From April 25 to May 7, 2026, the Japan Foundation, in collaboration with Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC), invited playwrights from Japan and Southeast Asia to participate in the World Theatre Festival Shizuoka 2026 held in Shizuoka, as part of “BIOTOPE,” a people-to-people exchange initiative for theatre professionals from Japan and Southeast Asia.
This project is an incubation program in which playwrights engage in creative work while interacting and exchanging ideas with one another, and it will be carried out over a three-year period from 2026 to 2028. Playwrights from diverse backgrounds will deepen their exploration of their own creative practices while fostering dialogue and exchange with one another as they work toward the creation of new works.
In collaboration with the Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC), this project implemented a multifaceted program. As part of the field research, playwrights engaged with Shizuoka’s unique history and social landscape through activities such as visits to wasabi cultivation sites and kagura performances in the Umegashima area, research on multicultural coexistence in Hamamatsu City, and site visits to Distant-water fishing operations at Shimizu Port.
In addition to attending performances at the Shizuoka World Theatre Festival, playwrights expanded their professional knowledge through dialogues with experts, including Satoshi Miyagi, as well as programmers from international festivals.
Furthermore, informal exchanges naturally emerged at the accommodation, where playwrights shared and discussed their respective works. These interactions provided valuable opportunities for the playwrights to build deep, cross-cultural relationships of trust.
The greatest achievement of this program was the creation of an environment that did not prioritize immediate, visible results. This allowed the participating playwrights to spend meaningful time reflecting on the essence of their creative practice. Some playwrights noted that the low-pressure environment allowed a purely creative focus and a re-examination of artistic expression from scratch.
Moreover, the sincere engagement of the playwrights offered local residents an opportunity to rediscover the cultural value of their own community, providing fresh perspectives and inspiration. Furthermore, participants in the public event “Lunch with International Playwrights/Theatre-makers” shared comments such as: “Listening to the playwrights’ personal stories while enjoying delicious food made me feel as if I were part of the world of theatre,” and “I was deeply moved by how the stories unfolded through the food.”
Lunch with International Playwrights/Theatre-makers
Outline
| Program Period | Shizuoka, Japan: Saturday, April 25 – Thursday, May 7, 2026 Yogyakarta, Indonesia: July–August 2026 |
|---|---|
| Planned Visits | World Theatre Festival Shizuoka 2026 (Shizuoka, Japan) Asia Playwrights Meeting 2026 (Jogjakarta, Indonesia) |
| Participating Artists and Staff |
Artist: Adriana Nordin Manan (Malaysia) Guelan Varela-Luarca (Philippines) Jaturachai Srichanwanpen (Thailand) Jean-Baptiste Phou (Cambodia) Kaori Nishio (Japan) Kyle Yamada (Japan) Shohifur Ridho’i (Indonesia) * In alphabetical order by name Staff: |
| Credits | Organized by the Japan Foundation, Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) |
| Public Events |
Lunch with International Playwrights/Theatre-makers Date/Time：Saturday, May 2, 2026 / 12:00–13:30 Credits: Speaker/ Participating Artists Organized by the Japan Foundation, Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) (Symposium) What kinds of world might emerge when playwrights gather? Date/Time：Monday, May 4, 2026 / 16:30–18:00 Credits: Speaker/ Marco Viaña, Muhammad Abe, Natsuki Ishigami Moderator/ Takuya Maehara Organized by the Japan Foundation, Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) |
| Contact | Performing Arts Section, Arts and Culture Dept., The Japan Foundation |
