NPO Arts Network Japan(NPO-ANJ) - Tokyo International Arts Festival 2006

The mission of Arts Network Japan, established in 2000, is to revitalize and promote the arts, refine a process for discovering future talents, and promote international communications in the form of an Arts Service Organization in the future. Over a twelve-month period, in addition to producing TIF, we sponsor the “ Youth Arts Management Projects” providing youths who wish to work in this field the opportunity for hands-on management experience; and additionally, Redevelopment Project（a program which began in August of 2004 as the “ Nishi-sugamo Arts Factory”）, where public school buildings which are not in use are renovated into functioning rehearsal spaces and areas open to the public for various artistic activities.

Our history of programs and schedules

Apr.	2000	Founding of the NPO, Arts Network Japan
Oct.		2000 Tokyo International Performing Arts Festival
Mar.	2001	International culture seminar “the creativity and ideas -researches of overseas examples- for establishment of a new basis of the arts” produced by the committee
Jul./Dec.		Japan2001 Official event “Drama reading - the present of the young Japanese writers vol.1 in UK-”
Oct.		2001 Tokyo International Performing Arts Festival
Sep.	2002	2002 Tokyo International Arts Festival
Aug.	2003	ANJ lecture series vol.1 “The potentials of art NPOs” grownups and children's summer fair @ Senkawa elementary school
Oct.		First national NPO forum
Nov.		Lecture of George Ibrahim, Director of the Al-Kasaba theatre, Palestine
Feb.	2004	Eurasia festival; 10th anniversary of the TIF
Aug.		Grand opening of the Nishi-sugamo Arts Factory
Sept		ANJ lecture series vol.2 “the effect of the appointed administration system on the Arts community”
Feb.	2005	2005 Tokyo International Arts Festival
Mar.		ANJ lecture series vol.3 “the issue over Dramaturg”

Our programs

We host the Tokyo International Arts Festival (TIF) around February to March every year. For 3years from 2003, we will feature works from the Middle East and Eastern Europe to introduce the yet energetically created artworks under “Society under turbulence and control of political power”.

We also aim to expand our projects beyond just hosting the Festival, to function as an Arts service organization. Therefore we started a project of utilizing and managing the Previous Asahi Junior High School building as rehearsal rooms, workshop spaces, performance, and lecture rooms; the “Nishi-sugamo Arts Factory”. We also run the “Youth Arts Management Projects”(YAMP) where we provide internship job opportunities to students and young adults who take interest in working in the arts community.

Under the current situation of political power forcing the so-called “Unity” of individual values under the name of freedom, the biggest mission the Arts can serve, is to keep on presenting individuality, and how diverse human beings can be. “To regain the position and influence of the arts in the society” and “connecting the arts community and the society” is providing and reminding the society these values that the arts can give. The Arts Network Japan is determined to continue the cooperation with the many other international arts communities all over the world.

The producing of various art projects as well as our main project, the Tokyo International Arts Festival.

Function as an Arts service organization concerning the entire arts field.

Bonding of the arts community of Japan and other nations, Tokyo and regional areas, as well as becoming the center of access to various information.

Encouraging and cultivating the young and emerging artists, producers, audiences of the next generation.

The Tokyo International Arts Festival

“Tokyo International Arts Festival” (TIF) held around February to March every year, consists of the following programs.
>“International company productions and co-produce series”
>“Regional theater series”
>“Show case division”
>“Communication program ”
>”International visitors program”

Showcase division Through the international level perspective
Starting from 2003, for the upcoming 3 years, ANJ organizes the programs concerning the works of the Middle Eastern (Arabic) community and the Eastern European community. The focus will be on works that can retain severe tensity with daily, everyday life. Also, not just inviting international companies for co-producing performances, we will encourage the co-creating of the works. (The programs involving the Middle Eastern productions are partnership programs with the Japan Foundation.)

Regional theater series From local communities to Tokyo
This series offer both the emerging and established companies based in regional areas of Japan, the chance and space to hold performances in Tokyo. This leads to create a new pipeline and flow from local areas, to theater communities in Tokyo. Also, from 2004, we started a program with the Japan Foundation for regional art-activities, connecting theater/performance spaces with creators to collaborate, taking one step farther than just hosting or moving ready-made performances.

Communication Program a better understanding & a little more fun
ANJ offers chances where the audiences and the artists “meet” directly and broaden relationships. Gathering young adults and students as internship/volunteer groups, (the youth arts management projects) to experience the scene of 'creation in progress'. We will also open up an “arts café” where festival participant artists can have talks with their audience face to face. From 2003, we started a program for junior/senior high school students, to nourish and raise future global consciousness.

International visitors program a worldwide network of people
We invite theater and art festival directors, producers from abroad during our TIF, to introduce Japanese performing arts scene and its community. We will hold meetings for possible future international co-production projects, as well as symposiums to present other nations' situations concerning the arts community, for the development of the international network of people and artist.

Nishisugamo arts Factory

The insufficiency of rehearsal and working spaces
The theater community in Japan is desperate for places for rehearsing and creating work. As one solution, we have started the “Old school project”.
The severe shortage of these spaces will not lead the creations of productions to higher qualities. From the necessities to create the space itself, and the idea of using classrooms of the school buildings no longer in use, drew us to this project in 2001. From April 2002, we have experimentally operated rehearsing and working spaces, held workshops and events for the local community and children, at the Old Toshima ward Senkawa elementary school. As the framing of this project soon became more clearer, we moved it's base to the Old Toshima ward Asahi Junior-high school building in 2004 August, and reopened it as the “Nishi-sugamo Arts Factory”.
Cooperating with other art support groups and NPOs, the local community, and the local government, we hope this place evolves into theater/dance rehearsing and working places, performance spaces, workshop studios, and a free, opened place where many people can get together, exchange ideas; a place with many functions to connect people.

Lecture series

These lectures will be on the latest movements concerning the arts including the movements surrounding the new connection of the arts and the society etc. we also hope this will be chances for the participants and members to make new networks and pipelines. Our first lecture was on the 24th, 25th of September 2004, talking about the “Designated management system”. The second lecture will be in March 2005, with the title “the issue over Dramaturug”

Youth Arts Management Projects (YAMP)

The participants and youth members will be expected to:
Experience and understand the process and scene of the “art creation in progress”;
Perceive the difficulties and problems with new and flexible sensibilities of the new generation;
Find and take action of the solutions.
For this we will have steady and careful support while respecting the participants' autonomy.

Arts Network Japan Inc. board of trustees

Director	Sachio Ichimura	Director/Tokyo International Arts Festival
Board Member	Masao Katayama	Managing Director/The Saison Foundation
Board Member	Shuji Sota	Professor / Atomi University
Board Member	Hiroshi Takahagi	General Producer / Setagaya Public Theatre
Board Member	Koichi Tsunoyama	Executive Secretary / Association for corporate Support of The Arts
Board Member	Naoko Hasuike	Secretary General/Arts Network Japan
Board Member	Naoto Fuse	General Manager/Corporate Citizenship and Communication Dept.Public Affairs DIV.
Board Member	Mitsuhiro Yoshimoto	Director,Arts and Cultural Projects,NLI
Board Member	Hiroshi Watanabe	Maneger,Producer / Matsumoto City Hall
Statutory Auditor	Takashi Tsumura	Chief Direcor/Japan Foundation for Regional Art-Activities