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“Official Selections Announced for the 2025 Busan International Performing Arts Market (BPAM)”

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it has finalized the 26 official selections for the “2025 Busan International Performing Arts Market (BPAM),” which will take place across Busan from September 24 to 28.
○ “BPAM” is an international performing arts distribution market that brings together domestic and international performing arts professionals in one place to present and distribute outstanding performances from Korea and abroad. It is hosted by the City and organized by the Busan Cultural Foundation (President Oh Jae-hwan).
○ Now in its third edition, BPAM will be held under the slogan “A New Wave of Performing Arts” and will take place at venues across Busan, including the Busan Cultural Center, Busan Citizens Hall, Haeundae Cultural Center, Busan Eurasia Platform, Kyungsung University, Haeundae Beach, and KT&G Sangsangmadang Busan.

At the 2025 BPAM, more than 100 outstanding performances—including 26 official selections carefully chosen by the artistic directors—will be introduced to performing arts professionals from around the world.
○ The main programs include ▲“BPAM Choice” (four works) featuring official selections by the artistic directors ▲“BPAM Showcase” (22 works) featuring promising works by genre, and ▲“BPAM Wave,” “BPAM Street,” and “BPAM Link,” which will present more than 70 noteworthy works from Korea and abroad.
○ The four works selected for “BPAM Choice” are: ▲[Multidisciplinary] Bill’s 44th Birthday, a nonverbal emotional performance by an American puppet artist ▲[Theater] Son, Mother and Father. Sitting at the Table in Silence for a Long Time by the Zagreb Youth Theater in Croatia ▲[Music] Rhythmic Sounds: Cross-Section, a performance that breaks the boundaries between traditional Korean music and jazz by Kim In-su and the Gugak Jazz Society ▲[Dance] Pharsalia, a contemporary dance performance by the Antonio Ruz Company from Spain.

This year’s BPAM will also bring together key figures from the global performing arts sector to share national performing arts policies and explore opportunities for domestic and international collaboration. In addition, a new “Regional Creation/Production Project” program will be introduced to select and present experimental Busan-based works with international market potential during BPAM, with the aim of cultivating them into representative works of the City.
○ In connection with the <K-Fellowship> program, a key initiative of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism inviting influential international figures, approximately 100 overseas guests—including Roy Luxford, Creative Director of the Edinburgh International Festival (the largest performing arts festival in the United Kingdom); Valeria Ambrosio, Director of the Palacio Libertad, the largest cultural center in South America; and Anna Obolewicz, International Relations Manager of Tanec Praha, the largest contemporary dance festival in the Czech Republic—will attend BPAM.
○ Meanwhile, the newly launched “Regional Creation/Production Project” aims to support the creation and distribution of regional performing arts. Under the “Project” category, four new Busan-based works will each receive KRW 20 million in production support, and under the “Pick” category, 10 outstanding regional repertory works will be supported. All 14 selected works will be showcased during BPAM before performing arts industry professionals.

The performer lineup will be announced sequentially on the BPAM website (bpam.kr), and tickets for the official selections will also be available for purchase on the website starting today (18th).
○ Ticket prices are KRW 20,000 for full-length performances (Choice) and KRW 5,000 for package showcases and KRW 3,000 for single showcases.

Cho Yu-jang, Director of Culture Bureau of the City, stated, “BPAM is a festival-like market that brings together citizens, artists, and performing arts industry experts centered on performing arts distribution, and offers a diverse range of performances that everyone can enjoy. We ask for the great interest and participation of our citizens,” and added, “We will do our best to ensure that BPAM grows into an internationally renowned performing arts festival.”