Uses and Programming Strategies for Theaters in the Development of the Daehangno Cultural Center in Seoul, Korea

This paper investigates recent history in order to propose strategies and programming ideas for theaters in the development of the Daehangno Cultural Center in Seoul, Korea. The study reviews Korea’s cultural policies related to the development of a performing arts center by the Arts Council Korea (ARKO), including the establishment of a Professional Arts Corporation, and capital inflow from the National Lottery. To this end, an audience survey in the Daehangno district was analyzed and a survey of Korean artists on the use of the theaters in the Center was conducted to make some predictions about market demand by audiences and artists. In making predictions for the use of the theaters in the Center, the suggestions of Metaa, a consulting firm, were explored based on the Decision Analysis tool which was devised by Charles H. Kepner and Benjamin Tregoes. Finally, for further insights into the possibilities of the Center, the strategies for hosting a world class performing arts festival of the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in Brooklyn, New York and the subsidized rental policies of Symphony Space on the Upper West Side of Manhattan were investigated.