The announcement was made in Seoul, Republic of Korea, at a signing ceremony with IOC President Thomas Bach and Jay Y. Lee, Vice Chairman at Samsung Electronics; IOC Marketing Commission Chair Tsunekazu Takeda; Dong Jin Koh, President and CEO of the IT&Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics; and Younghee Lee, CMO and Executive Vice President, Samsung Electronics.

Samsung will continue as the Worldwide Olympic Partner in the wireless communications equipment and computing equipment category, including the ability to promote the Artificial Intelligence, Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and 5G features of that equipment. As part of the agreement, the IOC and Samsung will further develop their strategic digital collaboration to engage young generations around the world in order to promote the power of sport and the values of Olympism.

IOC President Thomas Bach said: “I am delighted that we will be building on two decades of partnership with Samsung for another 10 years. Over this time, we have built a partnership combining Olympic excellence and Samsung’s industry-leading wireless communications technology. Together, we are able to connect with and inspire Olympic athletes and fans around the world, and we look forward to working with Samsung to build the digital future of the Olympic Games.”

Tsunekazu Takeda, IOC Marketing Commission Chair, Thomas Bach, IOC President, Jay Y. Lee, Vice Chairman at Samsung Electronics, and Dong Jin Koh, President and CEO of IT&Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics, pose for a photo after a signing ceremony to extend their global partnership through to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028 (from right)

Dong Jin Koh, President and CEO of the IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics, said: “As a Worldwide Olympic Partner for the last 22 years, Samsung has been inspired by the spirit of hope, friendship and unity. Through our innovative wireless and computing equipment which are able to support AI, VR, AR and 5G technology, we hope to spread the excitement of the Games so that fans and athletes around the world can stay connected and share in the journey to achieve greatness at the highest level of sportsmanship.”

IOC Marketing Commission Chair Tsunekazu Takeda said: “Samsung is a global success story and a brand recognized around the world. Samsung understands and promotes the Olympic values through technology and marketing campaigns that help break down barriers and engage new audiences. From a commercial perspective, our extension with Samsung to 2028 builds on the long-term agreements reached recently with existing and new Partners, and demonstrates the long-term strength and appeal of our marketing programs.”

Samsung will continue its support beyond the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and will support every edition of the Olympic Games through to Los Angeles 2028, as well as all the Youth Olympic Games through to 2028. Samsung will also continue to support the IOC, the National Olympic Committees and their teams. Samsung’s first Games as a Worldwide TOP Partner were the Olympic Winter Games Nagano 1998. Samsung will also continue as a Worldwide Partner of the International Paralympic Committee, extending a relationship that began in 2006.

In collaboration with the IOC and the Organizing Committees, Samsung plans to continue its Athlete Phone Program. This program provides Limited Olympic Edition Galaxy phones to all participating Olympic and Paralympic athletes to enhance the athletes’ Games-time experience, help them stay in touch with their family and friends, and capture and share their journeys.

Co-creators Marc Brew and Giselle Calazans performing in Uchronia, at the Liberty Festival, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, London, in 2016

It was really exciting landing in Seoul airport and seeing the mascots for the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympics as this performance will be one of the closing performances of UK/Korea 2017-18 in association with the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Cultural Olympiad program.

We visited Seoul from the 25th September – 1st October, arriving after an overnight flight to meet with the team and talk about how the project would develop. The team is made up of UK and Korean artists, with the UK team including composer Angus MacRae and audio describer Emma Jane McHenry.

Audio description is a new thing for South Korea, so we will be working closely with the British Council to try to secure the technology to allow this to happen. We are very excited about the proposed support from Samsung Electronics, who have offered VR (Virtual Reality) headsets with a specialised application called Relumino that enhances the visual experience of watching a show for people with visual impairments. We will also offer an access tour an hour before the show to allow audiences a close-up experience to get a sense of the costumes, props, lighting and movement qualities of the performers and to learn a bit more about the production. We always aim to make our work as accessible as possible for audiences with disabilities.

We had a day off on Tuesday, as there was no rehearsal space available, so had the chance to explore Seoul finding out a bit more about its rich history and culture.

Bora Kim and I began work in the studio the next day. After an initial discussion about our normal working practices, we decided to wipe the slate clean and explore new ways of creating. Bora came up with the idea of asking each other questions that we weren’t allowed to answer, then choosing three questions to answer, and building stories about each other, before exploring these ideas in our own bodies. Throughout the week, we started to develop and understanding of each other’s movement styles and sense of humour.

I felt there was an honest exchange, respect and interest in what we could learn and share from each other that really excited me. The artistic quality of work in the contemporary dance sector in Korea is high and there is a real curiosity in the field around dance, identity and disability.

Brew in his solo performance piece, For Now, I am…

Thanks to Korea Disability Arts & Culture Center and the IEUM Arts Centre which hosted the rehearsals and to the British Council team who supported us during the week.

It was also great to immerse ourselves into the Korean cuisine with our lovely hosts at the British Council and experience the hustle and bustle of the city streets, the subway and the people of Seoul – a very busy and vibrant city. I look forward to coming back next year to finish the project and perform.

*The views expressed in this editorial are the author’s own, and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of Samsung Electronics.