Graduation always has two sides. The sadness of leaving behind shared time, and the vague fear of stepping beyond the fence called school. At the same time, there exists the excitement of being called by a new name, and the faint yet clear expectation of moving forward somewhere. Moreover, for art majors, graduation is not a mere “end” or “beginning,” as it is also a moment of identity-shifting. The boundary- from student to artist, from practice room to stage, and from assignment to artwork-is precisely placed at this period.
However, this crucial moment of transition is also the most institutionally vacant period. Most arts support program applications close the previous fall, and on-campus activities are hardly recognized as sufficient professional experience. In January and February, when students must enter the art scene at the same time as graduation, many aspiring artists take their first steps from a void, unprepared.
Statistics clearly show this. Every February, among the more than 70,000 graduates of arts and physical education programs, only about 18% actually continue their artistic activities. (“2024 Statistics for Employment of Higher Education Graduates” by the Ministry of Education and the Korean Educational Development Institute) The majority leave the field not because of the lack of talent or will, but because they never gained stage experience itself. To enter the art world, “proven” experience is required, yet the opportunity to gain such experiences is denied-a contradiction that leads many young artists astray.
What matters at this point is not mere livelihood support or one-off fundings. What aspiring young artists need immediately after graduation is a stage where it is all right for them to fail, as well as a sense of companionship. An experience in which they can be nervous alongside peers, connect with seniors, and learn firsthand the grammar of the art scene. To institutionally support that very moment of transition, a mechanism is needed.

Seoul Connect Stage, promoted by the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture (SFAC), is a program born from this awareness. This program supports the very first stage performances of performing arts majors nearing graduation, in a professional performance hall outside of school. Its significance lies in targeting all aspiring young artists seeking to enter the art scene, without limiting itself to specific genres of the performing arts.
The most important point is the timing of the support. Seoul Connect Stage operates during graduation season, from late January through February. This reversely utilizes a period that was previously overlooked in arts support. In addition to performance fee support, it designs a three-dimensional first experience for artists by offering a growth package encompassing venue rental, professional stage technicians, practice spaces, promotion, and archiving. Another core element is “connection.” Rather than isolated creations, participants create stages alongside fellow artists, while also learning the language of the art scene through mentoring with senior artists across all genres and subsequent performance reviews. Held on January 26th, the opening ceremony of Seoul Connect Stage clearly showed SFAC’s commitment to becoming the first companion for aspiring young artists and walking alongside them. At the opening ceremony, “Next Artist 27,” featured a total of 169 aspiring artists from 27 selected teams, taking the stage to introduce their names, works, and aspirations. The stage was filled with the excitement and tension of those just leaving school.

The subsequent welcome ceremony featured senior figures from the art world-including Mayor of Seoul Sehoon Oh, Artistic Director of Seoul Metropolitan Theatre Junwoo Lee, and Artistic Director of Seoul Metropolitan Dance Theatre Heajoung Yun-celebrating the young artists’ new beginnings. It reaffirmed the significance of Seoul Connect Stage as a “stage of connection” that is guided by seniors and supported by the city.
In the second half, the microphone was passed directly to the aspiring artists. They candidly revealed the challenges they face in the field, such as the high barriers to entry to arts support programs, as well as the instability of their professional foundations immediately after graduation. A particular point, “a stage where it is all right to fail, a safe laboratory,” was cited by many as more important than financial support, which showed why support like Seoul Connect Stage is vital at this period. Following the welcoming opening ceremony, the performances of Seoul Connect Stage will continue through February 13. Audiences will be greeted with theater, dance, and traditional arts performances at the Seoul Theater Creation Center (STCC), as well as the Seoul Culture & Arts Education Center in Eunpyeong and Gangbuk, respectively. Even after the performances, various programs will be held, such as practical workshops and networking events centered on the Seoul Artists’ Platform_New&Young (SAPY), to help artists’ soft-landing in the art scene.
There is a small tremor that begins in the cold air at the beginning of the year. For young artists who leaped onto the stage asking, “How can it be called art if I’m not nervous?”, Seoul Connect Stage is where that first tremor is endured “together,” not alone. Although the very first stage is always clumsy and unfinished, the accumulation of those unfinished moments is how art moves forward. May the small resonance that began at the end of graduation lead to another stage. We hope that this winter’s tremor will soon become a new movement.