The wharf workshops won't stop - Wakabacho Wharf to restart!

A world of art to visit, see and feel
File.28 Wakabacho Wharf "COVID-19 Memorial Theater"
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)

Wakabacho Wharf opened in 2017 as an arts center combining a small theater, studio, and dormitory-style accommodation. It is a space established by playwright and director Makoto Sato as a culmination of his stage career. Up until now, it has hosted the "Wharf Workshop," where young performers active in neighboring Asian cities gather to talk, learn, and share their work both domestically and internationally.

In late March, Sato sensed from the expressions of customers who visited the theater that they felt they could not enjoy themselves in safety, and decided to suspend operations at the entire facility until June 30th. This also meant that the wharf workshop activities, for which preparations had been made, would come to a halt. However, Sato did not want to simply "close" the facility. Although facility operations were suspended, the space was opened to the local community as an "empty lot," and Wakabacho Wharf Online was launched, which broadcasts the situation in real time.

The first project is the "COVID-19 Memorial Theater," in which various artists will write graffiti on the walls of the small theater on the first floor.
It was being streamed live on the Wharf Channel, but just watching from afar wasn't much fun. So, in late June, when restrictions on travel across prefectural borders were eased, I decided to visit Wakabacho Wharf.

The pure white walls of the small theater, formerly known as the "White Box," look as though they will soon be completely covered with graffiti by the various artists who visit each day.
"I thought that this was the reason the walls were painted white," says Sato, but the result is a rather surreal world.

It may seem obvious, but there are windows and doors on the walls. I hadn't noticed them before, so when I opened them all, I was surprised at how bright and peaceful it felt. It was the same space, but the impression was quite different, and it was quite strange.

This is a doodle by artist Yuri Miyauchi, who was the first to appear.

In honor of the COVID19 Memorial Theatre, 19 dwarfs will also be making an appearance.

The space is also open as a waiting room for the nearby mini-theater Jack & Betty, and in one corner there are flyers for films whose release dates have been postponed, which also seem to be part of the art.

The day we visited was the day of the regular Tuesday "chitachi kaigi" (a chat session). It was a simple gathering where representatives from nearby art facilities, such as Jack & Betty and Cinemarine, gathered to reflect on the past week, but it turned out to be a good opportunity to deepen the connection between Wakabacho Wharf and the town.

After the chat, we asked Sato about the future of Wakabacho Wharf.

"I think the really difficult part is yet to come. Being forced to "self-restraint" for two to three months will undoubtedly have an impact, especially on children. With that in mind, it may be necessary for everyone to move on to a slightly different stage than before.
What can performers do in such a situation? The role of theater is probably to create words. I think it has a role to play in putting into concrete words the feelings that people cannot easily put into words."

"One thing that's become clear to me is that I want to maintain this facility until I can hand it over to the next generation of young people. I want to perform my own works, but first I need to think of new ways of doing things and stabilize the operation."

The first event to resume activities in July will be the "Machinaka Gallery ① Wall Exhibition," which will showcase the theater walls decorated with the brush strokes of many artists.
During the event, they will be holding a "Hatobana Club" workshop, where children will be able to doodle on the floor instead of the walls. It will be exciting to see how much the once pure white space will "grow."

The halted workshop at the harbor is likely to get underway again around the end of the year... It's clear that this won't be easy, but a crowdfunding campaign has been launched to ensure that ongoing collaborations with artists from all over Japan and neighboring Asian cities can be realized.
*Click here for Sato's thoughts and an overview of the crowdfunding campaign !

Things may be slowing down, but they won't stop. It looks like we'll have to keep an eye on Wakabacho Wharf for a while to come.