[Recruitment] Capacity Building Course 2025

It is a series of courses that take a broad view of the relationship between art and culture and society, and hones the thinking and skills necessary for solving problems, creating new value, and achieving goals.
Through lectures, workshops, discussions, and interviews, instructors, facilitators/advisors, and students interact and support cross-disciplinary networking, creating opportunities for students to realize their own projects and plans.
Amid major changes in society, such as the spread of AI, climate change, and international turmoil, new practices are expected to explore how to connect expression and creative activities that arise from human beings, society, nature, and history with society. This year, we will continue to hold capacity-building courses that will allow people who are responsible for various aspects of art and culture to learn from each other and sharpen their knowledge, skills, and thinking skills.

*The basic course is a series of in-person lectures for students selected through public selection, but some of the lectures are archived videos. Anyone can see it.

Application briefing (online)

Introducing the course outline and application requirements (question and answer session).

Date and Time

Thursday, July 10, 2025 19:00~20:00

method of implementation

Online

How to apply

Please send an application with the subject "Name (Furigana), Current Position/Title, Contact Email Address" 2025 to the e-mail address below.
E-MAIL: act-artsacademy*onpam.net (Replace * with @.)

application deadline

Until 15:00 on Wednesday, July 9. * Applications are now closed.
* We will send an e-mail to those who have applied for an application briefing.
* If you would like a sign language interpreter, please apply by 17:00 on Thursday, July 3.
* Personal information provided will be used only for the operation of this project and for announcements.

Course content

Tomoki Ogawa and Tomoko Wakabayashi will be invited as facilitators and advisors, and guest lecturers will be invited according to the content of the course.

1. Series: 6 sessions
2. Midterm Discussion: 1
3. Final Presentation of Problem Solving/Value Creation Strategy Report: 1 session
   Based on the knowledge gained through the course, participants will work on and present a strategy report that contributes to problem solving/value creation in their own activities over a period of approximately one month.
4. Individual Consultation: 1
   On Thursday, January 22, 2026, you will have an individual consultation with a facilitator/advisor who will address your issues and awareness during the report writing period.

[Part 1]

Friday, August 22, 2025 16:00 ~ 21:00
Utilizing Vision and Mission to Win Sympathy and Elicit Support and Hone the Techniques of Non-Profit Organization Management
Lecturer: Takuji Hiroishi (President of Empublic, Social Project Producer)
First half (approx. 1 hour)
● Introduction to the program and management team, self-introduction presentation
● Introduction
Second half (approx. 4 hours)
● Thinking about what is important to utilize Vision and Mission as a power of activity
● Learning the concepts of organization management and management that connect empathy to power of activity

[Part 2]

Wednesday, September 10, 2025 17:00 ~ 19:30
Implementation and Establishment of Vision Purpose
Lecturers: Yuta Ishii (PR Consultant), Kensuke Ishii (Blind Communicator)
● Implementation and Establishment of Vision Purpose through Verbalization of the Significance and Purpose of Activities
● Implementation of "Vision Quest," a workshop program to explore the future that incorporates blind communication techniques

[Part 3 | Some archived videos]

Wednesday, September 24, 2025 17:00 ~ 19:30
Sharpening the Evaluation Axis to Communicate the Significance of Activities
Lecturer: Minamoto Yuriko (Professor, Graduate School of Governance, Meiji University)
● Learning about the concept of evaluation and various evaluation methodologies
● Considering the evaluation that brings out the “social value ” of arts and culture businesses
● Exploring the path that an evaluation axis leads to the strengthening of organizations and activities

[Part 4]

Wednesday, October 22, 2025 17:00 ~ 19:30
Hone techniques for improvement and change through participatory evaluation of stakeholders
Lecturer: Minamoto Yuriko (Professor, Graduate School of Governance, Meiji University)
● Participatory evaluation workshop
● Discussion using tools such as logic models and theory of change
● Through workshops, learn about evaluative thinking that leads to continuous improvement of efforts and social change

[Interim Discussion]

Wednesday, November 19, 2025 17:00 ~ 19:30
Facilitators/Advisors: Tomonori Ogawa (Chairperson of ST Spot Yokohama, a certified NPO, a social worker, and a social educator), Tomoko Wakabayashi (Project Coordinator/Professor, Graduate School of Social Design, Rikkyo University)
● Based on the lectures so far, organize your own thoughts, take inventory of resources around your activities, and identify issues and search for clues to solutions
● Share new insights through discussions, etc.

[Part 5 | Some archived videos]

Monday, December 15, 2025 17:00 ~ 19:30
Dialogue with practitioners: how do you express the inexplicability, indescribability, and tremendous fun of the field/how do you convey them?
Lecturer: Kariyo Ueda (poet and poet)
● Implementing something from the cutting edge of society
● Working while pretending to be ◯◯
● Thinking about the succession of businesses and activities

[Part 6 | Some archived videos]

Wednesday, January 7, 2026 17:00 ~ 19:30
Hone the skills to reconsider the correlation between art culture and society using "cultural rights" as a starting point
〜 What are "culture" and "art" in society?
Lecturer: Miho Nakamura (Associate Professor, Faculty of Cultural Policy, Aoyama Gakuin University)
● Considering what it means to recognize cultural activities as "human rights" from the perspective of the history of human rights
● Leaving no one behind/Considering the meaning of art and culture for all people and public cultural policy from the perspective of "cultural rights," and rethinking the possibilities of art and culture broadly

[Individual Consultation]

Thursday, January 22, 2026
Facilitator/Advisor: Tomonori Ogawa (Chairperson of ST Spot Yokohama, a certified NPO, a social worker, and a social educator), Tomoko Wakabayashi (Project Coordinator/Professor, Graduate School of Social Design, Rikkyo University)
● To explore specific solutions and planning, and the process for doing so, through interviews with facilitators/advisors regarding how to address issues and awareness of problems related to creative activities and their environment.

