Hongdae Festival Street Street Artist Performance... Sinchon Yonsei-ro French Street Music Festival Held

[Seoul District News] Mapo-gu to Hold Street Performances from June through Partnership with Seoul Street Artist Cooperative... Call for Entries for the 14th Seoul Yeongdeungpo International Short Film Festival: Ultra-Short Films under 5 Minutes, Short Films 5-15 Minutes, 90-Second Category, Any Genre or Theme... Seodaemun-gu Hosts Performances by French Montpellier Mixed Duo Bandit Bandit and Korean Musicians on June 18-19 with French Promotion Zone, Art Market, and Flower Photo Zone... Gangseo-gu to Hold 'Love the Forest! Love Gangseo! In the Forest' Events at Ujangsan Park on June 17 and 24...

Hongdae Festival Street Street Artist Performance

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] In the evening, if you visit the Hongdae Festival Street, you can see people gathering, holding their mobile phones, and continuously taking photos.

This is because Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) signed a business agreement with the Seoul Street Artist Cooperative in April and since June, street performance artists have been showcasing performances on Hongdae Festival Street (around 365-28 Seogyo-dong).

The district established the 'Hongdae Festival Street' in June 2020, was designated as a 'Cultural Arts Tourism Special Zone' in December 2021, and added that these performances were prepared to revitalize the street.

The artists performing on the street are street performers who have been active in the Hongdae area for a long time, and through the business agreement with Mapo-gu, they are alleviating their thirst for street performances experienced during COVID-19.

The performances include not only music but also various contents such as magic, circus, and juggling in cooperation with 'performance buskers' from the Hongdae area to welcome visitors to Hongdae Festival Street.

The district plans to recruit Hongdae Festival Street artists through auditions in July, issue Hongdae Festival Street street artist licenses, and grant busking usage rights on Hongdae Festival Street.

Additionally, the street performance schedule will be promoted on Mapo Tourism SNS to encourage citizen visits, and content to revitalize Hongdae Festival Street will be continuously planned to develop it into a world-renowned busking hotspot.

A district official said, "Through street performances in mutual cooperation with local artists, the Hongdae area is gradually returning to its pre-COVID-19 state," adding, "We will contribute to revitalizing the local economy by providing various attractions to tourists visiting Mapo through continuous content development."

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) will hold the 'F?te de la Musique - French Street Music Festival' on the 18th and 19th in the Sinchon Yonsei-ro area.

Sponsored by the French Embassy in Korea, this event was held annually at the same location from 2017 to 2019 but was suspended due to social distancing measures and is now meeting citizens again after three years.

On the first day of the festival, from 5 PM to 9 PM, various talented domestic musicians such as Cha Soo-yeon, Off-E, Prudence, and Jo Moon-geun Band, as well as the mixed duo Bandit Bandit from Montpellier, France, will perform.

On the second day, from 5 PM to 8 PM, Laure Mafo, a pansori singer of Cameroonian origin with French nationality, jazz musician Yuvaly who released a French children's song album, along with 1225 and Rocket Girl, will entertain the audience.

Besides music performances, during the festival from noon to 9 PM daily, a French promotional zone, French art market, and flower photo zone will be set up, allowing visitors to experience a unique atmosphere.

Seodaemun-gu Mayor Moon Seok-jin said, "We hope this festival, held for the first time in three years, will bring joy and vitality to many citizens and also help revitalize the local economy."

Meanwhile, 'F?te de la Musique' is a large-scale festival started in 1982 in France, where musicians across the country perform various genres of music for free and interact with audiences during the summer solstice, and it has spread worldwide.

In June, when the greenery deepens, an outdoor concert will be held in the forest.

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Noh Hyun-song) announced that it will hold the 'I Love the Forest! I Love Gangseo! Healing Concert in the Forest' at the outdoor stage of Ujangsan Neighborhood Park on the 17th and 24th.

The event aims to heal residents' minds tired from COVID-19 through various music in nature and provide an opportunity to enjoy high-quality cultural performances.

The performance on the 17th will start with the opening stage of the four-member saxophone ensemble 'Let us,' followed by electronic violinist 'Jua,' who will reinterpret classical and pop music genres with a modern sound through violin performance.

Then, trot singer Park Gun, a former special forces soldier famous for 'Han Jan Hae,' and emotional vocalist Gummy, who has many hit songs such as 'You Are My Everything' and 'I Should Have Been Your Friend,' will conclude the day's performance.

On the 24th, the second performance will feature the Gangseo-gu Choir with 23 years of tradition, which won the gold prize at the 2018 Geoje National Choir Competition, presenting beautiful harmonies on a summer night.

