WUMUJI Online Music Festival
From 8–14 March 2021, a week-long music festival brought 67 bands to five venues — the Rolling Hall, the Westbridge, the Prism Hall, the Radiogaga and the Dream Hall — to perform on stage while audiences watched live online. The aim was to support independent live music venues that were at risk of closure during the pandemic.
Background
The protracted nature of the pandemic has led to a significant number of indie live venues facing closure, with several prominent establishments, including V Hall, Queen Live Hall, Move Hall, and Evans Lounge, having already ceased operations. This is due to the fact that it is challenging for venues to maintain their rental expenses, staff costs and other operational costs, despite having lost the opportunity to generate revenue due to the stringent quarantine regulations. Live venues are of significance for popular music, including indie music. These venues provide a platform for musicians to engage with their fans and develop their careers. Should these venues collapse, it will be challenging for them to regain their footing once the pandemic is over.
The government tends to provide limited support for independent music and live venues, which makes it challenging to anticipate prompt and effective assistance from external sources. The challenges they face are not only due to the pandemic, but also a number of other factors, including a weak independent music scene, insufficient public awareness, a lack of cultural diversity, and support policies that do not fully reflect the industry's true nature. This is not a problem that can be solved by a few people shouting about it or a few good ideas. It is unrealistic to expect society to suddenly pay more attention to it or for the government to change its policies. This is an issue that persists, and the only way to address it is if the indie music industry and the ecosystem itself adapt and evolve in response to change. It is also imperative that we see progress in terms of altering societal perceptions of culture and revising public policies accordingly.
The WUMUJI(the English pronunciation of the Korean abbreviation for "saveourstages”) project is not a magic solution to all these problems, but it is a small but meaningful attempt by members of the indie music ecosystem to support and empower each other. It is a festival organised by venues, musicians, related companies and organizations, and the fans who are the foundation of all of them, with the hope that the indie music community will continue.
Overview
The WUMUJI Project was carried out as follows.
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Five indie live performance venues facing difficulties were rented out for a week.
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Each venue hosted two teams per day, with a total of 67 musicians performing live for about 40 minutes each at the five venues over the course of a week.
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Audience members purchased tickets and watched the performances online.
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Companies or organizations that shared the project's vision participated as partners through various forms of sponsorship or contributions.
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The event was organized by the non-profit organization Code (http://codekorea.cc/), which promotes open culture and cultural diversity, and its planning and execution were supported by volunteer staff who could participate freely.
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The proceeds from ticket sales and sponsorships were not distributed to the organizing company or partners. Instead, they were allocated to cover the minimum expenses of those who helped with the event, venue rental fees, and modest compensation for the musicians. The remaining amount was allocated to a fund for the indie music ecosystem.
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All planning processes, event proceedings, and revenue distribution were transparently disclosed.
Objectives
The WUMUJI Project had the following objectives.
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The primary objective is to provide financial assistance to live performance venues and facilitate encounters between musicians and fans through performances.
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Secondly, to discover new indie music and expand the fan base through high-quality online performance planning.
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The objective is to attract the attention of the public, the media and the government, and to bring about changes in cultural support policies.
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Achievements
The WUMUJI Project was completed within a short timeframe of approximately one month, garnering significant anticipation and attention from the public. The project surpassed its initial ticket sales target of about USD 40,000, which was not anticipated. The decision to offer paid online performances rather than free ones was made to ensure the WUMUJI Project receives the most genuine expressions of support and participation. Furthermore, we believe that a culture where performances are enjoyed and musicians are fairly compensated is essential for the survival of the indie music ecosystem and for encouraging new talent.
In order to guarantee the credibility of the project and the transparency of its operations, all planning processes, event proceedings, and revenue and distribution details were recorded on Luniverse Trace (a blockchain data storage service) and disclosed on the official website. On 14 March, the final day of the performance, a settlement report was presented during the live-streamed finale.
WUMUJI Studio Live vol. 1
Studio Live Album Vol. 1 Released
2021.09.24
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Online Release: Friday, September 24
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CD sales: Tuesday, September 28
As part of the #SaveOurStage campaign, the WUMUJI Studio Live Project was planned to create high-quality live recordings and videos of participating artists. The project aimed to share the joy of communicating through music with both artists and fans, as well as contributing to the revitalisation of the live music scene, which has struggled due to the pandemic.
