Migrant Indie Art Festival seeks artistic independence with Declaration of Freedom

The Migrant Indie Art Festival returns for its 15th year under a new name at venues in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo and Seodaemun districts from this Saturday to Oct. 25. Organized by the Asian Media Culture Factory, the festival supports migrant-led artistic practices and features music, films, theater, dance, workshops and discussions. Its Declaration of Freedom addresses restrictions migrant artists face because of residency visas and employers. The program includes Shekh al Mamun’s film Drained by Dreams and artists from diverse national backgrounds.

The Asian Media Culture Factory began the festival in 2012 as the Seoul Migrant Art Festival and was founded in late 2011 as a nonprofit cultural and arts organization led by migrants.

The music program includes musicians from Russia, Canada, Afghanistan, China and other countries, including a musician from Myanmar’s Chin ethnic minority.

Drained by Dreams is an 84-minute feature film in Korean and Bengali with English subtitles, and it won the Grand Prize at the 2025 Tunis International Human Rights Film Festival.

Shekh al Mamun became director of the Asian Media Culture Factory in April 2026 and also serves as senior vice chairperson of the Migrants' Trade Union.

All events are free except for the Migrant Art Workshop.

Published Oct 15, 2026 5:30 am KST

People participate in a street performance for the 14th Migrant Arts Festival in 2025. Courtesy of Asian Media Culture Factory

The Migrant Indie Art Festival is back for its 15th year, but this time it's being held under a new name.

Organized by the Asian Media Culture Factory, it started in 2012 as the Seoul Migrant Art Festival. This year's festival will be held in two venues from this Saturday to Oct. 25 in Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo and Seodaemun districts, featuring events including music and screenings of films made by migrants living in Korea.

Founded in late 2011, the Asian Media Culture Factory is a nonprofit cultural and arts organization led by migrants. The organizers told The Korea Times that their mission is to support migrant-led artistic practices and build a cultural and artistic platform for people who arrived from overseas.

“We believe that everyone should have the right to engage in the arts, regardless of nationality, ethnicity, religion or visa status," they said.

“We hope to create a space where migrant artists and cultural practitioners, who often have limited cultural and artistic networks and few opportunities to present their work in Korean society, can showcase their work and gain recognition. Beyond simply demonstrating their artistic talents, we want them to be able to express themselves through art that reflects their identities, both as creators and as migrants.”

In a Declaration of Freedom statement, the organizers acknowledge that many migrant artists living in Korea have had to silence themselves, unable to freely pursue the artistic work they long for — constrained by the terms of their residency visas or their employers.

People participate in the 14th Migrant Arts Festival in 2025. Courtesy of Asian Media Culture Factory

The festival's slogan this year is "Switch On!"

"It is both a promise that together we will brightly illuminate the stage of migrant creators who have long been obscured in the shadow of institutional constraints and discrimination, and a commitment to powerfully switching on the migrant arts platform and connecting more and more creators with the world,” organizers said.

The festival brings together artists from a wide range of national backgrounds and artistic disciplines.

The music program features musicians from Russia, Canada, Afghanistan, China and other countries, including a musician from the Chin ethnic minority in Myanmar.

Russian pianist Stanislav Osovsky, who fled his homeland after it began its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, is preparing a performance with a Ukrainian visual artist to convey a message of peace.

Shekh al Mamun, a senior member of a migrant workers’ union under the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions / Courtesy of Shekh al Mamun

There will be a screening of "Drained by Dreams," the feature-length film debut of Shekh al Mamun, director of the Asian Media Culture Factory. The 84-minute narrative film will be screened in Korean and Bengali with English subtitles. The film received pre-production support from the Korean Film Council and won the Grand Prize at the 2025 Tunis International Human Rights Film Festival in Tunisia.

Originally from Bangladesh, Shekh came to Korea in 1998 and spent years working in a furniture factory. He later joined the Asian Media Culture Factory as a cultural programmer and has been a full-time staff member since March 2012. He became its director in April 2026, and also serves as senior vice chairperson of the Migrants' Trade Union. Before the union was established, he was also actively involved in a long-term sit-in protest by migrant workers at Myeongdong Cathedral in 2003, serving as an organizing leader in the struggle.

