Korea-UK-Japan coproduce site responsive: One Day Maybe

Korea has joined up with Japan and the UK for a co-produced performance.

In celebration of the establishment of the Asian Arts Theater in theAsian Culture Complex, currently under construction in Gwangju, international artists and experts from the three nations teamed up on the site-responsive performance One Day Maybe, started on August 3 at Gwangju Girls' High School.

Poster of the performance One Day Maybe that started on August 3 and run throughDecember(사진: Asian Culture Complex).

The project came to be by the cooperation of Korean production company AsiaNow and British counterpart dreamthinkspeak as well as the sponsorship of the Asian Culture Complex,the Museum of Arts in Kochi, Japan, andthe 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art in Kanazawa, Japan. One Day Maybe is scheduled to be performed in all three participating cities of Gwangju, Kochi, and Kanazawa.

Inasmuch as this project was the final product of much collaboration among the artists of the three countries, the ideas behind the styling are fresh and original. The site-responsive performance refers to a type of production that is staged in daily spaces where prepared videos, installation artworks, and live performances unfold. Audiences also become part of the performance.

The Korea-UK-Japan co-production One Day Maybe is a site-responsive performance where performers enjoy the flexibility of the sites and audiences are expected to follow the cast to watch (photo courtesy of the Asian Culture Complex).

The production is carried out in the same fresh and creative style with the same themes but is likely to change depending on its locations. The program in Korea opened at a high school, while the Kochi performance is designed to utilize the whole area of the museum, and the Kanazawa performance the museum and a shopping mall.

The project deals with democratic movements. Struck by theMay 18 Gwangju Democratic Uprisingin Korea, British director Tristan Sharps linked it to the Arab Spring. There he reportedly began to conceive the idea of the performance with questions such as "how would the victims of the May 18 democratic movement evaluate the current status of democracy? Has democracy spread or is it no better than it was before?"

British director Tristan Sharps directed the Korea-UK-Japan coproduction One Day Maybe (photo courtesy of Asian Culture Complex).

Director Tristan Sharps is founder and artistic director of the theater company dreamthinkspeak. For the past ten years, Sharps has created a variety of colorful live performances, eye-catching videos, and artworks at various locations such as subway stations in London, a paper mill inMoscow, and the official residence of the Australian Ministry of Finance. In 2010, he was given Peter Brook Empty Space Ensemble Award in recognition for his innovative and creative approach.

Director Jang Yeong-gyu from Korea has been in charge of the music for the project. He is well known in Korea for having produced background music on a number of hit films such as "The Thieves" and "Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance" and also as director of the gugak performance group Be-Being.

In addition, 20 Koreans and 20 Japanese staff members are involved in the production. Among them include ten members who are set to participate in all the performances taking place in the three participating cities of Gwangju, Kochi, and Kanazawa.

During the three years of collaboration and production processes of research, conferences, and workshops, the participating artists and staff from the three nations had lively talks and exchanges, laying a solid foundation for further cooperation in the artistic production world. Moreover, the performances mark a landmark for hosting projects in the regional stages of Gwangju, Kochi, and Kanazawa rather than in a central capital.

Wrapping up the Korean edition on September 15, the production will move to Kochi, Japan, from November 2 to 9 and Kanazawa from November 28 toDecember8. The audience size is limited to 60 per session and reservations are highly recommended.

For preliminary information, please clickhere.

ByLee Seung-ah
Korea.net Staff Writer
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