This was the scene of the "Dudumchit Silent Disco," held by the Seoul Arts Center from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. that day. Through the headphones of about 700 attendees flowed a nonstop mix of familiar music, from electronic dance music (EDM) mixed by DJs such as Bonggi, KALI, and LIFY, to K-pop by BLACKPINK, IU, and more. Not only people in their 20s and 30s but also middle-aged and older audience members who had come to see performances or exhibitions and put on headphones alongside their children were spotted.
Among them, the one who caught the eye was Han-na Chang, president of the Seoul Arts Center. President Chang stayed at the event throughout, mingling with citizens. She climbed onto the circular photo zone and swayed to the rhythm, and also shared the scene live on her social media.
The event symbolically shows the direction of change the Seoul Arts Center has been pursuing since President Chang took office. Chang had earlier expressed her ambition to make it "a space where all generations enjoy, feel, and grow together, where visitors' footsteps never stop all day long."
As part of this effort, various outdoor programs will be held this fall. On the staircase plaza, a "Staircase Theater" will be set up where people can enjoy performance videos across various genres such as musicals, plays, and music while drinking draft beer. On the 30th of this month, a direct-trade farmers' market with music will open, and starting in October, the "Book Festival: Plaza Library" will run. Fashion shows, yoga and running, and outdoor busking will also follow.
Attempts to lower the barrier to entry for performance venues are also active at major cultural and arts institutions abroad. New York's Lincoln Center transforms its outdoor plaza into a large dance floor to hold "silent discos" and also runs social dance programs that ordinary people can easily join. London's Southbank Centre offers a wide range of programs, from family events to art and music programs involving young people of diverse social backgrounds, including refugees. Germany's Konzerthaus Berlin regularly holds "Right in the Middle" performances, where audiences sit among the orchestra members to enjoy the music, breaking down the boundary of the seating area.
However, some point out that, no less than efforts to lower the barrier for citizens, strengthening the competitiveness of performances and exhibitions as Korea's representative multi-arts space should come first. An arts industry official noted, "Rather than eye-catching one-off events, providing high-quality performance and exhibition programs is the source that draws citizens in over the long term."