The festival will also present short films by creators from Germany, Uzbekistan, Nepal, the United States, China and other countries, followed by discussions and Q&A sessions with the filmmakers.

A one-day art workshop led by a Palestinian artist will introduce participants to tatreez, a traditional form of embroidery.

The program also includes an improvisational theater performance by the Art Project Team for Democracy in Myanmar. In addition, a talk program titled "Freedom for All of Us" will explore the voices of people deprived of freedom in different contexts and examine the possibilities for intersectional solidarity against oppression and discrimination. The discussion will address freedom of movement between workplaces, democracy and freedom in Myanmar, and freedom for Palestine.

Filipino artist Nicky Juanite performs during the 14th Migrant Arts Festival in 2025. Courtesy of Asian Media Culture Factory

On Saturday, a small pre-opening event called the Earthlings Mini Art Market will take place in front of the Migrant Art & Culture Space (FreePort) venue in Mullae-dong in Yeongdeungpo District.

That evening, musicians will perform on the venue's rooftop. The program will also feature "BECOMING," a specially commissioned performance created through a collaboration between the Asian Media Culture Factory and the dance collective Gil Project. Through dance, artists from diverse backgrounds will share stories about their identities and experiences.

In their message, organizers expressed heartfelt gratitude to all the organizations and individual supporters who have helped sustain this festival for 15 years, as well as to the members of the planning committee and artists, both local and international, who have joined them along the way.

All events are free to attend except for the Migrant Art Workshop. Visit amcfactory.org or follow @amcfactory on Instagram for more information.

A poster for Migrant Indie Art Festival 2026 / Courtesy of Asian Media Culture Factory

Bereket Alemayehu is an Ethiopian photo artist, social activist and writer based in Seoul. He’s also the co-founder of Hanokers , a refugee-led social initiative, and a freelance contributor for Pressenza Press Agency.

移民独立艺术节（Migrant Indie Art Festival）将于本周六至10月25日在首尔永登浦区和西大门区的场地举行，今年是该艺术节举办的第15届，并更名为“移民独立艺术节”。该艺术节由亚洲媒体文化工厂（Asian Media Culture Factory）主办，旨在支持移民艺术家主导的艺术实践，内容涵盖音乐、电影、戏剧、舞蹈、工作坊和研讨会。其“自由宣言”探讨了移民艺术家因居留签证和雇主限制而面临的困境。本次艺术节的展映影片包括谢赫·阿尔·马蒙（Shekh al Mamun）的电影《被梦想耗尽》（Drained by Dreams），以及来自不同国家的艺术家的作品。

亚洲媒体文化工厂于 2012 年创办了首尔移民艺术节，该艺术节由移民领导的非营利文化艺术组织于 2011 年底成立。

音乐节目包括来自俄罗斯、加拿大、阿富汗、中国等国家的音乐家，其中还有一位来自缅甸钦族少数民族的音乐家。

《梦想耗尽》是一部时长 84 分钟的韩语和孟加拉语故事片，配有英文字幕，并在 2025 年突尼斯国际人权电影节上荣获大奖。

谢赫·阿尔·马蒙于 2026 年 4 月成为亚洲媒体文化工厂的主任，同时还担任移民工会的高级副主席。

除移民艺术工作坊外，所有活动均免费。

发布于2026年10月15日 上午5:30（韩国标准时间）

2025年，人们参与第十四届移民艺术节的街头表演。图片由亚洲媒体文化工厂提供。

移民独立艺术节迎来第15届，但这次它以一个新名称举办。

该活动由亚洲媒体文化工厂主办，前身是始于2012年的首尔移民艺术节。今年的艺术节将于本周六至10月25日在首尔永登浦区和西大门区的两个场地举行，活动内容包括音乐会和在韩移民创作的电影放映。

亚洲媒体文化工厂成立于2011年末，是一个由移民领导的非营利文化艺术组织。该组织告诉《韩国时报》，他们的使命是支持移民主导的艺术实践，并为来自海外的人们搭建一个文化艺术平台。

他们说：“我们认为，无论国籍、种族、宗教或签证身份如何，每个人都应该有参与艺术的权利。”

