A Special Local Festival Created by Residents, 'Nauri Festival 5'... Opening on the 30th

Until June 2, Seoul House Practice Building
Storytelling and Performances Unveiling Seodaemun-gu Local Culture

A festival created directly by residents with their local area and stories, where residents become the main characters, meets the general audience.

The 'Nawoori Festival 5' (hereinafter 'Nawoori Festival'), hosted and organized by the Cooperative Culture Factory, will take place from the 30th to November 2nd at the Gyeonggi University Seoul House Practice Building (21 Chungjeong-ro 9-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul).
[Photo by Culture Factory]

The ‘Nauri Festival 5’ (hereafter ‘Nauri Festival’), hosted and organized by the Cooperative Culture Factory, will take place from October 30 to November 2 at the Gyeonggi University Seoul House Practice Building (21 Chungjeongno 9-gil, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul).

The ‘Nauri Festival’ began in 2019, centered around Cheonyeon-dong and Chunghyeon-dong in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. It is conducted through the creative participation of local culture and arts, cooperatives, and residents. After winning the Excellence Award at the ‘2020 Urban Regeneration Industry Expo’ hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport in 2020, the event has expanded further to attempt regional cultural branding.

The main agents of the ‘Nauri Festival’ are the ‘Local Culture and Arts Cooperative’ and the ‘Residents.’ This festival, which creates local stories together with residents, has established the theme of place and memory this year, shedding light on citizens’ everyday lives.

Performance On, which participated in the production to develop the program ‘Do You Remember,’ theatrically composes and stages the memories of places and people held by ordinary citizens of Seoul. Within this, a musical play was completed as a single performance by meeting the memories of three citizens, Kim Shinbin, Jeong Hwaja, and Jawoonyoung.

In this performance, which may appear as theatrical play, it is not necessary for everyone to strive for reflection, but the intention was to remind the audience to confirm the ‘now, here’ that remembers and to look back on the past.

A representative from Performance On explained that aligning the three residents’ different memory worlds under certain conditions was neither easy nor seemed meaningful, but soon the entire production team found enjoyment in the work, recalling the fun everyone had listening to ‘old stories’ as children, spending ample time restoring memories.

A scene from the original musical "Kkwabaegi," set in Yeongcheon Market, presented at Nauri Festival 4.
[Photo by Munhwa Gongjang]

Through the performance created from the stories of these three residents living in Chungjeongno, the audience can experience greater empathy and enjoyment.

The first performance, a new documentary-style play ‘Do You Remember,’ is directed by Nam Sangsik, the representative of Performance On and a professor in the Department of Acting at Gyeonggi University. It is the first work attempting to find the lost personal stories in historical spaces that the ‘Nauri Festival’ has been exploring. Through interviews with three Chungjeongno residents about the ‘memories of people, places, and things,’ the audience shares stories of ordinary neighbors, reflecting on the precious values of life while also revisiting that history.

The second performance is the ‘Dancing Festival’ presented by the Chunghyeon-dong Residents’ Autonomous Center Hula Dance Team. ‘Hula’ dance, meaning dance in the native Hawaiian language, is a folk dance characterized by gentle movements that resemble painting pictures. It is a healthy exercise that moves the body softly and smoothly, making it enjoyable for people of all ages and genders. The Chunghyeon-dong Residents’ Autonomous Center Hula Dance Team recently competed in the Cheongwon Life Festival Residents’ Autonomous Program Competition on the 2nd, advancing through preliminaries and winning the grand prize among 16 teams nationwide, showcasing their outstanding skills.

The final performance, ‘Together While Drumming,’ is conducted by the Nanta Association. It promises to be a healing space where both performers and audience members can freely drum along to the rhythm and songs, relieve stress, and enjoy the sounds and atmosphere together.

Tickets for ‘Nauri Festival 5’ can be reserved through Interpark.