ST Spot Yokohama's challenge started with a small theater!

The place where plays are born
File.9　ST Spot Yokohama
Koichi Imai (Editor/Writer)

Are you aware of the small theater called "ST Spot" located in the basement of a building in the office district on the west side of Yokohama Station? It has been open for over 30 years and has produced many artists, most notably Toshiki Okada (Chelfitsch), a playwright and director who is active on the world stage.
The theater is operated by the NPO ST Spot Yokohama. With the mission of "utilizing the power of art in modern society," they collaborate with Kanagawa Prefecture, Yokohama City, and others to carry out a wide range of activities. This time, we'll shine a spotlight on their lesser-known activities.

ST Spot is operated by the "ST Spot Management Committee," a voluntary organization formed by citizen volunteers in 1987. Since becoming a non-profit organization called "ST Spot Yokohama" in 2004, it has expanded the scope of its activities.

"While our nurturing of various artists was widely known within the artist community, it was largely unknown in the local area. Recognizing the importance of community ties in this era, we adopted the mission of 'utilizing the power of art in contemporary society' as an organization that not only operates a theater but also experiments with art within the community," says Chairman Tomoki Ogawa.

With limited operating funds, they turned their attention to the "Kanagawa Voluntary Activity Promotion Fund 21," a collaborative project between Kanagawa Prefecture and NPOs. They proposed a "Project to Establish New Educational Activities Utilizing Art" and implemented "outreach classes" by sending artists from various genres to schools. They say that over the course of five years, they learned the importance of collaborating with people from a wide range of fields.
Subsequently, this project continued as the "Yokohama City Arts and Culture Education Platform" in collaboration with the city of Yokohama, and is still ongoing today.

"Our collaborative project with Kanagawa Prefecture involved about 20 schools, so we contacted all of them to hear their requests and match them with artists. We also accompanied them on the day of the event. It was an intense and enjoyable time, but our activities couldn't expand much on our own. So we requested cooperation from local halls, specialized venues (Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse, Yokohama Minato Mirai Hall, Yokohama Museum of Art), and art NPOs. Currently, 38 organizations, including ours, serve as coordinators, and this year we are developing projects in 146 of the approximately 500 elementary schools, junior high schools, and special needs schools in Yokohama City," says Secretary-General Mami Tanaka.

"With these kinds of projects, it's important not to narrow it down from the start by asking, 'Is it theater? Or music?' The starting point can be anything. For example, if someone says, 'I want to bring out the children's energy,' then dance might be a good idea, or we could do something with music. We try to lower the barrier to entry for art by offering a variety of suggestions," says Ogawa.

The results of this project will then lead to the "Regional Culture Support Project - Yokohama Art Site" and the "Project for Developing the Foundation for Arts and Cultural Activities in the Welfare Sector."

* Yokohama Art Site 2019 Kick-off Meeting

The "Yokohama Art Site Regional Culture Support Project," which started in 2014, is a project that supports community building through art, art festivals, and the creation of unique Yokohama-style artworks in various ways throughout Yokohama. The support it provides is wide-ranging, including reviewing applications for subsidies, conducting hearings for system improvements, and creating promotional materials.

The challenge here is defining "art."

"What is art? This is a very difficult definition. There is cutting-edge art, festivals are a kind of art, and activities that create communities through art with children of foreign nationality might also be considered art. There is no clear answer, so you can't judge it or discover new or hidden things without closely observing local activities," says Ogawa.

They are apparently going through a process of trial and error, such as holding discussions on the theme of "What is Yokohama's local culture?", and in 2019, they received 47 applications, with 29 being selected.

*Implemented at: Yokohama Municipal Shikinomori Elementary School / Artist: Anna Totori (dancer/choreographer)

Since Tokyo was chosen to host the Paralympics in 2020, initiatives related to people with disabilities and art have been gaining momentum.
ST Spot Yokohama is working with Kanagawa Prefecture to implement the "Infrastructure Development Project for Arts and Cultural Activities in the Welfare Sector," which includes collaborative workshops between people with disabilities and artists, research and study sessions for creative work, and site visits. Because conducting arts activities in welfare facilities was unfamiliar, they started by holding study sessions where people on the ground could talk to each other. They are also conducting research to cover a wide area of the prefecture.

"The staff at welfare facilities are working incredibly hard, but there are limits to what they can do within the confines of the facility, and the atmosphere can become stagnant. That's why I think it's meaningful to have outsiders come in to provide stimulation and create a breakthrough. In the future, I hope that other halls and cultural facilities will also become hubs for these kinds of activities," (Tanaka).

* Participating facility: Liaison Kasama, a facility for supporting people with disabilities / Artists: Doi (sculpture unit), Junpei Katsumi (PARADISE ALLEY BREAD&CO)

I believe that ST Spot Yokohama has made a significant contribution to opening up and permeating the city with art through repeated trial and error in these activities.
Finally, Ms. Ogawa shared what she considers important.

"Theaters are theaters, and they continue to operate freely. While we strive to balance this with public service, we are careful not to stifle artists' creativity or performances as a venue for their creation and presentation."