By YEOM Hye-won (contributing writer)

 Korean Theater Review (October 2009)

 Why artists debuting overseas need support

With the rapid advancement of transportation and information technologies, physical distances are no longer an obstacle. It has also made simultaneity possible. In the past, information and culture developed slowly in line with local demand and supply based on what was judged to be superior. But nowadays, market developments have the power to affect the entire world. Culture and arts are no exception. Achieving unbiased cultural interaction regardless of national boundaries is the latest trend. For example, performances that are to debut tonight in Seoul will be immediately introduced by various media and in no time their production teams will be contacted not only by people in Korea but in other countries as well. Many of them will approach through diverse channels that are beyond imagination [1] . To proactively respond to the latest trends, it is imperative for art troupes, public institutions and government agencies to collaborate and support one another.

Though diverse efforts are applied to that end, producing various results, the motives and goals keep overlapping, inevitably resulting in wasted money and human resources. Efforts are needed to minimize this kind of inefficiency. That requires an efficient framework and infrastructure. Regulations aimed at helping artists debut overseas seek to solve problems that cannot be solved by individuals. Entities that are included in this efficient framework are artists; art troupes; the Korea Foundation (an affiliated organ of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade); the Korea Arts Management Service; the Arts Council Korea; and local governments and ministries, such as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. It is urgent to build an interactive network to implement the long-term policies of each entity through systematic communication among the entities.

There are several mechanisms that drive international cultural exchanges. From a narrow perspective, their goal lies in expanding areas in which individuals and groups can perform in a bid to improve their reputation or generate profits. From a broader perspective, their goal lies in promoting cultural exchanges and cultural diplomacy to improve the national image. But in the long run, the ultimate goal is to improve understanding among individuals, societies and nations, promote respect for cultural diversity and achieve the ideals of art through cultural exchanges. To realize those goals, it is necessary to accurately grasp the needs of people both in Korea and abroad.

 [1]  The world’s largest online video-sharing site YouTube (www.youtube.co.kr) is a good example. YouTube’s online orchestra project “YouTube Symphony Orchestra” (www.youtube.com/symphonykr), which is the first of its kind in the world, was staged at Carnegie Hall in New York in 2009. Ninety people were selected to participate in the project after receiving evaluations online. Rehearsals are also held on YouTube. This is a good example of how the performance arts – a traditionally analog form of art – are meeting the needs of the present era, where the restraints of time, distance and location are losing their meaning.

There may be diverse ways to support artists overseas, but judging by actual results, each entity involved in international cultural exchanges views statistical data in its own way. They differ on whether to provide direct or indirect support, long-term or short-term support, and whether to hold cultural exchanges on the private level. In the case of the ministries, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, they also have to consider how cultural exchanges will affect the nation’s relations with other countries. The following is a more detailed description of the support each entity provides to artists seeking to establish their presence abroad.

Support provided by each organization
In Korea, there was no integrated statistical data on performances that have been staged overseas because each entity compiled data separately. To keep track of Korean performances staged abroad, the Korea Arts Management Service published the report “International Exchanges of Performance Arts in 2008.” The service plans to publish similar reports on an annual basis. (The “Culture and Art Yearbook” also tackles international exchanges by area, but it has nothing to do with this publication). According to the KAMS report, 225 groups staged 550 performances overseas in 2007. Of those, 41 were theater groups that staged 125 performances abroad.

“International Exchanges of Performance Arts in 2008” (published by Korea Arts Management Service), page13

In the 47 cases under the theater category -- including overlapping cases -- the Korea Foundation supported 10 performances, the Arts Council Korea - 15, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism - 9, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - 6, local governments - 2, overseas entities - 4, and one was supported by another entity not listed. The amount of financial support provided to art groups was specified in only 17 cases, including those receiving “partial support.” In 13 cases, air fares and travel costs were not mentioned at all. That was presumably because of the limitations that the survey faced at the time. This shows how difficult it was to compile this data, given that statistics are the essential element of any database. There was lack of information on small private art groups that performed overseas; it was hard to determine where and when these groups performed exactly and whether they used their own funds.

To prevent overlapping in funding and the loss of information, it is necessary to collect data on the entire process -- from production to the return trip home -- using photos, videos and other recording devices, even if there are not enough human resources to do that. That kind of information carries a significant value. It is also important to build or improve a system that will allow entities to collaborate and share information by accessing it easily.

