In a bid to showcase Tokyo as a city of arts and culture, Now Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) has called on interested stakeholders to submit entries for the final term of the Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL Grant.
The Festival which is a brainchild of Arts Council Tokyo (ACT) and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is an initiative that will see a variety of cultural programs unfold in the run-up to the Tokyo2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, promoting Tokyo’s appeal as a city of arts and culture.
According to the organizer of the program, support will be provided to activities that increase public awareness and promote opportunities surrounding the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympics games.
“We look forward to working with projects that showcase the world’s cutting-edge arts/culture in Tokyo. We will provide support to activities that increase public awareness, in order to promote opportunities surrounding the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. By supporting programs and projects that are topical and festive as well as grounded in the philosophies of the Tokyo-led Cultural Program, we will actively promote partnerships with a variety of sectors including private enterprise. Since 2016, Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL Grant has provided support to almost 200 projects delivered by cultural/artistic organizations and this open call will be the final term of this grant. The selected projects will be awarded up to 20 million JPY and be part of the official program lineups of Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL” the statement read.
The grants are divided into 4 categories; symbolic projects setting the flag of Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL, citizen-led cultural activities, overseas artistic creation in Tokyo and projects offering a vision for the future. Applicants are allowed to choose multiple categories.
One of the four categories “Overseas Artistic Creation in Tokyo” is expected to provide support to projects in Tokyo that encourage the creation of new art (including collaborative work) by artists residing abroad as well as overseas artists. This category intends to bring opportunities for the citizens of Tokyo to experience new and diverse works of art from around the world.
“Applications should be made in Japanese by organizations based and have an address in Japan thus overseas organizations are required to collaborate with local partners. Individuals are ineligible” the organizers stated.
Tokyo Tokyo FESTIVAL is a festival staged in various locations in Tokyo that allows a multitude of people to encounter programs covering diverse genres including art, music, the performing arts, traditional arts, dance, and performances from Japan and countries around the world. The submission deadline is Monday, January 13, 2020.