Gwangju Dong-gu, Recruiting Participants for Chungjang Festival 'National Parade'

Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City is recruiting participants for the parade, known as the highlight of the Chungjang Festival.

According to Dong-gu on the 7th, a notable point of this Chungjang Parade is that the entire Geumnam-ro will be used as a large-scale monument stage named the ‘Parade of Fire.’

First, under the overall theme of ‘Chungjang Balgwang,’ residents of the 13 neighborhoods in Dong-gu will collaborate with domestic and international artists to complete monuments representing nostalgic stories from each village.

A striking aspect of this street parade, held under the subtitle ‘Carrying Memories,’ is the scene where village residents personally carry the monuments they created.

Based on Gwangju’s ‘Daedong Spirit’ and ‘Community,’ it is expected to be a spectacular sight as residents move the monuments to the front of the Jeonil Building without the aid of mechanical power, relying solely on their own strength.

Additionally, as the highlight of the parade, a lighting ceremony titled ‘Burning Fire’ will be held, where the 13 nostalgic monuments will be displayed alongside a torch procession by the residents.

At Geumnam-ro, a symbol of modern and contemporary history, people will unite to light fires, reinforcing good memories while erasing unwanted ones, creating a scene that makes memories even more special.

Along with this, participants for the National Parade, which will take place before the main parade, are being recruited until the 31st of this month.

The National Participation Parade, scheduled for Sunday, October 8th, from 5 p.m., consists of ‘Street Performance’ and ‘Stage Performance’ sections.

Through the National Participation Parade under the subtitle ‘Light Descends,’ anyone who wishes to promote their group while walking along Geumnam-ro can participate.

First, the ‘Street Performance’ section is open to domestic and international art, social, or sports groups and clubs with 15 or more members who can participate in the parade.

Even if not professional artists, anyone who wants to join the festival (with at least 10 members) can apply. Commercial promotions are allowed except for content that may cause social controversy.

The ‘Stage Performance’ section is a special parade different from previous ones. It is designed to allow performances using a mobile stage approximately 12 meters in size, and participants will be selected through a separate screening process.

Applications can be submitted by downloading the relevant documents from the ‘Gwangju Nostalgic Chungjang Festival’ website and sending them via email.

If applicants have experience participating in other festivals or parade performances, related materials should also be submitted.

Outstanding parade participant teams will receive awards including the 1st place Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Award and a prize of 10 million won, with a total prize pool of 30 million won.

Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, said, “We hope families, friends, and couples will directly participate in the parade and become unforgettable protagonists of memories,” adding, “We ask for the active participation and interest of citizens so that the ‘20th Gwangju Nostalgic Chungjang Festival’ can become a cultural and artistic festival for people around the world.”

Meanwhile, 60 days before the festival, the fourth work in the festival poster series, ‘Chungjang Memories,’ was also unveiled.

‘Chungjang Memories’ captures the area around Chungjang-ro 4-5 ga from a bird’s-eye view and the people walking the streets.

The light flowing through the streets overflows like memories, inviting viewers to embark on a journey into their own recollections. The four released posters can be viewed in the announcements section of the Chungjang Festival website (recollection.kr).