Based on the achievements of the Noh Reimagined Festival delivered in the UK and Europe since 2016, the project aims to establish an open and creative platform through genuine collaborations between Noh tradition and Western contemporary artists. The activities include organizing festivals, performances, and workshops, building partnerships with domestic and international artistic groups, conducting programming research, and developing methods for working with international artists. Noh Reimagined aims to showcase the results and values of new cultural creation through Noh in contemporary times.

First year
The 3rd Noh Reimagined Festival featured performances of classical Noh plays, including “Wisteria” and “Kurozu ka (Black Mound),” as well as premieres of three commissioned works by British artists: Thick & Tight (dance), Cerith Wyn Evans (contemporary arts), and Verity Lane (composer and director). The festival also included workshops, seminars, talks, and other related events.

Dates: June 24-25, 2022
Venue: Kings Place (London, UK)

Second year
1. Development of workshop methods for collaborations with international artists.
2. Establishing partnerships for the Year 3 project and beyond.
3. Creation of a short video and editing of the project’s website for Noh Reimagined 2022 festival.
4. An event in collaboration with Taka Ishii Gallery in Tokyo: Cerith Wyn Evans’ “Green Room w/ attendant mirrors…” (engaging with Kagami-ita). In response to an installation artwork by Welsh conceptual artist Cerith Wyn Evans, Sano Noboru and Isso Yukihiro performed an improvised piece. Sano incorporated the mirror concept from the installation, drawing inspiration from the Noh play “Nomori,” while Isso explored the concept of Kekkai or “boundary” depicted in the artwork.

Date: April 28, 2023
Venue: Taka Ishii Gallery (Minato-ku, Tokyo)

Third year
1. Noh workshops in three cities in the UK:
Sano Noboru will be traveling to the UK to conduct Noh workshops focusing on dance and chant in three different locations in England in collaboration with Noh Reimagined partners. The Place, a renowned contemporary dance hub, will host a two-day intensive workshop for 20 professional choreographers, as well as dance school students. Additionally, workshops tailored to local audiences and artists will be organized in partnership with Sheffield University and the CBSO Centre in Birmingham.

Dates: September 20-26, 2023
Venues: The Place (London, UK), Sheffield University, CBSO Centre (Birmingham)

2. Noh Reimagined Tokyo Performance:
Thick & Tight, a British dance duo, in collaboration with Noh performers, will present “Two Moths in Real Time,” which premiered at Noh Reimagined 2022. Additionally, Isso Yukhiro’s composition “12 beat – Sanbaso” will be performed by Thick & Tight alongside Noh performers.

Date: October 31, 2023
Venue: Tessenkai Noh Training Institute (Minato-ku, Tokyo)

3. Workshop for contemporary music composers:
Building upon the methods developed in the second year of the project, a four-day intensive workshop will be held in Tokyo for two promising young British composers, Ben Nobuto and Hollie Hardings, whose works will be premiered at Noh Reimagined 2024. Additionally, multiple workshops will be conducted online for other composers.

Dates: December 7-10 (Tokyo), 2023 online schedule {to be confirmed}
Venues: Tokyo (in-person workshop), online (virtual workshops)

4. The 4th Noh Reimagined Festival and UK Performances:
The 4th Noh Reimagined Festival, held at Kings Place, will feature a range of performances, including the classical Noh masterpiece “Sumidagawa” as well as premieres of works by two British contemporary composers, workshops, talks, and other audiences engaging programs. Moreover, Noh Reimagined will expand its presence beyond London to participate in the esteemed Aldeburgh Festival, which will be celebrating its 75th anniversary next year. Additionally, Noh Reimagined will perform at the CBSO Centre in Birmingham, the home of the Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, one of Europe’s leading contemporary ensembles and a new partner of Noh Reimagined.

Dates: June 18-22, 2024
Venues: Snape Maltings (Aldeburgh, Suffolk), Kings Place (London), CBSO Centre (Birmingham)