Statistics compiled by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism for 2007 show that nine out of 15 performances receiving support, including overlapping cases, did not receive help in terms of travel costs. Then who did those individuals and groups get help from? The answer can be found in the same data. Of 14 cases, 60 percent found financial help on their own: 57.2 percent used their own funds, 24.2 percent used subsidies and endowments, and 18.8 percent used remuneration for being invited. The entire amount of overseas expenditures for 10 cases reached 731.5 million won.

 Korea Foundation

While the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade mostly supports one-time performances, its affiliate organ, the Korea Foundation, devises specific plans for providing artists with partial financial support. The foundation’s plans for 2010 are as follows.

Performances: air fare and performance equipment transportation costs (group discounts for economy class)

Exhibitions: packaging, international shipping, customs clearance and insurance

- Support of catalog production costs and partial air fare for people directly involved in exhibitions can be considered.
- Theater rent and overseas expenditures are not provided.

The Foundation’s total budget for this assistance amounts to 400 million won. Funding differs according to the size of a group and prices in the country hosting the event, but it usually ranges from 10 million to 30 million won. Financial support is also provided for productions that are selected through the PAMS Choice program, sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

 Korea Arts Management Service

Unlike the other entities, the Korea Arts Management Service provides indirect support through the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The support is divided into projects aimed at helping artists debut overseas and projects aimed at securing strategic channels for artists’ overseas expansion.

• Helping artists debut overseas

The service publicizes Korea’s performance arts, helps domestic artists establish a presence abroad and promotes international exchanges using diverse channels. It builds overseas networks by signing cultural exchange agreements with overseas performance arts agencies and associations. The service also produces and distributes promotional materials that publicize Korea’s performance arts; collects and provides information on overseas performance art markets; and organizes showcases, PR booths, presentations programs, workshops and receptions overseas. In addition, the service publishes online newsletters on the performance arts sector on a special website, organizes workshops for promoting international exchanges and trains human resources.

• Securing strategic channels for artists’ overseas expansion

The service publicizes Korean artists and art groups overseas by holding PR events in various art markets around the world.

 Arts Council Korea 

• Support for international exchanges in culture and art

According to the March 2009 report issued by the Arts Council Korea, the council earmarked 4.96 billion won to promote international cooperation in the arts and has provided 4.25 billion in actual support. According to the results of the first deliberation of 2009, of the 46 recipients of financial support, 8 came from the theater sector, receiving 145.5 million won. The second round of applications for funding will begin in March 2010. Each group will receive up to 100 million won. (For more information, see the data on regular applications.)

 Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade usually provides funding through its affiliate, the Korea Foundation. It also funds -- on a one-time basis -- cultural events involving Korean culture and art groups that are dispatched to other countries that have diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea as part of state projects. But few details are available on this.

 Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism

As the organ in charge of all culture and art policies, the ministry published a report in 2009 outlining its plan to promote the performance arts sector. The report describes the plan to promote the “Performance Arts Market in Seoul” project, help performing artists establish a presence overseas and fund international exchanges. The ministry has no specific plans to support artists but it seeks to help them expand their presence overseas by contacting foreign agencies on their behalf, securing long-term performance projects, helping them participate in international festivals and perform in major performance halls in strategic overseas markets, building international networks at the government level, and managing information on overseas performance arts markets in a systematic way.

 Importance of Databases

Data provided by the above organs and their policies on helping artists expand their presence overseas are of strikingly poor quality and organization. In line with the rising demand to create a network to promote international exchanges, the agencies have been trying to come up with consistent application forms, improve their deliberation processes, enhance budget transparency, and prevent the waste of human and material resources stemming from overlapped funding. 2009 marked the first year since 2000 that funds allocated for culture exceeded one percent of the national budget, and it has been growing steadily. However, the qualitative growth is hard to achieve. Surveys of the performance arts sector have been conducted since 2005, albeit very inaccurately, and it was not until 2007 that the results of policy studies were announced. It was a late start, but from now on the collection of statistical data will become a very important and meaningful process. Hopefully, we will see more accurate and better results because support for domestic art groups seeking to establish a presence abroad lacks a good, solid framework. To maximize efficiency, it is important not only to increase funding but also to devise more accurate criteria for each recipient with regard to air fares, transportation costs, feasibility, and diversity of performance arts. The government must provide support in line with the goals and requirements of public funds and notify applicants about the proper criteria via an integrated information network that links each agency.