What is the Performing Arts Market in Seoul and where is it being held?

PAMS is the annual contemporary performing arts event in Seoul. It is taking place at the National Theater of Korea and the Namsan Arts Center through Oct. 16.

Why was PAMS created and what does it offer to participants?

The market was launched in 2005 with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It offers showcases, presentations, seminars and a fair for Korean artists and international presenters.

How does PAMS help Korean performing arts reach overseas markets?

Selected works receive airfare support for overseas touring, training and consulting opportunities, and translation services. The event says 76 PAMS Choice works have toured 47 countries since the program began.

Seoul Art Market Facilitates Exchange in Performing Arts

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Summary

The Performing Arts Market in Seoul is taking place at the National Theater of Korea and the Namsan Arts Center through Oct. 16. The annual event brings together 120 foreign performing arts professionals from 40 countries and 1,000 local artists and producers. It offers showcases, seminars and a fair, with this year’s PAMS Choice featuring 15 works. The program also includes networking events, investor matching for six Korean works in development and 85 booths from local groups and companies.

Key Facts

The market was launched in 2005 with support from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
Since its inception, 76 PAMS Choice works have toured 47 countries.
This year’s PAMS Choice includes works such as Kyungsook, Kyungsooks Father, Therese Raquin, Deja vu and 7 Ways.
The event theme is Pre-production, Production and Distribution.
About 10 foreign groups, including TPAM and CINARS, are participating to exchange information on current trends.

Published Oct 14, 2009 5:33 pm KST
Updated Oct 14, 2009 5:33 pm KST

By Chung Ah-young

Staff Reporter

The Performing Arts Market in Seoul (PAMS), the annual contemporary performing arts event, is taking place at the National Theater of Korea and the Namsan Arts Center through Oct. 16.

Some 120 foreign performing arts professionals from 40 countries, and 1,000 local artists and producers are participating in the event to explore the current position of the genre.

The art market, which was launched in 2005 with the support of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, offers showcases, presentations, seminars and a fair for Korean artists and international presenters.

For the PAMS Choice, which represents Korea's distinguished performing arts pieces in theater, dance, music and multimedia, a jury selects the top pieces out of numerous submissions.

This year's PAMS Choice will showcase 15 works during the event. The program includes "Kyungsook, Kyungsook's Father" directed by Park Geun-hyung, "Therese Raquin" directed by Kang Ryang-won, "Deja vu" choreographed by Hong Seung-yeop and "7 Ways" directed by Jeong Geum-hyung.

The benefits for being selected include airfare support for overseas performing tours, training and consulting opportunities, and translation services co-sponsored by the Korea Literature Translation Institute to assist in performers' efforts to broaden their horizons in overseas markets.

Since its inception, the event has helped a total of 76 PAMS Choice works tour 47 countries.

Themed "Pre-production, Production and Distribution," this year's event will also focus on creation. A forum for matching domestic and overseas joint productions with investors will be provided under "Incubation for Performing Arts" for six Korean works that are still in the creation stage.

Also, the organizer said that PAMS aims to strengthen the networking programs between the artist groups and presenters through "Speed Dating" for face-to-face consultation, and "Round Table," which enables sharing of the performing arts information for close networks.

The event focuses on the performing arts of North America through various forums and seminars in which Alain Pare, founder and CEO of International Exchange for the Performing Arts in Canada (CINARS); David Baile, executive director of the International Society for the Performing Arts (ISPA); Martin Wechsler, director of programming, Joyce Theatre; MK Wegmann, president of the National Performance Network in the United States; Sandra Gibson, president of the Association of Performing Arts Presenters; Tina Rasmussen, director of Performing Arts, Harbourfront Center; and many more presenters and performing arts professionals from the region will join.

A total of 85 booths from local artist groups, organizations and related companies are set up from Oct. 13 to 15 at the National Theater of Korea to promote their projects and works. Also, about 10 foreign groups such as the Tokyo Performing Arts Market (TPAM) and the International Exchange for the Performing Arts in Canada (CINARS) are participating to exchange information about current trends.

For more information, www.pams.or.kr.

chungay@koreatimes.co.kr

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