The XTRAX team and UK outdoor arts in Seoul

Maggie, Irene and Chris spent a very busy seven days in Seoul, South Korea, developing relationships with the Korean outdoor arts sector as part of the Seoul Street Arts Festival’s British Focus.

The visit to Seoul formed part of our Arts Council England’s supported international showcase project Platform 4: UK This collaboration is the result of our longstanding reciprocal relationship with the South Korean outdoor arts sector; we’re incredibly proud of it. UK audiences and outdoor arts professionals had the chance to experience South Korean outdoor arts s part of the Greenwich+Docklands International Festival in June 2017, and now, as part of the UK-Korea Season 2017-18 – Creative Futures, three UK companies performing at the Seoul Street Arts Festival.

  • Gobbledegook Theatre with Ear Trumpet
  • Joli Vyann with Lance moi en l’air
  • Gandini Juggling with Smashed

Alongside seeing the best of Korean work, the team shared their knowledge of the UK and European sector through a series of professional activities: the professional meetings organised by SSAF and a seminar on UK and European outdoor arts designed for Korean artists wishing to tour to the UK and internationally, organised in partnership with the Korea Street Arts Association. Maggie, Chris and Irene met with the British Council Korea, Korean Arts Management Service (KAMS) and visited both Seoul Street Arts Creation Center as well and the new Oil Tank Culture Park to find out about the latest developments in this exciting sector.

The success of this cultural exchange felt elsewhere in South Korea, Goyang Lake Arts Festival presented Corey Baker Dance Company’s Phone Box and the following UK artists became part of the programme Connected Cities in October 2017, lead by the British Council Korea, whose Creative Futures director, Kyu Choi, had seen the works during the XTRAX showcase:

– Ray Lee with Chorus
– Brendan Walker/Thrill Laboratory with VR Playground
– Dot Comedy with The Small Wonders Tour

We’re proud to part of this programme an to introduce UK outdoor arts to new audiences everywhere.

Find out more about our work with the South Korean outdoor arts festival and our Focus event at GDIF.

Find out more about our Platform 4: UK programme by clicking here.

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