Seoul Theater Association × Toyooka Theater Festival Executive Committee Announcement of Cooperation Agreement
The Toyooka Theater Festival Executive Committee (Japan) and the Seoul Theater Association (Korea) have signed a cooperation agreement in 2025 aimed at further strengthening cultural and artistic exchange between Japan and Korea, building upon the trust and relationships cultivated through their previous exchanges.
Through this agreement, the two organizations will promote the mutual exchange of human, material, and technical resources. The partnership seeks to enrich the creative environment for the performing arts in both Toyooka and Seoul, expand international opportunities for artists, and foster broader global perspectives among audiences.
In recent years, networks for performing arts across Asia have continued to expand. The two organizations have maintained dialogue and exchange through their respective festivals. With this agreement, they aim to develop their relationship into a more sustainable and institutional framework, enabling ongoing artistic exchange and continued mobility of artists between the two regions.
■ Seoul Theater Association
Founded in 2002, the Seoul Theater Association is the largest private theater association in Korea at the regional level. Of approximately 9,000 theater professionals across Korea, about 5,000 are members of the association, with around 400 affiliated organizations.
In addition to organizing five festivals including the Seoul Theater Festival, the association also provides welfare services and support programs for its members.
https://stheater.or.kr/
■Messages from the Heads of the Organizations
We are deeply moved and honored that Seoul and Toyooka have begun a new cultural partnership through theater. This agreement will serve as an important starting point for theater practitioners in both cities to share stages and creative environments, and to further expand exchange between our communities. Through continued collaboration, we hope to broaden the network of performing arts across Asia and together expand the cultural value and creative potential of theater.
President of the Seoul Theater Association
We are delighted to begin this agreement with the Seoul Theater Association. By enabling artists to travel between our regions and inspire each other’s creative environments, we believe the cultural bond between Seoul and Toyooka will grow even stronger. Through this partnership, we will continue working toward the further development of the theater communities in both Japan and Korea, and toward creating moving experiences that transcend national borders.
Chairman of the Toyooka Theater Festival Executive Committee
■Festival Overview
Seoul Theater Festival
Dates: May 2 (Sat) – June 30 (Tue), 2026 *scheduled
Toyooka Theater Festival 2026
Dates: September 18 (Fri) – September 27 (Sun), 2026 *scheduled