Contemporary Asian Masks:Reconfiguration and Transformation

  • Organizer Name Theatre8×8
  • Thailand
    • Theater
    • Dance
    • Traditional Culture/Cultural Heritage
  • The Grant Program for Promotion of Cultural Collaboration
Grant Year
Fiscal Year 2015
Grant Amount
JPY 3,336,064
Country of Activity
Thailand, Japan

We had good research and workshop in Tokyo and Iwate in June 2015.
We went to interview with noh master Nobu Nagacho and held a workshop on noh movement and dance with him. We discussed about noh, idea of acting and how masks and actors are related with each other during the performances. Then we went to see take Kagura in Hayachine mountain. Here we found the relationship of masks and ritual combination to performances and how the villagers joined together in group and practiced and conseved this heritage. It was so powerful and expressive, reflected their belief and expressed their respect to gods. We found a possibility of using masks as a medium of rituals and a function for mask of human society.
We had a workshop and collaboration in lab and improvised a performance, and presented it to the public at Tokyo metropolitan theatre. Then we discussed with the audience and collect some feedback to develop our work in the future. In August, we held a workshop, did a research and improvised a story for mask in contemporary world. We tried to find new masks for through workshops. Then we presented some of our stories to public three times different space. Eachtime we had different groups of audience and had a discussion with them later.

Facebook Page of the Project   https://m.facebook.com/AsianMasks

Related Countries
Japan, Thailand

From the Organizer

Very good potential for full production.
In 2016 We continue this project by The Japan foundation Bangkok supporting. Then finish it in 2017 show in Store House Tokyo.

Projects related to this Grantee

Countries of Activity

Strengthening Japan-Thailand Research Network on Cultures of Transnationalism and Diaspora

Thai and Osaka (Japan) Creative Space and Community Art collaboration project

Fab life in Satoyama (collaboration project with Asian creative in Ibaraki-prefecture)

Akiko Kitamura’s Asian Dance Project, Collaboration Vol. 2 “Cross Transit – Final Chapter”

Towards Building a Resilient Network for Regional Health Cooperation in East Asia

Kuricorder & Friends Asia 6-nation Music & Art Collaboration Project

Field

範宙遊泳×The Necessary Stage「範宙遊泳シンガポール滞在(リサーチ・WS)」

Cambodia Opera Project 2019

Asian Dramaturgs’ Network 2017 Meeting

Papermoon Puppet Theatre (Indonesia) Residence and New creation performance 2017

Empowerment of Children through Educational Theater: Learning from PETA’s Creative Process of Using Arts

HANCYU-YUEI × The Necessary Stage Stay Creation and Performance (Singapore/Tokyo)