The Tokyo Festival Executive Committee is holding its Tokyo Festival 2020 starting tomorrow on Wednesday, September 30, 2020 in the Ikebukuro area of Toshima Ward. The Ikebukuro area will welcome a total of 35 diverse performing art programs, including those of the Tokyo Festival, Festival/Tokyo (F/T), the Metropolitan Theater Autumn Selection, the Toshima International City of Arts and Culture, and the Asian Performing Arts Farm(APAF) 2020.
This year’s theme is “To Meet or Not to Meet?”. Tokyo Festival 2020, open to everyone, provides a place for your thoughts and mind to wander. It is part of what makes Tokyo a charming city.
The festival will be held in a safe and secure manner with thorough COVID-19 preventative measures in place through cooperation from all involved. This year, to propose new performing art styles, a variety of performances will be held, including not only regular ones, but also online and VR performances.
■ Comment by Satoshi Miyagi, General Director of Tokyo Festival
”We will hold the Tokyo Festival”
The Planning team listened to their inner voice, which asked “Should we hold an international performing arts festival at this time…?”, and we decided we had to hold the Tokyo Festival, because the real meaning of Tokyo will disappear if people in Tokyo close their mind against the outside.
Due to the isolation caused by our protracted battle with an unknown virus most of us lean towards a false dichotomy: we are eager to either divide into “our side” or the “enemy side”. We want to talk to someone who we agree with, and do not want to get to know someone who thinks differently to us. It is easy for us to close ourselves to “others”.
However, what are the values of Tokyo? Is it a city that welcomes everyone? A city that celebrates the diversity of people living there?
We decided to hold the Tokyo Festival because we realised that we must not “close the window” on this opportunity to meet with people.
Tokyo Festival 2020 Event
Name: Tokyo Festival 2020
Festival dates: September 30 (Wed.) – November 29 (Sun.), 2020
Sites: Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, Owlspot Theatre (Toshima Arts Center), TOKYO TATEMONO Brillia HALL (Toshima Arts and Culture Theatre), GLOBAL RING THEATRE (Ikebukuro Nishi-guchi Park Outdoor Theatre) and others in the Ikebukuro area
Organizers: Tokyo Festival Executive Committee[Toshima City, Toshima Mirai Cultural Foundation, Festival/Tokyo Executive Committee, Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture (Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre & Arts Council Tokyo)]
▼Press Release
Tokyo Festival 2020 to be held
[For inquiries regarding this matter]
Tokyo Festival Executive Committee：Ms. Iwabuchi
Tel: +81(0)50-1746-0996 (weekdays 10:00-18:00)
E-mail: press@tokyo-festival.jp
