The Fira participates in the performing arts market in Seoul as an organisation associated to the Korea Arts Management Service (KAMS) and collaborates with the Ramon Llull Institute to open new business lines in the Asian market for Catalan performing arts companies.
Last October, FiraTàrrega attended the PAMS (Performing Arts Market in Seoul) with a stand that it shared with the Ramon Llull Institute to present the performing arts of Catalonia and the Balearic Islands to the Asian market. This Catalan delegation is the result of the agreement signed in 2011 between FiraTàrrega and the KAMS to promote mutual knowledge and the exchange of professionals between Catalonia and South Korea.
PAMS is one of the most dynamic performing arts markets worldwide, thanks to the driving force of the Korean economy and the decisive support policies by the government to performing arts in the country. FiraTàrrega participated at this encounter for the first time within the framework of a collaboration agreement with the KAMS, with the aim of maintaining it and extending it over forthcoming years. Thanks to this agreement, at the last edition of the Fira, 20 professionals from 10 Korean organisations and a company that was selected in the official programme participated.
The main objective of attending the PAMS in Seoul was to present the Fira as a performing arts market from Catalonia and the south of Europe, in order to open new artistic routes for professionals interested in extending their international market.
In addition, the collaboration of the Ramon Llull Institute allowed the objectives of the delegation to be extended to guarantee that the agreements allow for the increase of the Catalan and Balearic presence at festivals and programmes in Korea, Asia and other international festivals. There are currently conversations under way with companies programmed at FiraTàrrega 2011 to participate in four Korean street arts festivals in 2012. Contacts are also being established with Asian projects to guarantee the presence of Catalan creators in the international cooperation programmes presented at the PAMS, conversations have been initiated with the Australian Arts Council and with the Tokyo Performing Arts Market in Yokohama for their presence at the forthcoming edition of FiraTàrrega and contacts have been made with festivals and cultural centres of reference in Seoul for possible Catalan focuses in Korea.
These actions are part of FiraTàrrega’s internationalisation plan, which started in 2002, with the aim of promoting contacts between Catalonia and the international market, which take place at the annual meeting in Tàrrega during the second weekend in September.
