Internationalisation of Korean performing arts

Abstract

Abstract:Purpose -Cross disciplinary research is carried out on the internationalisation process and experiences of Korean performing arts companies. Factors investigated include cultural issues, production values, the roles of entrepreneurial marketing and creativity and barriers to performing arts internationalisation.Design/methodology/approach -A case study approach is used to investigate the performance and internationalisation activities of five Korean dance companies which participated in the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.Findings -The exporting of Korean cultural products contributes to the perception of Korea. Small dance companies with a tolerance of risk-taking, and with entrepreneurial marketing competencies can minimise the effect of problems experienced during internationalisation of their productions. Research limitations/implications -The case study approach uncovers data which would not have been unveiled through questionnaire analysis alone. The findings can also contribute to future large scale surveys of the arts. Practical implications -The issues identified are also relevant for other forms of internationalising artistic productions. Internationalisation strategy constructed from artistic and entrepreneurial marketing perspectives results in competitive advantages for the arts organisation.Originality/value -This research promotes a cross-disciplinary approach to arts marketing in general by encouraging the interrogation of fields such as entrepreneurship, small business marketing, arts marketing and internationalisation.

Strategic Decisions to Enhance the Internationalization of the Performing Arts and Their Sustainability: The Case of Flamenco

“…As such, having motivation and global vision is already a driver, an important resource to ensure international success. Although it is commonly expected that PA agents strive for artistic reputation and business success [15,41], this study questions whether divergences may arise in the motivations and visions of internationalization among different agents of the value chain, which may generate conflicts and, at times, a weaker performance in international markets.…”

“…The performing arts sector is made up of small companies, so the international entrepreneurship approach could be appropriate for this sector as posited by [15]. Research into international entrepreneurship has paid particular attention to entrepreneurs' characteristics that favor rapid introduction from the outset, such as global vision and motivation to enter international markets [29].…”

“…The availability of resources and motivations conditions the capacity to go from one market to another. The hurdles of geographic, psychic, and cultural distance may advise a sequential approach to market selection, beginning with markets that are close to the domestic one, while other characteristics of the PA product (e.g., their short life, the small size of a specific market) may resonate more with an international entrepreneurship approach [15].…”

“…For instance, how to transmit a product with high symbolic content that is tightly tied to local values and high variable costs to international audiences, and how to preserve the values of local communities while generating international income. Indeed, the world of PA is intensely competitive, and competing in the best-reputed theaters around the world with many other PA genres requires more than just offering a quality product [15]. Performing a show in other countries can be difficult (e.g., the difficulty of transmitting a product with high symbolic content that is tightly tied to local values and high variable costs), and the process necessarily implies complexities and risks that deserve to be explored in a scholarly manner.…”

Marketing, art and voices of dissent

“…Nonetheless, the visual display of Marvel comic heroes and the protagonists of acclaimed anti-authoritarian films – such as V for Vendetta and the Matrix trilogy – presents an interesting example of fusion practices between Western popular culture and the promotion of protest art in ‘Asia’s World City’ (Hong Kong Government, 2002). Fillis and Lee (2011) discussed how visionary awareness and a collective approach to creativity have significantly enhanced the internationalization strategies of Korean performing arts organizations. Possibly, the imaginative promotion and collective improvisation by Hong Kong protesters, to infuse Western icons in their artistic installations, can inform innovative and creative internationalization practices of Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and artistic organizations in both Asian and Western contexts.…”