The Japan Foundation (JF), in collaboration with SPAC-Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC), is implementing BIOTOPE, a people-to-people exchange initiative for performing arts professionals from Japan and Southeast Asia, over a three-year period from 2026 to 2028. BIOTOPE is an incubation program that brings together playwrights from Southeast Asia and Japan, providing opportunities for artists from diverse backgrounds to deepen their exploration of creative practice, engage in dialogue and exchange with one another, and explore new possibilities for artistic creation.

In FY2026, the program “BIOTOPE Camp for Playwrights” was held in Shizuoka, Japan, and Yogyakarta, Indonesia, bringing together playwrights from Japan and Southeast Asia for exchange and collaborative learning.

In Shizuoka, the program was carried out in close collaboration with SPAC and included field research, performances at the SHIZUOKA World Theatre Festival, and discussions with performing arts professionals. Informal exchanges at the accommodation site also fostered meaningful connections among the participating playwrights, helping them build relationships of trust across national borders. The perspectives and activities of the playwrights likewise offered local residents new insights and inspiration. Participants in the public event “Lunch with International Playwrights/Theatre-makers” commented that the experience made theatre feel more accessible and that they were deeply moved by the stories that unfolded through food.

The opportunities for exchange and exploration initiated in Shizuoka continued to develop through subsequent activities. From July 26 to August 3, 2026, the BIOTOPE Camp for Playwrights was held in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The program was made possible with the invaluable support of collaborator Muhammad Abe, who provided extensive assistance in hosting participants locally and coordinating with relevant partners and stakeholders. Participants attended Asian Playwrights Meeting 2026, an international gathering of playwrights from across Asia, held from July 26 to 31, where they engaged in dialogue with playwrights and performing arts practitioners from various countries. This was followed by a research program in and around Yogyakarta from August 1 to 3, during which participants interacted with local artists and gained deeper insights into the region’s culture and society, generating new inspiration and ideas for their future creative work.

Through the FY2026 program, participating playwrights built networks that transcended national and cultural boundaries while also gaining opportunities to reflect on and reexamine their own creative practices. The encounters, questions, and new inspirations that emerged in Shizuoka and Yogyakarta will continue to grow and evolve within their artistic journeys. It will be exciting to see what new stories these playwrights create in the years ahead.

SHIZUOKA

Yogyakarta, INDONESIA

Outline

JF Official Website

The Japan Foundation -The Performing Arts Exchange Program 2026: BIOTOPE — Camp for Playwrights / Theatre-makers