Opening the Future of Traditional Arts... Launching Support Projects for Genre-specific Market Hubs
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Lee ByungJae(2025-08-26 15:50:39)
- 2025 Jeonju World Sound Festival Settlement (Middle)
- Sound Festival, Sound Market 'Sound Next' planned to expand festival outreach
- Performances scheduled in Hungary and Bulgaria in October, and in New York, USA in April next year
The 2025 Jeonju World Sound Festival was selected as a festival supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Arts Management Service Center as part of the '2025 Genre Market Hub Support Project.' The festival expanded its outreach to the market. It laid the first button as a platform to support the domestic and international market entry of traditional music-based arts organizations and to promote work distribution and practical collaboration.
This genre-specific market hub project was planned to drive the future through the distribution of Korean works by leading festivals in Korea. By making the existing events of the festival more abundant and diverse, it aimed to 'scale up' the festival.
During the Sound Festival, 'Sound Next' was held, which attracted a lot of attention with planning and open showcases, talks, farm tours, and networking programs for experts.
'Sound Next' involves a total of 22 domestic and international experts from artist selection for showcases to performing on the festival stage. In particular, the planning team included Chun Jae-hyun (traditional arts director, Sound Frontier artistic director), Kye Myung-guk (Jara Island Jazz Festival director), Kim Mi-so (DMZ Peace Train Music Festival general director), and Lee Soo-jung (DMZ Peace Train Music Festival artistic director), which garnered attention.
Above all, this year's market included 8 foreign performing arts experts, including Jean Lee (IMG Artists General Producer, USA), Claudia Balladelli (Axé Worldfest Director, Canada), Lisa Branigan (Re-Play Music C.I.C & Green Futures Festivals Founder Director, UK), Bożena Szota (Ethno Port Festival Director, Poland), Haiying Song (Productions Yari Director, Canada/China), Shandy Gan (West Kowloon Cultural District Program Coordinator, Hong Kong), and Rachel Cooper (Asia Society USA Headquarters & Global Branch Director, USA).
They watched various performances during the Sound Festival and sought practical overseas expansion of our traditional arts. As a result, 'Our Music Group Soak,' which won at Sound Frontier, is scheduled to perform in Hungary, Bulgaria, and other European countries in October. Additionally, a performance in New York for the 'Sound Festival' is confirmed for April next year. Furthermore, foreign performing arts experts who participated in the Sound Festival and this year's market are actively discussing hosting events in North America and Asia, accelerating the expansion of outreach.
Jean Lee, IMG Artists General Producer in the USA, stated, "I believe that young Korean musicians should not just stay in Korea but should go abroad," and expressed, "If a North American Sound Festival is held and partners from across North America participate, it will be a truly fantastic festival."
Rachel Cooper, Director of Performing Arts at Asia Society, commented, "The young musicians I met in Korea already have confidence, charisma, and outstanding skills. I hope they can connect naturally with the global music scene and succeed on the world stage."
Kim Hee-sun, Executive Director of the Sound Festival, said, "Through 'Sound Next,' I hope to enter the domestic and international traditional music market and become an opportunity to face a broader world," and added, "The Sound Festival will strive to faithfully serve as a bridge for the overseas expansion of our traditional music through its platform."
