Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture

Introduction

Seoul Street Arts Creation Center is the one-and-only venue for experiments in Street Arts and Contemporary Circus in Korea

Diverse works of street arts are developed, artists who will boldly encounter citizens are trained, and the foundation of culture is nurtured to take root in numerous streets of Seoul.

The center is a base camp where street arts blooms to spread everywhere for everyone to enjoy.

Year of 2012

Begin to find a new way to reutilize the former intake station, a suggestion to make it to a specialised space in street arts and circus has been made by a wide variety of professionals. Research to draw up a plan had begun and showcases took place in the area to test its suitability.

Year of 2013

Several exemplary programs were operated to find suitable contents for the area. Performers and experts discussed about how to divide the various parts of the whole area. Open Studio were run twice and depth research for operating and management plan were done.

Year of 2014.1.~2015. 4.

Remodeling and preparation for operation as SSACC was done during the period.

April 24, 2015 SSACC Open

It’s open as a basecamp for Street Arts and Circus finally.

SSACC Programmes

Prospects and Goal

- to function a national platform for the street arts and circus artists
- to facilitate cultural exchange among other countries
- to aim at making an efficient circle of education-production-practice-distribution

Support for Creative Activities

76 Street Arts and 39 Circus performances are supported from 2014 to 2021.

Creative projects in the field can get grants from SSACC to develop its production and research. The final works have been performed at public spaces to let citizens enjoy.

Education

Fostering Professionals

To dig out emerging artists and expand the genre, SSACC runs several education program to help them learn skills, knowledge and train by themselves.

Circus Arts Education Program for children and families

It gives a chace to experience circus for children and families. They can learn harmony, balance and cooperation throught the program.

Distribution

Season Program <CARAVAN>

To give a chance for the public to meet and enjoy street arts & circus at a daily life space such as a park, plaza, square, SSACC runs season programs in spring and autumn. Through this program, artists can get a chance to show their performances during non-festival season and public can meet various performances.

Circus Festival <CABARET>

Seoul Circus Festival <Circus CABARET> began in 2018. Since then, the festival invites 10-14 circus performances from abroad and south Korea every year. It consists of peformances, exhibitions, hands-on experience, etc.

Street Arts X Circus Movable Exhibition

To increase the interest and improve the comprehension in the genre, the exhibition display the archive of trace in and out of Korea. The exhibition on two 3x6 containers with trailers could be met in street arts festivals.

International Exchange and Networking

Annual Open Studio <SSACC Briefing>

The open studio consists of several showcases & presentations run by selected artists of research project grant, education program participants for professionals in circus and street arts. Most showcases are done at SSACC but some of them are also done outside of SSACC. Through this program, artists and experts in the genre can share their projects and meet/talk the other ones.

Circus Asia Network <CAN>

Pre-meeting was started in winter, 2017. Several circus experts from four Asia countries gathered and discussed about how to extend the international circus network to Asia and promote the revitalization of the Asia contemporary circus. The discussion was continuous and Circus Asia Network was officailly launching in 2019. Currently 7 Asia countries participate in the network and is searching how to cooperate and what to do for the future of contemporary circus in the region through regular/informal meetings.

Location