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Tokyo Festival 2018 to be held this fall

A performing arts festival in the Ikebukuro area of Toshima, entering in its third year
Festival General Director Satoshi Miyagi and the “Planning Team” get started
A diverse Japanese & international lineup announced for 2018

The Tokyo Festival Executive Committee (Chairman: Shigeo Fukuchi) is proud to present the Tokyo Festival, to be held mainly in the Ikebukuro area of Toshima, Tokyo, for 100 days from Saturday, September 1st , 2018 to Sunday, December 9th , 2018.The Tokyo Festival, which was launched in 2016, celebrates its third year in 2018. This year will mark the first year of a new collaborative system between Festival General Director Satoshi Miyagi (Director of SPAC: Shizuoka Performing Arts Center) and members of the Tokyo Festival “Planning Team.” A more comprehensive program will be developed, including implementation of projects directly managed by the Festival General Director.

■Comment by Festival General Director Satoshi Miyagi■

When a society becomes divided between vested interests—the “haves,” as viewed by the majority—and those who feel dissatisfied and disenfranchised by those vested interests—the “have nots”—that society is headed for terrible tragedy. We have learned this lesson from history. But since it seems that humanity is trying to repeat this folly again, as a performing artist, I thought I could try to remedy this division in some small way through the Tokyo Festival.
Those who are interested in going to see theater in Tokyo nowadays are viewed by the majority who do not go to the theater as people with abundant means: a blessed few. And theatre makers who create work without awareness of this situation can also be regarded as belonging to the side of these vested interests. To address this crisis, first of all, I'd like to take action to open up the theater through this Tokyo Festival. As a symbolic project, by holding open-air performances in Ikebukuro’s Nishiguchi Park, I hope to provide opportunities for audiences to encounter high-quality works at low cost.
On the other hand, we will also provide refining experiences by presenting a broad collection of cutting-edge works in Tokyo that proudly number among the best worldwide.
Thirdly, as we move toward the Olympic Games in 2020, there is concern in Japan that the nation’s polarization toward Tokyo will accelerate even further. To ensure this festival revitalizes not only Tokyo but the entirety of Japan, our program seeks to ensure Tokyo is connected with Japan’s regional areas.
Based on these three principles—Open, Refining, Connecting—I look forward to advancing the future of the Tokyo Festival.

 

《What is the Tokyo Festival?》
This is a comprehensive urban arts festival which aims to link the metropolis to the rest of the world through Tokyo’s diverse arts and culture scene. 

《OUTLINE》
Name: Tokyo Festival 2018
Festival dates: September 1st (Sat) – December 9th (Sun), 2018 (100days)
Sites: Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Owlspot Theater, Ikebukuro Nishiguchi Park, Minami Ikebukuro Park and others
Organizers: Tokyo Festival Executive Committee
[Arts Council Tokyo & Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre(Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture), Toshima City, Toshima Mirai Cultural Foundation, Festival/Tokyo Executive Committee]

Line-up Introduction

Tokyo Festival – Directly Managed Projects　Oct.18^th (Thu)– Nov.4^th (Sun) *TBD
Programmer of Tokyo Festival: Yoshiji Yokoyama
One of Italy’s leading directors, Giorgio Barberio Corsetti, has held auditions in Ikebukuro for an outdoor performance of The Threepenny Opera to be performed at Ikebukuro’s Nishiguchi Park, selecting all the performers personally. The Glass Menagerie by French director Daniel Jeanneteau is a huge hit, beautifully staged, that tells an ephemeral family story, as familiar as a nightmare. Dark Circus by French company Stereoptik is a low-tech, live art performance aimed at families that spins the darkly humorous tale of a catastrophic circus group. Aside from these, Festival General Director Satoshi Miyagi will present six works by Japanese and overseas artists selected for their Open, Refining, and Connecting practice. Audiences can partake of both programs at low cost.

The Threepenny Opera
Directed by Giorgio Barberio Corsetti [Venue] Ikebukuro Nishiguchi Park
 [Date] Oct.18^th (Thu) – 28^th (Sun) *TBD 

The Glass Menagerie
Directed by Daniel Jeanneteau [Venue] Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Playhouse
[Date] Oct. 27^th (Sat) -28^th (Sun)*TBD

 Dark Circus
Performed by Stereoptik [Venue] Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Theatre West
[Date] Oct 27^th (Sat) - 29^th (Mon)*TBD

 Shakespeare’s Wild Sisters Group X Dainanagekijo Notes Exchange Vol.3 Café Lumière
[Original Text] Hou Hsiao-hsien Café Lumière (Film)
Directed by Chia-Ming Wang & Kouhei Narumi [Venue] Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Theatre West
[Date] Oct. 24^th (Wed)- Oct. 25^th (Thu)*TBD

 El cielo se mide por alas
Choreographed and Directed by Merlin Nyakam [Venue] Owlspot Theater
[Date] Nov. 3^rd (Sat), Nov. 4^th (Sun) *TBD 

Yumemiru Chikara
Choreographed, Directed and Performed by Merlin Nyakam Performed by elder dancers
[Venue] Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Theatre East [Date] Nov. 2^nd (Fri)- Nov. 4^th (Sun) *TBD

● Festival/Tokyo 2018　Oct. 13^th (Sat) – Nov. 18^th (Sun)
Director: Kaku Nagashima / Co-Director: Chika Kawai
This international performing arts festival showcases the multifaceted appeal of contemporary theatre and dance in pursuit of new possibilities for the performing arts. Continuing on from last year, the festival will open with an outdoor dance performance by Thai choreographer and dancer Pichet Klunchun at Minami Ikebukuro Park. In addition, the festival will feature the culmination of the three-year project that F/T has developed with marebito theater company about Fukushima. This year will also mark the fifth edition of the Asia Series and the third F/T in the City Performance Series. As a special program by the new director, the festival will include a symposium and other events.

