Reimagine 3-Year Plan (2021-2024)
*Information at the time of adoption.
- Name of the organization or individual
- Mu Arts Japan
- subsidy category
- Creation Grant
- Grant Type
- long-term
Reiwa 3(2021) Creation Grant Category II. Long-term Grant
Business Overview
Based on the achievements of the Noh Imagine Festival that has been held in the UK since 2016, in order to establish an open and creative platform for collaboration between Noh and international contemporary arts, we held festivals, performances and workshops in the UK, built partnerships with domestic and international arts organizations, and developed methods for programming research and collaboration with international artists. The purpose was to develop a project to present the results of new cultural creation and sense of value to the world through the tradition of Noh.
[First year project outline] (1) The 3rd Noh Imagine Festival Contents: Classical performances "Fuji," "Kurozuka" and other works commissioned by British artists were performed for the first time, workshops, seminars and talks. Date: June 24, 2022, 25th Venue: Kings Place (London, UK)
[Year 2 Project Outline] (1) We developed a method of Noh workshops for artists with overseas artists. (2) Established partnerships for the third year project. (3) Created video footage of the first year project and edited the website. (4) He collaborated with the concept of "mirror" in Noh and British modern art.
Description: Noboru Sano and Yukihiro Isso performed a completely impromptu performance in response to the installation work of the internationally active Welsh conceptual artist Keris Wynne Evans. Sano superimposed the noh "Nomori" mirror, which reflects the world of nature, on Evans' work, and Isso performed with awareness of "Kekkai," one of the concepts of the work. Date: Friday, April 28, 2023 Venue: Taka Ishii Gallery (Minato-ku, Tokyo)
[Outline of the third year project] (1) Noh workshops were held in three cities in the UK. Content: Noboru Sano traveled to the UK and conducted workshops on the Noh movements and chants he developed in the second year at three locations: The Place, a hub for contemporary dance; the University of Sheffield; and the CBSO Centre, home to Birmingham's contemporary music group. Dates: September 20-26th. Venues: The Place (London/UK), University of Sheffield, Birmingham CBSO Centre.
(2) Noh Re-Imagined Tokyo performance. Content: British dance duo Thick & Tight, who premiered their new work "Two Moths in Real Time" at Noh Re-Imagined (London performance) in 2022 and collaborated with a Noh performer on "12-beat Sanbaso," came to Japan and gave a triumphant return performance together with the Noh performer. Date and time: October 31st Venue: Tessenkai Nohgaku Training Center (Minato-ku, Tokyo)
(3) A workshop for contemporary composers was held. Content: Based on the Noh Music Guide for Composers, which was devised and written primarily by Narita Tatsushi and Darryl Semison in the second year of the project, a four-day intensive workshop was held in Tokyo for two promising young British composers. In addition, an online workshop was held for 10 overseas composers. Dates: 12/7-12/10 (Tokyo). November 18 (online) Venue: Tokyo, online
(4) The 75th Aldeburgh Festival performed "Sumida River" and the 4th Noh Re-Imagined Festival. Contents: To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the world premiere of the opera "Curlew River," which was strongly influenced by "Sumida River" that he saw during his visit to Japan in 1956, he was invited by the festival to perform "Sumida River." In addition to an explanation of "Sumida River," he commissioned a storytelling piece, "A Tale of Sumida River," to be performed by a British storyteller. The 4th Noh Re-Imagined Festival featured the same program as the Aldeburgh Festival on the first day, and a performance of the Noh play "Kinuta" on the second day. On the second day, workshops on basic and advanced Noh movements and Noh music were held, and talks on works influenced by Noh by two contemporary British composers who visited Japan and conducted workshops were held as part of the Noh Re-Imagined Festival program. Date: June 18-22, 2024 Venue: Aldeburgh Festival, Kings Place (London)
- Period of Activity / Project
- Venues
Profile
Mu Arts Japan
Noh Reimagined, organized by Mu Arts Japan, will hold the Noh Reimagined Festival in 2016 in partnership with Kings Place, a major concert hall in London. The purpose of this project is to introduce Noh overseas and contribute to creative international cultural exchange by developing innovative projects through collaboration with artists of various traditional cultures and contemporary arts from around the world based on Noh. In conjunction with the festival, she performs at the Old Rose Music Festival, the Japanese Cultural Center in Rome, the Classicos En Alcala International Theatre Festival in Madrid, and holds workshops and events at The Place, the University of Sheffield, Japan House and the CBSO Centre in Birmingham.
Noh Reimagined Festival Achievements
(1) 21 top-level Noh performers from Japan will appear, including Gen Mikata, Yoshimasa Kanze, Tatsushi Narita, Yasusuke Tanabe, Mitsuhiro Kakihara, and Yukihiro Isso.
(2) We develop projects in partnership with major cultural and artistic organizations in the UK, including Sound and Music, The Place, Clod Ensemble Britten Pears Arts, Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, and Kings Place.
(3) Premiere of 12 commissioned works.
List of commissioned artists
・ Clod Ensemble (performing arts)
・ Cerith Wyn Evans (contemporary artist)
・ Ben Nobuto (composer)
Hollie Harding (composer)
・Thick & Tight (queer dance duo)
・ Mariam Rezaei (turntablist)
・ Atsushi Iriki (neuroscientist)
・Xanthe Gresham-Knight (storyteller)
・David Toop (sound artist) and Wiebke Leister (photo artist).
(4) Highly rated by British media, including a five-star rating from the Guardian.
(5) An introduction to Nohri Imagined’s activities and commissioned works on BBC Radio 3.
(6) Implementing educational programs and outreach events for young people.