[Final Presentation]

Friday, February 6, 2026 17:00~21:00
Final Presentation of Problem Solving/Value Creation Strategy Report
Facilitators/Advisors: Tomonori Ogawa (Chairperson of ST Spot Yokohama, a certified NPO, a social worker, and a social educator), Tomoko Wakabayashi (Project Coordinator/Professor, Graduate School of Social Design, Rikkyo University)
● Propose concrete implementation methods of problem solving in creative activities and share ideas with each other.

*Please note that the program is subject to change due to circumstances.
★ Some archived videos available
Some of the 3rd, 5th, and 6th courses will be published on the official YouTube channel as soon as ARTNOTO the editing is completed after the course is held and can be viewed by anyone (no application required).

Course Fees and Venues

course fee

Free

Venue

Arts Council Tokyo (4-1-28 Kudankita, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo)

Eligibility

Those who understand the purpose of this course and are mainly based in Tokyo and fall under all of the following conditions.

1. The applicant is willing to devise solutions to problems and take concrete measures to improve its own activities.
2. Willingness to contribute to the development of a creative environment for arts and culture.
3. To be able to attend each course and the final presentation meeting and actively interact and discuss with the instructor and other students. * 1
4. Ability to create and submit Problem Solving/Value Creation Strategy reports. * 2
5. Be willing to participate in activities that contribute to the promotion of arts and culture after taking the course, and be able to cooperate with questionnaires conducted by ARTNOTO and Arts Council Tokyo in the future.
6. To be able to cooperate in public relations activities for this project. * 3

*1 Assuming that you can take all programs of this course. There is no remuneration for attendance or submission of reports, transportation expenses, etc.
*2 Re-edited and published on the website, report, etc. The copyright of the reports and other deliverables created by the students belongs to Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture Arts Council Tokyo.
*3 List of students, photos, and the state of each course will be posted on the ARTNOTO and Arts Council Tokyo websites, reports, etc.

Number of applicants and target

Number of applicants

Approximately 16

Target

Artists and culture professionals with at least 5 years of experience in the arts and culture field (mainly non-profit activities)
Self-managed artists, expressers, producers, technicians, curators, coordinators, art managers, staff of arts organizations and art NPOs, program officers of arts and culture support organizations, cultural staff of governments and corporations, researchers, etc. (regardless of field)

Application Documents and Methods

Please visit the application form and complete the following:.
* There is a designated form for attaching a photo of your face and writing a short report.

Application Form

Application Form

Application Form

Download

Application period

From Wednesday, June 25, 2025 to Friday, July 25 17:00 * Application has been closed.

Selection

Documents will be screened by the selection committee established by the Arts Council Tokyo.
Regardless of whether the selection process is accepted or rejected, the applicant will be notified by e-mail by August 6, 2025 (Wednesday). We will not respond to inquiries about the selection results. In addition, a list of students will be posted on the official websites of ARTNOTO and Arts Council Tokyo. Please note.

Students in FY 2025

*The application has ended and the students have been selected. (Updated September 4, 2025)
(In the order of 50 syllables, honorifics are omitted.)

Maiko Isobe Freelance Violinist, President of Bayorin Tomonokai Japan Branch
Yuko Uemori Theater Company Zenshinza Production Department
Mazuki Okura Theater Company Daydream Production
Chiaki Okouchi Freelance
Rina Kawase Content Development Team Leader, Image Division, Japan Foundation
Erika Kawamura Pianist, part-time lecturer, Tokyo University of Music, member of Phidias Trio
Takako Sakamoto President, Vivace (Life on Music) LLC
Natsuki Sakamoto Music Workshop Artist, Producer, University Faculty
(Jessica) (Jeshika) Playwright
Kanako Tomita Analog Switch Production
Aya Nose Planner, Curator
Jun Furuta Theater Company Furutamaru Director, Playwright, Director, Screenwriter
Haruna Hosokawa Tact Home Komorebi GRAFARE Hall Project Manager
Haruna Matsunami Staff Member, Public Interest Incorporated Association, NPO
Ayako Mogami Puppet Theater Company Puke (Freelance)
Taku Yoshida Dancer, Choreographer, Planner

Credit

Sponsor

Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture Arts Council Tokyo

management

Open Network for Performing Arts Producers (ON-PAM)

Contact Us

Capacity Building Lecture Operating Office (NPO Open Network for Performing Arts Producers)
Phone: 080-8395-6124 [Weekdays 10:00~18:00]
E-MAIL:act-artsacademy*onpam.net(Replace * with @.)