Asia Series Vol.5 Participating Artists
-        Pichet Klunchun (Thailand)
[Venue] Minami Ikebukuro Park [Date] Oct.13^th (Sat), Oct. 14^th (Sun) *TBD
-        Swapnadal (Bangladesh)
-        Lomorpich Rithy (Cambodia)

 F/T in the City Performance Series Participating Artists
-        L PACK.
-        Yukari Sakata + Miho Inatsugu + Kyojun Tanaka
-        Takeshi Fukuda
-        Eiki Mori

 marebito theater company

Nassim Soleimanpour

Suguru Yamamoto

●Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre Autumn Selection Sep.1^st (Sat)- Nov. 25^th (Sun)
Director: Minako Naito (General Producer of Performing Arts, Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre)
The program presented by the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre is rich in international flavor, and its 4th participation in the Tokyo Festival opens the door to new expression. It features works by Japanese and overseas artists, including In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom, directed by Hideki Noda, artistic director of the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, as well as new work by contemporary circus performer Camille Boitel. Back to Back Theatre’s small metal objects will also be performed in Nishiguchi Park, Ikebukuro. 

NODA・MAP  In the Forest, Under Cherries in Full Bloom
Written, Directed and Performed by Hideki Noda, Produced by NODA・MAP
[Venue] Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Playhouse
[Date] Sep.1^st (Sat) – Sep.12^th (Wed), Nov.3^rd (Sat)-Nov. 25^th (Sun) 

Japan-France International Co-production Camille Boitel  Ma –  étude
Choreographed, Directed and Performed by Camille Boitel [Venue] Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Theatre East
[Date] Sep. 27^th (Thu)-Sep. 30^th (Sun) *TBD 

To Mr. Gegege
[Original Text] Shigeru Mizuki Written and Directed by Tomohiro Maekawa
[Venue] Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Playhouse [Date] Oct.8^th (Mon, Hol) – Oct. 21^st (Sun) 

Back to Back Theatre  small metal objects
Directed by Bruce Gladwin [Venue] Ikebukuro Nishiguchi Park
[Date] Oct.22^nd (Mon) – Oct.31^st (Wed) *TBD 

●Toshima International City of Arts & Culture Program Sep.1^st (Sat)-Dec.9^th (Sun)2018
Directors
　Harumi Nemoto (Chief Producer of Owlspot Theater)
　Hayato Sugita (Project Officer, Planning Section, Toshima Mirai Cultural Foundation)
Selected as a candidate city for “Culture City of East Asia 2019”, Toshima city hopes to convey to the world the appeal of the art and culture it boasts, as an international city of art and culture in which the whole city is the stage—a city of theater in which everyone can play a leading role. This year, in addition to the outdoor performance Daidengaku Ikebukuro Emaki that will be held in the city, six programs of dance, theater, and traditional performing arts will also be developed.

The 30^th Ikebukuro Play Festival
[Venue] Owlspot Theater and other venues in Toshima city [Date] Sep.1^st (Sat) – Sep.30^th (Sat) 

《Traditional Performing Arts at Minami Ikebukuro Park Project》
-        Japanese Performance SAMBASO - from the Middle Age to Edo era-
Composed, Directed and Performed by Manzo Nomura [Venue]Minami Ikebukuro Park [Date] Sep.23^rd (Sun)
-        People Dance -Japanese Folk Dance-
Performances: Ainu dance, Nishimonai Bon-dance, Nagasaki Lion-dance (Shishimai), Awa-dance, Eisa (Okinawan folk dance) etc. [Venue]Minami Ikebukuro Park [Date] Sep.24^th (Mon, Hol) 

Nanafuku's my-heart-stealer
Performed by Kyotaro Yanagiya, Nanafuku Tamagawa (Kyokushi: Toyoko Sawamura), Matsunojo Kanda
[Venue] Owlspot Theater [Date] Oct.10^th (Wed) 

Daidengaku Ikebukuro Emaki
Composed and Directed by Manzo Nomura [Venue] Minami Ikebukuro Park and the others [Date] Oct. 20^th (Sat) 

Theater play by Dance Clockwise Man
Composed, Written and Directed by Kaoru Haga Choreographed, Directed and Performed by Ryohei Kondo
[Venue] Owlspot Theater [Date] Nov. 22^nd (Thu) – Nov.25^th (Sun) 

Sound of Light : Sound of Shadow
[Artistic Director] Chisato Minamimura [Venue] Owlspot Theater [Date] Dec.7^th (Fri) – Dec. 9^th (Sun)

●APAF – Asian Performing Arts Forum Oct. 15^th (Mon) – Nov. 12^th (Mon)
Director: Junnosuke Tada
In this international collaborative workshop, a group consisting mainly of several directors will each create and present small works on a common theme, and a full-scale production of smaller works produced at the previous year’s workshop will be presented as an international collaborative creative performance. An Art Camp program will also be implemented, intended to uncover and cultivate the new talent who will play a role in the performing arts of the future. In addition to expanding and exploring the possibilities of young artists, the event seeks to become a platform for creating cross-border networks. 

Creation Through International Collaboration Beautiful Trauma - Behind the Scenes -
Directed by Yustiansyah Lesmana [Venue] Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Theatre West [Date] Nov. 9^th (Fri), Nov. 10^th (Sat) 

Workshop for International Collaboration’s performances and wrap-up
[Venue] Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Theatre West [Date] Nov. 10^th (Sat) - Nov. 11^th (Sun)

 Art Camp
[Venue] Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, and others [Date] Nov. 12^th (Mon) etc.