Gwangju Universiade to offer cultural festivals

The 2015 Summer Universiade in Gwangju between July 3 and 14 will not just be about college athletes and teams from around the world completing for shiny medals.

The sports gala will also hold festivals, music events and art exhibitions that best represent the host city.

The Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee said the “Cultureversiade” would be held on the sidelines of the games in line with the University Games’ concept of “Eco-friendliness, Peace, IT and Culture,” or “EPIC.”

In partnership with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and Gwangju City, the GUOC is preparing a variety of sideline art and cultural shows and attractions for some 20,000 people including athletes expected to participate in the games.

With less than 50 days until the opening, the committee will also devise six major cultural programs for world athletes, Korean residents and officials from the International University Sports Federation.

The programs will introduce content not only about the city’s art history but also about Gwangju as the city that played an important role in Korea’s democracy and human rights in the 1980s.

The FISU Gala, which is part of the six programs, will invite FISU officials and award former FISU contributors, as well as introduce them to Gwangju’s political and art history.

The Universiade Park program will invite athletes and local tourists to music and art performances during the games.

“We will seek to make Gwangju one of Asia’s major cultural cities where young college students worldwide can exchange in the fields of arts, culture and sports during the games,” said a GUOC official.

“The Universiade is not only about competing to win titles and achieving high ranks, but more about people coming together to exchange culture and educate one another.”

Known for holding international modern art and design festivals such as the Gwangju Biennale and Design Biennale, the city, which is about 90-minute train ride on KTX from Seoul, is also preparing to open the Asia Arts Theatre in the city’s Asian Cultural Complex this September as part of efforts to become a cultural hub.

Gwangju was designated as a metropolitan city in 1995.

Under the slogan of “Light Up Tomorrow,” the Gwangju Universiade will kick off on July 3 with an opening performance of “U are Shining,” directed by Korean musical director Park Myeong-seong.

By Park Hyong-ki (hkp@heraldcorp.com)