Festival Tokyo

The Festival/Tokyo forms part of the “The Tokyo Culture Creation Project” launched by Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture, with the aim of creating and transmitting the distinctive art forms and culture of Tokyo. Its organizers are: Festival/Tokyo Executive Committee, Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Toshima City, Toshima Future Culture Foundation and Arts Network Japan (NPO-ANJ). Launched for the first time in spring 2009, Festival/Tokyo followed in the footsteps of Tokyo International Arts Festival dating back to 1988. Upon their establishment in Arts Network Japan took over its organization, inaugurating it annually until 2008. The name change reflected the new festival organization and the increase of its size. After having held the same position at the 2008 Tokyo International Arts Festival, Ms. Chiaki Soma assigned the position as the program director of Festival/Tokyo. Festival/Tokyo continuously questions how the performing arts can reflect what is “real” today by presenting the most cutting-edge dance and theatre performances from Japan and abroad. In addition a series of projects open to the public completes our program: open studios, film and video presentations, talks and lectures. In addition the F/T Station in front of the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space has been housing an information center and a café, and hosting popular amusement in the weekends. So far the festival has been held twice, in spring (F/T09 Spring, Feb 26 – Mar 29) and autumn (F/T09 Autumn, Oct 23 – Dec 21) of 2009. Each time presenting or co-presenting around 20 works, the festival engages both as producer, co-producer and commissioner of new works. The amount of visitors at the two festivals added up to more than in total. The next festival, F/T10, is scheduled for November 2010.