Seeking members for Fan Fan Club! We think about the key to confidently turning frustration and negativity into something enjoyable

For this year’s “Fan Fan Club,” we are launching a platform for the practice of the Fan Fan concept: dialogue to decipher unchallenged ideas. Share your innermost thoughts such as things you would like to stop and think about, or ideas that come to you on a daily basis; deepen your interest, experiment to make everyday life a little more fun;and use encounters with different thinking and ideas to generate learning for wellbeing.

Message from Fan Fan
Have you ever had frustrating problems or concerns in everyday family affairs and daily life, at work or at school, or in community activities?
“Fantasia! Fantasia!: A community where lifestyles are made real” (or Fan Fan for short)began activities in 2018 as a project to explore ways towards wellbeing and life enrichment, with the Bokuto area of Tokyo as our “learning forum.” Our challenge is to think about what constitutes dialogue for deciphering hitherto unchallenged ideas, and to turn frustration and negativity into enjoyment, starting by questioning our own behavior. We start by looking at minor single situations; for example, how to conduct meetings, office communication methods, etc.

One of the things that frustrated us in this process was wondering exactly what the Fan Fan project’s idea of art was. Activities under the Fan Fan project have so far been very slight. We have also felt exasperated at the idea that what we do might not be art, and that we can’t really convey what we do using the word art. Over numerous discussions it was suggested that techniques enabling people to change with confidence despite their confusion could be viewed as art.
Coming up against abstract frustration and negativity in this way must in some respects be connected to our daily behavior. So we wanted to listen more carefully to people’s frustrations.

Up until now Fan Fan Club activities have included the creation of the Fan Fan Letter project, and events stemming from wild ideas that suddenly pop into our heads. This year however, we intend to bring together the various frustrations we’ve felt in these activities for use in reading groups and sessions for exchanging opinions.
Fan Fan Club activity going forward will involve pooling our peeves to explore the key to confidently turning frustration and negativity into something enjoyable. Why not stop being in a hurry to get answers, and stand still with us at Fan Fan?

Implementation period

October – December 2020
To be held in person on the 1st,3rd and 5th Saturdays/To be held online on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays
*Each session scheduled to last 2-4 hours
*The first activity date is planned for Saturday, October 10
*There may be special sessions in addition to the schedule above.

*Activities scheduled as being in-person may be organized online if coronavirus-related social conditions render it difficult/impossible to organize in-person activities.
We will shift from in-person programming to online programming in any of the following situations:

If governmental bodies ban/strongly discourage gatherings, for example by declaring a state of emergency.

If any of the organizers/people involved or program participants have been infected with COVID-19 in the past 14 days.

If the project administrators decide to stop in-person programming in consideration of various social conditions including an increase in the number of confirmed cases in Tokyo.

*Please click here (PDF) to check our COVID-19 preventative measures.
We ask our participants for their cooperation.
*Program content is subject to change.

Venue

Art space in the Bokuto area (2-11-5 Azumabashi, Sumida-ku), others

Capacity

Around 5 people (application required, first-come-first-served basis)

Participation fee

Free
*Does not include transportation expenses for fieldwork and other activities.

How to apply

Please apply using the form here.

Application deadline
24:00, Sunday, October 4, 2020

What is Fan Fan Club?

[Specific activities so far]
Reading groups featuring books of interest
Information sharing on recent matters of interest
Research and reporting on Sumida-ku
Social study field trips/observation (participation in events in Sumida-ku etc.)
Fan Fan Letter creation

Ideal for:
– People who want to know what Fan Fan is
– People who have recently been frustrated or annoyed by something around them as a matter of course
– People who want to stop and think even if an answer is not forthcoming

FAQ

Q1: Do I have to take part in every session?
A1: Participation is not compulsory. However, you may not get the most out of Fan Fan Club if you skip more than two sessions a month and miss our announcements.

Q2: Can I take part if I live outside Sumida-ku?
A1: Of course. This year we’ll also be holding online sessions of Fan Fan Club so we welcome participants from far away. People living some distance away should let us know in advance if it will be difficult to attend in-person sessions.

Q3: Is it okay for the participants to decide on Fan Fan Club activities?
A3: Participants may basically decide by themselves. However, we would like to ponder themes and methods together, so we can appraise the kind of support needed for Fan Fan activities.

Q4: I have some keywords in mind, but I’m not quite sure what to do with them.
A4: That’s a difficult question. Actually, we might not know either. Fan Fan refers to new creativity that we ourselves may not yet be aware of. Just like a baby pointing and gurgling at something new, we point at possible Fan Fan activities and forge ahead in a direction that promises something new, while questioning things around us that we have assumed to be the norm up until now. Fan Fan Club is a place where each individual, though sometimes confused, puts into words the new creativity necessary for living a better life. We carry on with Fan Fan Club in the belief that society today needs the time to ask questions with no answer, or confront them. If that doesn’t answer your questions and you still want to know more, please go to our Facebook page to find out more about Fan Fan Club and its activities.

Contact

Fantasia! Fantasia! Office
E-mail: info.fantasiafantasia＠gmail.com

Credit

Organized by: Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), Happy Hunch (General Incorporated Association)