What we do

Multicultural Collaborative Multilingual Play with Music Project “The WORLD”

  • Organization : MUGAI
  • Section : Artistic and creative activity in Tokyo
  • Type of Grant Program : Single
  • Art Forms : Theater

Outline

This project was developed by a diverse group of members with extensive international experience, leveraging their varied cultural backgrounds through a process that emphasized multicultural dialogue.

The story unfolds in a bar called “The WORLD” set in an unspecified global location, featuring the narratives of four distinct characters.

During the collaborative process of adapting the original English script, each member’s unique identity contributed depth to the characters’ development.

The performance incorporated languages reflecting the cast’s roots and linguistic abilities, including Japanese (with Osaka dialect and non-native speakers), English, Tagalog, Chinese, and Irish.

The project actively integrated audience feedback, refining the work through multi-voiced exchanges including post-performance dialogue at work-in-progress performance, open rehearsals at YAU, and After-Performance Conversation.

This production, at the intersection of multiple cultures, offered an opportunity to collectively explore the potential richness of diversity and discover a new vision of the “world.”

Profile

MUGAI
Inspired by Zhuangzi’s philosophy of “The great has no outside, the small has no inside” (其大無外,其小無内), we embrace a spirit of inclusivity that transcends boundaries. Our goal is to foster a space for coexistence and creativity among individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. To this end, we organize multilingual performances, multicultural collaborative workshops, and symposiums. We explore the artistic possibilities that arise from diversity while focusing on innovating art production processes through cross-cultural collaboration. In our rapidly changing modern society, we strive to contribute to the realization of a sustainable, symbiotic society through artistic approaches.

Contact

Yiyi Zhang
REPRESENTATIVE DIRECTOR
MUGAI
mugai.artcollective@gmail.com

Venues

March 15, 2014
Workshop:Tokyo University of the Arts, Taito City, Tokyo

August 17-18, 2024
Performance:Shot bar ReBright, Chiyoda City, Tokyo