Intercultural Approach through Theater

Around 530,000 non-Japanese live in Tokyo, with people from more than 180 countries and regions living in the city. The number of people living in Tokyo for work or study as well as the number of children and young people with foreign roots who grow up in Japan are increasing; and with Tokyo now being a society that is home to people from diverse backgrounds, this has thrown a variety of issues into relief.
The aim of Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre’s “Theater coordinator development course” is to develop professionals who can contribute to arts-and-culture-driven creation of community and society, by making the theater accessible to society at large. On this “Interculturalism basic course,” we will think about how to come to grips with today’s multicultural society and its many challenges, and how art might approach these challenges.
Why not join us in thinking about what theater and art can do in a multicultural society where people of different nationalities, customs and languages etc. live together?

What is a theater coordinator?
The name “theater coordinator” conjures an image of the people who stand between theaters and society, planning, fine-tuning and delivering projects/ events designed to connect the two. We’re looking for professionals who can utilize a combination of the following qualities:

– Planners to develop programs
– Educators with an educational perspective
– Operations managers
– Dramaturgs with a cross-sectional approach to looking at plans, ideas and stories, and applying ingenuity to them
– Facilitators to proactively run the program

Lecture schedule

The first half of the lectures will feature instructors who have previously engaged in practices relating to interculturalism, theater and art. Instructors will help participants deepen their understanding through the introduction of case studies, sharing of the challenges and issues, exchange of opinions, etc. In the second half of the lectures, participants will do work in groups to come up with and present a project plan related to theater and art.

1st Sunday, November 21, 2021 13:30 – 16:30
Orientation/ Overview of interculturalism and art
2nd Saturday, December 4, 2021 13:30 – 16:30
Case Study (1) Local community cooperation: Parent-child international exchange
3rd Saturday, December 11, 2021 13:30 – 16:30
Case Study (2)The challenges for young people with roots overseas and documentary theater practices
4th Saturday, December 18, 2021 13:30 – 16:30
Case Study (3) Workshops with children living in a multicultural/multilingual society
5th Saturday, January 15, 2022 13:30 – 16:30
Interim presentation & discussion
*Based on lectures 1-4, participants present project proposals in groups, and there will be a discussion based on the presentations.
6th Sunday, February 27, 2022 13:30 – 16:30
Presentation of project plans & feedback
*After the 5th interim presentation, participants will polish their project plans and give final presentations.

*Depending on the situation concerning the spread of coronavirus, we will consider holding sessions online.
*Program details are subject to change.

Project plan supervisors

Shoko Miyano (Part-time lecturer, College of Performing and Visual Arts, J. F. Oberlin University)
YANG Chunting (Research Associate, Department of Arts Studies and Curatorial Practices, Graduate School of Global Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts)

Course fee

3,000 yen

Capacity

About 10

Eligibility

People aged over 18 (as of April 1, 2021) with Daily conversation and documentation in Japanese
People interested in the theater, performing arts or community art, who are enthusiastic learners and motivated workers
People able in principle to attend all six sessions or two-way simultaneous sessions online
People able to contact and attend sessions via e-mail, Facebook, Zoom, etc.

How to apply

Please fill out the application form here.

*Personal information in your application will only be used to send you information about this lecture series.
*The program is subject to change without prior notice.

Application deadline
Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Selection method
Selection based on application details. We will let you know whether you can participate or not within two weeks after the deadline.