2009 Chuncheon International Mime Festival May 24-31

The 2009 Chuncheon International Mime Festival is an eight-day extravaganza that runs from May 24 to 31, featuring mime companies and performing teams from Korea as well as from Australia, France, Hong Kong, Japan, Macao and Russia. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the event, which started out in 1998 as the Korean Mime Festival. This is an event for everyone, from children to adults to seniors, including people of all ages who want to enjoy some of the all-night event.

Perfomance Highlights:
Black Sky White’s “Astronomy for Insects” on Mon & Tue, 7pm at Chuncheon Culture & Art Center.
Cookie Cutter and Friends” on Mon—Thu, 11am at Chuncheon Puppet Theatre (Australia)
Blik on Thu & Fri, 7pm at Chuncheon Culture & Art Center (co-production Korea/France)
Maids” on Mon & Tue, 9pm at Bomnae Theatre (co-production Korean/Macao)
Why Not on Wed & Thu, 10:30pm at Mime House (Hong Kong)

Events Highlights:
Opening Ceremony traditionally held on the streets of Myeongdong, in Chuncheon.
“Ah! Surajang” (Mon, 12pm—5pm). During this event, a myriad of street performances and fun activities will be taking place in downtown Chuncheon, near Brown 5-ga and M Department Store, starting at noon. The water-themed “Ah! Surajang” event will provide a great feast of festivities, gathering performers, staff and volunteer workers together with visitors from Korea and overseas.
All Night Performances will be held in Udamari on Goseumdochi Island.
Friday Madness (Fri, 11pm) will present a party for artistic types and festival lovers in an open space where they can freely express their artistic sense. Open to people of all ages.
The finale which continues late into the night includes artists and visitors parading through the streets near Myeongdong (Chuncheon)arm in arm.

Events/Performances Details:
Contact 033-1330 if there is no English speaker at call (033) 242-0585. The festival website was in Korean only as of the date of this posting (you can find a description of the 2008 festival in English, though).

Admission/Participation Fees:
Some participation fees may be charged. (W7,000 ~ W20,000)

Getting There
Train: From Seoul, the best way to get to Chuncheon is by Korail, enjoying the nice view from the train. From Cheongnyangni Station in Seoul, a train departs for Nam Chuncheon every hour. Take the Gyeongchun Line and disembark at Namchuncheon Station. (Chuncheon Station, the nearest station to the venue, is currently under construction.) It takes about two hours to travel from Seoul’s Cheongnyangni Station to Namchuncheon Station.
Bus: You can also take an express bus from Dong Seoul Bus Terminal in Seoul— it takes a little under two hours to get from Seoul to Chuncheon this way.

In Chuncheon
Bus:You can take a bus (buses run every 15 minutes) or taxi to Chuncheon Puppet Theater or Goseumdochi Island. It takes about 20 minutes by taxi. During the festival, there is also a free shuttle bus from Nam Chuncheon Station to the venue. Call +82-33-242-0585 (Korean) for more information or contact 033-1330 / 02-1330.

Please visit: http://www.mimefestival.com/