Following that, indie band Bijevano will captivate the audience with well-known songs such as 'Blue Night of Jeju Island,' 'Flying Through the Deep Night,' and 'Love Me Tender.'

The final stage will be a high-quality popera performance combining opera and popular music by tenor Kim Sung-hyun and soprano Park Joo-hee, marking the climax of the event.

Both performances start at 7 PM and are free for anyone to attend. A district official said, "We prepared this event so that residents can escape their frustrating daily lives and enjoy special cultural performances in the forest," adding, "We hope families, friends, and couples come to Ujangsan to feel nature and enjoy the performances."

Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) announced that it will start accepting submissions for the '2022 Seoul Yeongdeungpo International Short and Ultra-Short Film Festival' from June 15 to July 15 for one month.

Now in its 14th year, the Seoul Yeongdeungpo International Short and Ultra-Short Film Festival has included 'Yeongdeungpo' in its name since last year, establishing itself as Yeongdeungpo's representative cultural event with the official slogan "The most local is the most global."

This year, the festival will again showcase Yeongdeungpo's cultural diversity and potential as a cultural city, operating as a glocal film festival where anyone wishing to submit can participate without restrictions on genre or theme.

Submissions are divided into ultra-short films under 5 minutes and short films between 5 and 15 minutes, with submissions accepted from June 15 to July 15.

Additionally, 90-second works screened briefly in transit spaces such as subway stations will have a separate call for entries until August 5.

Submissions can be made through the submission sites Short Film Depot and Festhome, and group submissions can also be sent via email to the person in charge.

Detailed information about submissions, awards, and the festival can be found on the official ultra-short film festival website.

Submitted works will undergo fair preliminary judging by the jury to select finalists. Results for the short and ultra-short categories will be announced on August 17, and the 90-second category on August 25 via the festival website.

Then, from October 18 to 23, the 14th Seoul Yeongdeungpo International Short and Ultra-Short Film Festival will be held at Yeongdeungpo CGV and nearby cultural spaces, screening the finalists. Awards will be given to the work with the most audience votes and outstanding works selected by the jury.

Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Chae Hyun-il said, "'Yeongdeungpo International Short and Ultra-Short Film Festival' has recorded the highest number of submissions every year, with award-winning works submitted to prestigious international film festivals, achieving remarkable results annually," adding, "Considering the current phase of daily recovery, we plan to operate various participation programs so residents can comfortably enjoy films throughout the region, and we ask for great interest and support from the citizens."

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it is recruiting young artists to participate in the '1st Nowon Youth Art Fair.'

This is the representative event of the 'Nowon Youth Festival: Youth Walking with Art,' which the district is hosting for the first time this year. The LOLOLO (You and I, Nowon) Art Fair will be held for three days from September 16 to 18 along the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail and Youth Agit area in Gongneung-dong.

This event is designed not only to exhibit and sell works by young artists but also to provide opportunities for young artists to continue their creative activities and allow audiences to experience young artists' works up close.

The recruitment target is 50 to 75 young artists aged 19 to 39, who can apply individually or as teams of two or more. Each artist can submit up to two works.

Applicants do not have to be residents of Nowon-gu, but extra points will be given to artists active in Nowon-gu, those who operate exhibition rooms or classes in the district, or those with exhibition experience. This is to ensure the quality of participating works while broadening eligibility and enabling the art fair to continuously connect with local cultural and artistic activities.

The fields for recruitment include tangible art forms suitable for exhibition and sale, such as painting, printmaking, photography, and sculpture.

Young artists wishing to participate should submit photos of their works, prices, and artist notes online through the district office website by July 15. Final selections will be based on the completeness, creativity, growth potential, and appropriateness of the work's price.

Selected young artists will receive priority space support to exhibit their works at the event venue, along with promotional support through various channels operated by the district office and Nowon Cultural Foundation. Additionally, a professional event company organizing the event will support the entire process from installation to display and removal of works.

Notably, if a work is sold, 100% of the sales proceeds will go to the artist, as no commission fees will be charged.

The district has promoted various projects to encourage the enjoyment and production of art locally. Notable examples include hosting the 'Korean Modern and Contemporary Masterpieces Exhibition' and the 'British Tate Museum Masterpieces Exhibition' in collaboration with the North Seoul Museum of Art. At the same time, exhibition spaces close to the community, such as the 'Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail Gallery,' 'Sanggye Art Yard,' and 'Cultural Arts Space Jeongdam,' are being expanded.

Nowon-gu Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, "I hope this event will be a good opportunity for emerging young artists and discerning audiences who pay attention to them to meet," adding, "Ultimately, we will create a young cultural city, Nowon, where culture and arts are produced and consumed within the local community, and young people can be the protagonists of regional cultural creation."