Performance Support Program, Expanding Nationwide

KT&G SangSang Madang Hongdae is supporting the practical growth of indie musicians by implementing various music support projects. Starting with “Band Discovery” first introduced in 2007, it supports the growth of new artists in various ways, including My First Concert which has been conducted since 2015. KT&G also expands the project at a national level through SangSang Madang Busan opened in 2020. The “Indie on Spotlight”, one of representative program of SangSang Madang Busan, provides mentoring of popular musicians and performance experience to new musicians based in Busan. Musicians such as Harim, Yozoh, and Car the Garden participated as mentors, and the mentors helps the selected mentee musicians throughout the entire process, from concert planning to joint performance, so that they can experience actual growth. The SangSang Live Practice Room program provides live hall space, musical instruments and equipment in KT&G SangSang Madang Busan to musicians who need a practice space and stage experience. KT&G ensures that participants can expand their activity stage nationwide through cooperation with SangSang Madang Hongdae.

Exhibition Support to Help New Artists Shine

The exhibition support project of SangSang Madang started with SangSang Madang Hongdae Gallery. Opened in 2007, KT&G SangSang Madang Hongdae focuses on supporting non-mainstream culture rather than popular culture. Therefore, it plans new visual arts as an exhibition space that supports contemporary art, nonmainstream art and new artists. KT&G SKOPF held its 13th exhibition in 2022, which provides exhibition support, including activity subsidies and mentoring, to selected photographers of the year. KT&G Daechi Gallery is also making efforts to find artists in various fields such as photography, painting, and installation art by holding by holding “Daechi Artist Fellowship (DAF),” an exhibition support project held twice a year, from 2021. In addition, SangSang Madang Busan Gallery, which opened in 2020, implemented ARTISTART, a preliminary artist support program in connection with local art universities. It supports graduates of art colleges to take the first steps as artists by supporting exhibitions.

SangSang Madang Academy – a Gateway to Artists from Amateur to Professional

KT&G SangSang Madang Academy has been launching and running various courses since its opening in 2007 with the hope that more people can and experience culture and arts with ease. To foster professionals in the field of culture and arts, we are operating concert planner workshop, design figure production process, and Bologna picture book workshop, while also running hobby courses to spread daily creative education that life becomes art. These courses give students opportunities to experience a new culture and gives new motivation for creative activities to artists. Starting in 2023, Sangsangmadang Academy alumni will lead a series of special lectures, contributing to the virtuous cycle of the cultural and artistic community.

After about a year of preparation, KT&G SangSang Madang Hongdae Cinema, which had been closed due to the spread of COVID-19, was reopened in January 2022 and is promoting support programs for independent and artistic filmmakers again. SangSang Madang Hongdae Cinema is making efforts to find independent films with imagination and connect potential films with audiences by continuously operating Daedanhan Short Film Festival, leading short film discovery program in Korea, since 2007. The Festival was temporarily closed due to social distancing but raised its curtain again in 2022. In 2022, a total of 878 films were submitted to the 14th Daedanhan Short Film Festival, which was resumed after three years, and an actor Kwon Yul, Cine21 reporter Lee Dahye, and film director Lee Jisong selected 25 finalists, which were visited by 1,000 audiences. The film festival was operated under various themes such as short film competition, short film invitation, and special section. The Film Festival, comprising short film competitions, invitations, and special sections, has continuously supported the development of short films, awarding 15 million won across five categories.

SangSang Madang Cinema

Korea Cosmetics Challenge – Youth Startup Support Program & SangSang Flea Market – Flea Market for Local Small Businesses

KT&G has been operating the “Korea Cosmetics Challenge” contest to support youth start-ups since 2021, aimed at supporting startup ideas in the beauty field. The entire process of the contest is performed in collaboration with SangSang Madang’s cultural contribution platform and COSMOCOS, one of KT&G Group subsidiaries. COSMOCOS supports the final selection team in the overall brand development and production process so that ideas can lead to actual commercialization, by providing ODM-based product development support, expert mentoring and accelerating support, promotion booth and follow-up marketing support, etc.

“SangSang Flea Market” of SangSang Madang Busan is a flea market held together with local merchants. This flea market is held on the last Saturday of every month with the goal of mutual prosperity with local small businesses. This flea market is becoming a place for small business owners to meet consumers, and for visitors to enjoy various cultural and artistic programs such as busking and exhibitions along with shopping. Sangsangmadang Busan is nurturing the flea market as a brand that co-exists with local small business owners. It also provides design square tenants with growth opportunities as a stepping stone for their continuous development.