A promotional poster for a regional planning workshop under the “Arts for Attractive Seoul” initiative / Courtesy of the Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture Seoul is trying to redraw its cultural map from the ground up, stitching together neighborhoods once separated by administrative borders into a citywide network of shared stages, stories and audiences.The Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture on Friday launched “Arts for Attractive Seoul,” a yearlong initiative that will bring seven collaborative cultural projects to the capital’s five "living zones" as defined in the 2030 Seoul Plan. The program brings together cultural institutions from Seoul’s central, northeastern, southeastern, southwestern and northwestern districts, with the aim of transforming local assets into interconnected artistic experiences for residents as part of their daily lives. The foundation said the initiative is designed to dissolve administrative boundaries between districts and reframe Seoul’s dispersed cultural resources as part of a unified urban narrative. The selected projects span all 25 districts and will run through the end of the year, featuring performances, exhibitions, workshops and neighborhood-based festivals in streets, parks, riverside areas and local cultural hubs.In the central region, organizations from Jung, Jongno and Yongsan districts will present “2026 Cells of Downtown City” — a project built around Eulji-ro, Hyoja-ro and Haebangchon, with artists and local merchants producing podcasts, art maps and walking tours that culminate in “Local Week” events in September and October. In the city's northeastern zone, local groups from Jungnang, Dobong, Gwangjin, and Nowon districts are teaming up for a collaborative initiative named "7-ling Festa" — a play on the Korean word for seven and the English word "chill." It will feature a series of works focused on peace and relaxation. The projects are set to debut in November at local venues including the Peace Culture Bunker and Danghyeon Stream.In the southwestern region, Guro, Geumcheon and Yangcheon will stage “Rhythm of the City, Art of Everyday Life,” using the Anyang Stream corridor as a shared canvas for performances and installations in September and October.In the southeastern region, Gangnam, Songpa and Gangdong districts will present “Your Day,” a performance series linking riverside plazas and outdoor venues through jointly produced classical and contemporary music programs.In the northwest, Eunpyeong and Seodaemun districts will focus on community-based workshops and participatory arts festivals under the name “Our Stories Bloom in Art.”Seoul Foundation for Arts and Culture President Song Hyeong-jong said the program represents a new model of collaboration that allows residents to experience the city’s cultural identity within their everyday surroundings. Song said the initiative aims to reveal new artistic values through regional connections and to help residents feel what he described as “Seoulness” in their daily lives.This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.