 4 to 8, centered around the Busan Cultural Center and extending to Kyungsung University, Nam-gu Culture Alley, Gwangalli Beach Road, and other locations throughout Busan. Over 300 domestic and international performing arts industry professionals, artists, and citizens are expected to participate.

BPAM was first launched last year as a global festival-style performing arts market, aiming to expand domestic and international distribution opportunities for diverse genres of performing arts works and to create an event that can be enjoyed by citizens, artists, and industry professionals alike.

The event will officially kick off at 7 p.m. on the 4th at the Grand Theater of the Busan Cultural Center, with Lee Joonseung, Busan’s Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs, and key domestic and international guests in attendance. The opening performance will feature "La Galerie" by Machine de Cirque, a contemporary circus troupe from Quebec, Canada.

The opening ceremony will begin with a 10-minute pre-show by the BPAM Project Band, followed by a welcome speech from Deputy Mayor Lee Joonseung, congratulatory remarks from National Assembly member Park Sooyoung, greetings from overseas delegates, and the official declaration of the opening.

Selected as the opening piece, "La Galerie" is an art circus show that tells the story of an absurd exhibition in an art gallery, featuring dizzying stunts, intense emotions, intellect, and humor in an innovative and original circus performance. It is expected to offer a celebratory stage that delights the audience.

Prior to the opening ceremony, a welcome reception will be held at 6 p.m., bringing together performing arts industry professionals from 38 countries to foster practical exchanges within the performing arts ecosystem.

This year, BPAM aims to be a sustainable, festival-style market open to all, presenting even more innovative and diverse content than last year, including performances, meetings between industry professionals, seminars, and citizen participation events.

The "Performance Distribution Program" will feature over 200 works from Korea and abroad, spanning genres such as dance, music, theater, comedy, and street arts.

Forty invited works have been carefully selected by BPAM’s team of five artistic directors, including eight "BPAM Choice" full-length pieces and thirty-two "BPAM Showcase" works. Additionally, the program includes "BPAM Next Stage" (38 pieces), which highlights promising works of the future; "BPAM Street" (24 pieces), to be held on Gwangalli Beach on October 5 and 6; various collaborative performances with domestic and international performing arts festivals in partnership with BPAM; and "BPAM Link" (over 100 pieces), bringing the total to more than 200 performances.

Performing arts industry professionals and artists will act as buyers and sellers to develop new distribution channels for performing arts products, while citizens can freely select and enjoy unlimited high-quality performances across a variety of genres.

The "Networking Program" consists of "BPAM Booth," which provides opportunities for performing arts groups and institutions to promote their works and content and to exchange information and collaborate; "BPAM Date," which facilitates one-on-one business meetings between groups and industry delegates for practical distribution of works; "BPAM Night," a venue for meetings and exchanges; and "BPAM Seminar," which features presentations on the outlook for performing arts and distribution of works.

"BPAM Booth" and "BPAM Date," held for four days (October 5-8) at the Learning Center of the Busan Cultural Center, will support exchanges between approximately 50 participating performing arts groups (institutions) and overseas industry delegates, providing focused opportunities for performance distribution.

"BPAM Night" will offer a casual and substantial networking opportunity for performing arts industry professionals and groups to meet freely during and after the event in the evening.

"BPAM Seminar" will be divided into four sessions: 1) The Present and Future of Performing Arts Markets; 2) "Developing the Capacity of Regional Artists in the UK Amid Technological Expansion and Climate Change, and Overseas Touring/Collaboration Cases," co-hosted with the British Council; 3) Strategies for Expanding and Exchanging Human Networks with Latin America and Asia; and more. The seminar will also include "Delegate Pitching," where strategies for entering local performing arts markets can be freely proposed, and an "Open Talk in Theater," with both citizens and artists interested in the global performing arts market welcome to participate.

This year, the number of international invitees has doubled compared to last year, with 131 guests from 37 countries. In addition to festival, theater, and market professionals, policy makers from national institutions supporting arts organizations have also been invited to enhance the potential for overseas distribution through exchange programs.

This year also introduces "BPAM Join," allowing citizens to participate in programs held in the "Stage Zone" and "Experience Zone" and enjoy BPAM to the fullest.

In the central plaza of the Busan Cultural Center, the main venue, an installation titled "Yard of Wind and Scenery" by architect Jo Seongrae, winner of the "Busan Young Architects Pavilion Competition," will be displayed in collaboration with the Busan International Architecture Festival Organizing Committee. Against this backdrop, the "BPAM Join" event, where citizens can experience and enjoy various activities, will take place over the weekend (October 5-6).

Mayor Park Hyungjoon stated, "This year’s second Busan Performing Arts Market (BPAM) has already played a significant role in driving the overseas distribution of local works in a short period, and has great potential for growth as a performing arts distribution market. We will foster BPAM as Asia’s leading performing arts distribution platform and develop it into a global performing arts event that attracts worldwide attention, positioning Busan as a world-class performing arts city beyond Asia."

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