The 8th Hyundai Motor Group University Theater and Musical Festival Awards Ceremony Held

Hyundai Motor Group held the awards ceremony for the 8th Hyundai Motor Group University Theater and Musical Festival on the 24th at Blue Square iMarket Hall. The photo shows the award-winning teams of the 8th Hyundai Motor Group University Theater and Musical Festival posing for a commemorative photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kiho Sung] The "8th Hyundai Motor Group University Theater and Musical Festival" for college performing artists has concluded its five-month-long journey.

On the 24th, Hyundai Motor Group announced on the 25th that it held the awards ceremony for the "8th Hyundai Motor Group University Theater and Musical Festival" at Blue Square iMarket Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, attended by event officials and participants including Jeon Byeong-geuk, Director of the Culture and Arts Policy Office at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Lee Byung-hoon, Executive Director of Hyundai Motor Group, and Kim Yong-je, President of the Korea Performing Producers Association.

Hosted by Hyundai Motor Group and the Korea Performing Producers Association and supported by 11 cultural and artistic organizations including the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the "Hyundai Motor Group University Theater and Musical Festival Awards Ceremony" has, over the past seven years, attracted participation from 467 university teams nationwide, totaling over 11,000 college students, with a cumulative audience of about 20,000 for the finals and awards ceremony, boasting its status as the largest university performing arts festival in the country.

This year marks the 8th edition of the awards ceremony, which was held in a hybrid format combining online and offline events in consideration of the special circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, Hyundai Motor Group plans to provide an opportunity for the general public to join the awards ceremony by broadcasting a recorded video online through the festival’s official Naver TV and YouTube accounts at 8 p.m. on the 30th.

Meanwhile, in this "8th Hyundai Motor Group University Theater and Musical Festival," a total of 34 teams from 21 universities nationwide participated in the preliminary round, engaging in fierce competition, resulting in 12 final teams (6 theater teams and 6 musical teams) advancing to the finals.

The 12 finalist teams competed at the Daehangno Performance Hall for 18 days from the 5th to the 22nd, and all 12 performances sold out within just one day of ticket sales opening, reflecting the high public interest in youth performing arts.

As a result of the judging, Yeongsan University's play "Hanyeodeul" and Dankook University's musical "The Mad Ones" were selected as the grand prize winners in the theater and musical categories, respectively, receiving the Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award and a prize of 6 million won per team at the awards ceremony on the 24th.

A Hyundai Motor Group official stated, "In a situation where many cultural and artistic performances have been canceled or reduced due to COVID-19, we planned the festival to support the cultural and artistic community and provide opportunities for young performing artists," adding, "Through the '8th Hyundai Motor Group University Theater and Musical Festival,' Hyundai Motor Group’s representative cultural and artistic social contribution project, we hope to actively communicate with the younger generation and contribute to the revitalization of the performing arts sector and talent development."