@article{ART003275422},
author={Bak, So-young},
title={Drama Festivals as a Way of Survival: Focusing on the Theater Festivals in Busan},
journal={International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구},
issn={2951-2808},
year={2025},
volume={7},
number={7},
pages={41-56}
TY - JOUR
AU - Bak, So-young
TI - Drama Festivals as a Way of Survival: Focusing on the Theater Festivals in Busan
JO - International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구
PY - 2025
VL - 7
IS - 7
PB - K-culture Convergence Research Society
SP - 41
EP - 56
SN - 2951-2808
AB - Objectives: This study aims to examine the role of theater festivals in regional arts through the case of the Busan Theater Festival. By focusing on Busan—home to the largest number of theater companies and theater festivals outside of Seoul—this research analyzes the role that festivals play in shaping the ecosystem of performing arts in the region.
Methods: This study compares several theater festivals held in Busan to examine their respective roles in the local performing arts scene. Focusing on the Busan Theater Festival and the Busan International Theater Festival—two of the most prominent—it explores their contributions to the revitalization of local theater companies. It also considers the evolving role of the Busan Theater Festival as it transitions in 2024 toward becoming a citizen-participatory performing arts festival.
Conclusions: Although Busan hosts numerous theater festivals, the survival of theatrical arts remains challenging, and even maintaining the festivals themselves has become increasingly difficult. Notably, the Busan International Theater Festival, despite receiving the most attention, tends to focus on inviting theater companies from other countries and from Seoul, rather than fostering participation from local troupes. In this context, the bold transformation of the Busan Theater Festival—which had been reduced to a preliminary round for the National Theater Festival—can be seen as both a strategy for the festival’s survival and a meaningful effort to revitalize local theater.
KW - Busan Theater Festival;Local Theater Festival;Arts Festival;Local Festival;Regional Theater;Busan International Theater Festival;Theater in Busan
DO -
UR -
ER -
Bak, So-young. (2025). Drama Festivals as a Way of Survival: Focusing on the Theater Festivals in Busan. International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구, 7(7), 41-56.
Bak, So-young. 2025, "Drama Festivals as a Way of Survival: Focusing on the Theater Festivals in Busan", International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구, vol.7, no.7 pp.41-56.
Bak, So-young "Drama Festivals as a Way of Survival: Focusing on the Theater Festivals in Busan" International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구 7.7 pp.41-56 (2025) : 41.
Bak, So-young. Drama Festivals as a Way of Survival: Focusing on the Theater Festivals in Busan. 2025; 7(7), 41-56.
Bak, So-young. "Drama Festivals as a Way of Survival: Focusing on the Theater Festivals in Busan" International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구 7, no.7 (2025) : 41-56.
Bak, So-young. Drama Festivals as a Way of Survival: Focusing on the Theater Festivals in Busan. International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구, 7(7), 41-56.
Bak, So-young. Drama Festivals as a Way of Survival: Focusing on the Theater Festivals in Busan. International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구. 2025; 7(7) 41-56.
Bak, So-young. Drama Festivals as a Way of Survival: Focusing on the Theater Festivals in Busan. 2025; 7(7), 41-56.
Bak, So-young. "Drama Festivals as a Way of Survival: Focusing on the Theater Festivals in Busan" International Journal of K-Culture/K-Culture융합연구 7, no.7 (2025) : 41-56.
