[Arirang Culture Connect: Seoul]

Prof. Deepti Omchery Bhalla, representing the Indian classical dance tradition Mohiniyattam, honored as the 2025 Arirang Master Award recipient.

The Arirang Master Award Ceremony, jointly organized by Culture Masters and the Advocacy Alliance for Culture Masters (AACM), will take place on December 12 at the India International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi. The event is held in cooperation with the Inter-City Intangible Cultural Cooperation Network (ICCN) and Folkland International, with official support from the India International Centre and 25 News.

This year’s Arirang Master laureate is Prof. Deepti Omchery Bhalla, a leading custodian of the Indian classical dance tradition Mohiniyattam. Renowned for her distinguished contributions to research, education, and performance, Prof. Bhalla previously served as Dean of the Faculty of Music and Fine Arts at the University of Delhi and is widely regarded as one of the foremost global figures in traditional Indian arts.

Professor Deepti Omchery Bhalla, who performs traditional dance.

The ceremony will be attended by prominent experts in the field of intangible cultural heritage, including Jayarajan Vakil, ICCN Secretary-General and Chair of the Culture Masters International Advisory and Directors Board (IAB); Park SeongYong, President of Culture Masters and Advocacy Alliance for Culture Masters; Huh Kwon, former Director-General of the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Center for Intangible Cultural Heritage; and Eivind Falk, Director of the Norwegian Crafts Institute.

Launched in Korea in 2023, the Arirang Master Award is an international initiative that formally recognizes artists who have demonstrated exceptional artistry and made outstanding contributions to the transmission and education of intangible cultural heritage. To date, 38 masters from 21 countries have been designated. Grounded in the spirit of the UNESCO Convention, the program aims to elevate the social status of traditional artists and promote cultural solidarity across nations.

This year’s ceremony holds particular significance as it takes place during the 20th Session of the UNESCO Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (December 6–13). Its timing underscores the program’s alignment with global discussions on safeguarding intangible heritage, highlighting its potential to serve as a model initiative that may be widely adopted and shared internationally.

Moreover, the event’s organization as a large-scale international award ceremony hosted abroad demonstrates the growing global relevance of the Arirang Master Program. It is expected to expand further in the coming years as a leading case of intangible cultural heritage promotion, engaging diverse communities and supporting the continued vitality of traditional arts around the world.

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Honoring the World's Finest Intangible Heritage Artists: Arirang Master Designation Project

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