Ansan International Street Theater Festival to Be Held at Ansan Culture Plaza from May 1 to 3

Six International Invited Works to Be Staged, Along with Eleven Official Domestic Selections
Lee Min-geun: "We Will Prepare for an Open Festival Everyone Can Enjoy Together"

On January 21, Ansan City in Gyeonggi Province and the Ansan Cultural Foundation announced that this year's "Ansan International Street Theater Festival" will be held from May 1 to May 3 at the Ansan Culture Plaza area.

The representative festival of Ansan City, the "Ansan International Street Theater Festival," will be held for three days from May 1 to 3 at the Ansan Culture Plaza area. Citizens are enjoying performances at last year's Ansan International Street Theater Festival. Provided by Ansan City

The Ansan International Street Theater Festival is a representative street arts festival that has continued for 20 years since 2005. Centered around Ansan Culture Plaza, it features a variety of programs, including performances, street art, games, and workshops.

The city unveiled the main lineup for this year's festival, 100 days ahead of its opening.

Continuing from last year, the festival will be held under the slogan "Art Meets on the Street, Connecting the World," presenting accessible street art where life and art naturally blend together.

This year's closing performance will be "WOW (World of Words)" by the Canadian circus arts group Caravane, a piece that stands out for its spectacular acrobatics and dynamic performances. In addition, six international invited works will be staged, including "Inflated Bodies" by the French arts group Compagnie Didier Theron and the "Fire Show" by the Japanese group FireBandIt.

For the official domestic selections, a total of 11 works have been chosen, including "Dancing Museum" by Animation Crew, "Voyage" by Marine Boy, and "Romantic Traveling Theater Wagon Theater" by Pink Socks Theater Company.

For the creative program "Ansan Research," which captures stories of Ansan, "The Road" by Yehwa has been selected. The festival will also offer a variety of citizen participation programs.

To enhance cultural accessibility for the socially disadvantaged during the festival, the city will provide sign language interpretation and subtitles for the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as operate augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) boards. The festival aims to become a sustainable event through eco-friendly initiatives such as rewriting the program book and installing resource circulation booths.

Lee Min-geun, Mayor of Ansan, stated, "The Ansan International Street Theater Festival is a symbol of a city where art breathes within citizens' daily lives and a driving force that leads Ansan to become a world-class cultural city," adding, "We will thoroughly prepare to make it an open arts festival that everyone can enjoy together."

Detailed information about the festival can be found on the official website, blog, and social media channels.