Five Companies Win 2026 Seoul Arts Awards for Global Performance

Five companies from Australia, Canada, Spain and the United States have been named recipients of the 2026 Seoul Arts Awards. The winners will be celebrated at a ceremony in the Assembly Room's Drawing Room.

Now in its fourth year, the Seoul Arts Awards recognize international performance that crosses borders and language barriers. Launched in 2023, the awards also provide opportunities for International Artists to bring their work to audiences in the Republic of Korea.

The 2026 recipients encompass circus, physical theatre, flamenco, puppetry, music and storytelling.

"This year's winners reflect the extraordinary breadth and vitality of contemporary performance – from physical theatre and music to imaginative work for families and beyond," said Angella Kwon, Global Cultural Exchange Committee Chair and Artistic Director of the Edinburgh Korean Season.

"In a world facing profound challenges and growing divisions, we believe that cultural exchange matters more than ever," Kwon continued. "The arts have a unique ability to cross borders, speak beyond language and bring us closer to one another."

2026 Seoul Arts Awards Winners

By a Thread from Australia's One Fell Swoop Circus features seven acrobats and 30 metres of rope in a performance exploring connection and relationships through acrobatics.

Spain's Flamenc Oh!!, from Yllana / Suzanna Rosenthal Productions, combines flamenco with physical theatre and comedy. The work follows a traditional patriarch whose world begins to unravel as his children challenge established rules.

Canada's Glob, from Underbelly and Les Foutoukours, is a wordless circus adventure following two characters as they tumble, glide and soar through a magical and absurd world.

Joni Mitchell: Take Me As I Am, featuring Rainee Blake in association with Fringe Management, LLC, represents the United States. The one-woman show explores the songs and stories of Joni Mitchell, transporting audiences to 1976 as Mitchell returns from a solo road trip across America ahead of the release of Hejira.

Also representing the United States is Peregrinations from Dutch Kills Theater Company. The wordless work combines masked physical theatre, puppetry and music to explore displacement and the immigrant crisis in America. The piece was created using interviews and the lived experiences of its international ensemble.

The five winning companies will be invited to present their work on stages across the Republic of Korea.

"We're so touched to receive this Seoul Arts Award," said Charice Rust and Jonathan Morgan, Co-Artistic Directors of One Fell Swoop Circus. "Our work is built around trust and connection and we feel privileged to be part of a cross-cultural sharing of these values."

Mabel Caínzos, Artistic Director of Yllana, said the company was "absolutely thrilled" to receive an award celebrating "bringing cultures together, crossing language barriers, and connecting people through the performing arts."

Les Foutoukours Co-Artistic Director Jean-Félix Bélanger said the company hopes the recognition for Glob will "help bring Quebec's culture to new horizons," while Rainee Blake called it "such an honour" to receive the award alongside the other performers.

Dutch Kills Theatre Company Artistic Director Alley Scott said the recognition of Peregrinations was particularly meaningful because of its subject matter.

"We made this show because these stories matter," Scott said. "It's humbling to see that others feel the same."

The Edinburgh Korean Season is taking a sabbatical from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2026 for the first time in a decade. Plans are underway for its return in 2027, when the Seoul Arts Awards and its broader cultural exchange program will continue.

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