“我们希望创建一个空间，让那些在韩国社会文化艺术网络有限、作品展示机会匮乏的移民艺术家和文化从业者，能够展示他们的作品并获得认可。除了展现他们的艺术才华之外，我们还希望他们能够通过艺术表达自我，反映他们作为创作者和移民的双重身份。”

在《自由宣言》声明中，组织者承认，许多居住在韩国的移民艺术家不得不保持沉默，无法自由地追求他们渴望的艺术创作——受到居留签证条款或雇主的限制。

2025年，人们参加了第十四届移民艺术节。图片由亚洲媒体文化工厂提供。

今年的音乐节口号是“开启！”

组织者表示：“这既是一种承诺，我们将共同照亮长期以来被制度限制和歧视所掩盖的移民创作者的舞台；也是一种承诺，我们将大力启动移民艺术平台，并将越来越多的创作者与世界联系起来。”

该艺术节汇聚了来自不同国家背景和艺术领域的艺术家。

音乐节目邀请了来自俄罗斯、加拿大、阿富汗、中国等国家的音乐家，其中包括一位来自缅甸钦族的音乐家。

俄罗斯钢琴家斯坦尼斯拉夫·奥索夫斯基在俄罗斯于 2022 年开始入侵乌克兰后逃离祖国，他正准备与一位乌克兰视觉艺术家合作演出，以传达和平的信息。

谢赫·阿尔·马蒙，韩国工会联合会下属某外籍劳工工会的高级成员 / 图片由谢赫·阿尔·马蒙提供

将放映谢赫·阿尔·马蒙（Shekh al Mamun）的长片处女作《梦想的枯竭》（Drained by Dreams）。谢赫·阿尔·马蒙是亚洲媒体文化工厂的负责人。这部84分钟的剧情片将以韩语和孟加拉语放映，并配有英文字幕。该片获得了韩国电影振兴委员会的前期制作支持，并在2025年突尼斯国际人权电影节上荣获大奖。

谢赫出生于孟加拉国，1998年来到韩国，在一家家具厂工作多年。之后，他加入亚洲媒体文化工厂担任文化节目策划，并于2012年3月成为全职员工。他于2026年4月升任厂长，同时兼任移民工会高级副会长。在工会成立之前，他曾积极参与2003年明洞大教堂外籍劳工的长期静坐抗议活动，并担任组织领导人之一。

电影节还将展映来自德国、乌兹别克斯坦、尼泊尔、美国、中国等国家的创作者的短片，随后将举行与电影制作人的讨论和问答环节。

由一位巴勒斯坦艺术家主持的一日艺术工作坊将向参与者介绍塔特雷兹（tatreez），一种传统的刺绣形式。

该项目还包括缅甸民主艺术项目团队带来的即兴戏剧表演。此外，题为“人人享有自由”的对话环节将探讨不同背景下被剥夺自由的人们的心声，并审视如何通过跨领域的团结来对抗压迫和歧视。讨论内容将涵盖工作场所之间的行动自由、缅甸的民主与自由以及巴勒斯坦的自由等议题。

菲律宾艺术家尼基·胡安尼特 (Nicky Juanite) 于 2025 年在第 14 届移民艺术节上表演。图片由亚洲媒体文化工厂提供。

周六，一个名为“地球人迷你艺术市集”的小型预开幕活动将在永登浦区文来洞的移民艺术文化空间（FreePort）场馆前举行。

当晚，音乐家们将在场馆屋顶进行表演。节目还将呈现特别委约创作的演出“BECOMING”，该演出由亚洲媒体文化工厂和舞蹈团体吉尔计划合作完成。来自不同背景的艺术家将通过舞蹈分享他们的身份认同和人生经历。

组织者在致辞中，向所有帮助该节日持续举办 15 年的组织和个人支持者表达了衷心的感谢，同时也向一路以来加入的筹备委员会成员和艺术家（包括本地和国际艺术家）表达了感谢。

除移民艺术工作坊外，所有活动均可免费参加。更多信息，请访问 amcfactory.org 或关注 Instagram 账号 @amcfactory。

2026年移民独立艺术节海报 / 由亚洲媒体文化工厂提供

Bereket Alemayehu是一位居住在首尔的埃塞俄比亚摄影艺术家、社会活动家和作家。他也是难民主导的社会倡议组织Hanokers的联合创始人，以及Pressenza新闻社的自由撰稿人。