Host, venues & cities
The 9th edition of the Atelier took place in Gwangju, South Korea, a city which aims to become cultural hub in the Asian context, gave the participants the unique opportunity to witness the opening of the most ambitious cultural center in the region and exchange with both local and international actors. Chonnam National University (CNU), located in Gwangju Metropolitan City, is one of the most prestigious national universities in Korea.
Why Gwangju?
Gwangju Metropolitan City is one of the six largest cities in Korea, with a population of 1.4 million. Gwangju is rich in culture and art, as shown by its cultural initiatives such as Hub City of Asian Culture project and Gwangju Biennale which make the city one of the most vibrant and colourful places in the country.
Kathrin Deventer, Secretary General European Festivals Association
"With Gwanjgu the Atelier is going to Asia for the second time. Following the Atelier Singapore 2011 the cooperation with our partners in Gwangju is key for The Festival Academy and EFA to further strengthen our collaboration with the Asian cultural world. Gwangju bears an important historical and cultural significance in the region, and is one of the most vibrant and colourful places in the country."
Chonnam National University
Chonnam National University (CNU) has played a pivotal role in strengthening justice and human rights in Korean history since its establishment in 1952. Consisting of 59 academic departments in 19 colleges and 11 graduate programs, CNU maintains international ties with 300 universities in 42 countries. The Graduate School of Culture (GSC), which was opened in March 2006, is Korea’s first and only graduate school specializing in culture. GSC currently provides three master’s programs including “Culture and Arts Planning,” “Culture Management and Tourism” and “Media Art and Technology". Having been selected for the Korean government's Brain Korea 21 plus project (2013-2020), GSC pursues its vision of a “world-class graduate school specializing in education and research in the field of cultural convergence and training creative and global culture professionals.”
Ju No Lee, Dean of Graduate School of Culture, Chonnam National University
"Being South Korea’s first and only graduate school specialised in education and research in the field of cultural convergence and training for creative and global culture professionals it is our pleasure to host such a global initiative as the Atelier, which will bring diverse experiences and creative visions of early career professionals to Gwangju. The Atelier will be all the more meaningful because it will be held in conjunction with the opening festival of the Asian Culture Complex."
Asia Culture Centre
Asia Culture Centre, a government-funded establishment housed in the heart of Gwangju, is doubtless the most ambitious and momentous art project in Korean history in terms of budget, artistic vision and spatial scale. Based in this newly constructed complex, the Asia Culture Centre Theatre questions, supports and creates contemporary performing arts in Asia. The theatre produces, co-produces, invites and promotes art works from Asia as well as the rest of the world. It aspires to become a hub for the production, presentation, discussion and international distribution of the most cutting-edge works in the context of the international performing arts scene. In September 2015, the theatre opened with a three week opening festival which presented almost 30 commissioned, co-produced and invited works, with main emphasis on Asian artists.
Seonghee Kim, Artistic Director Asia Culture Centre Theatre
"We are delighted to host the Atelier for Young Festival Managers in partnership with Chonnam National University. Our grand opening festival will provide an arena where different perspectives and visions can freely collide and mingle. As one of Asia's most ambitious cultural initiatives, our festival will be a timely opportunity for future generations of festival managers to question and explore the most pertinent discourses of Asia today."