Aiming for a fundamental and minimalist expression
Go, see, and experience the world of art
File.34 "Dockside Workshop 2020"
Miyuki Inoue (Magcal Editorial Department)
Wakaba-cho Wharf, an arts center in Wakaba-cho, Yokohama, is run by playwright and director Shin Sato. Here, artists from all over Japan and from neighboring Asian cities such as China, South Korea, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and Cambodia meet, talk, learn from each other, create, and share their work both domestically and internationally. The "Wharf Workshop" is one such initiative, where young people from various countries gather every summer to live together and create.
2020 was supposed to be the year when Mr. Sato's envisioned "Wharf" project would officially begin. However, the COVID-19 pandemic swept the world. What happened to the Wharf workshops? And what is the current situation at "Wharf," where young people from Asia used to gather?
In mid-March 2021, I visited Wakaba-cho Wharf and spoke with Mr. Shin Sato.
"Personally, I believe it's necessary to distinguish between 'coronavirus' and 'calamity.' Coronavirus is merely one of the triggers. It became a 'calamity' because there was no way to deal with it, but the various problems that have surfaced this time could have occurred with other triggers as well."
Amidst all of that, the most important thing I realized was that we "must not stop." It was difficult to operate as a rental theater or accommodation facility, but I didn't want to close the building, so I opened up the first floor and launched the "vacant lot project." Through connecting with local people and going through trial and error together, I feel like I've gained some direction for future activities. That is, "I want to do it regardless of the scale."
The challenge of "The Pier Workshop 2020"
"I believe the most important element of performing arts is people moving around, that is, leaving their homes, traveling, and gathering together. In a situation where that is restricted, we wondered to what extent we could do that. For example, it's impossible to have a retreat with 15 people, but what can we do with 4 or 5 people? So this time, we invited four people, mainly past participants of our pier workshops, to do a residency and create art, and at night we connected online with China and Singapore to exchange information with past workshop participants."
Then, on Sunday, March 14th, the results were presented as a "Special Project of the Pier Workshop 2020".
Up until now, the creations had been based on texts by Mr. Sato, but this time, the only concept given was "1 table 2 chairs/isolation." On stage were one table, two chairs, and four artists. They performed three pieces totaling approximately 60 minutes, with pairs of artists performing for 20 minutes each, changing the combinations as they went.
"I feel like the scale has shrunk considerably, but I think this is an opportunity for theater. The question now is, 'How will we coexist from now on?' In terms of coexisting with nature, theater is a fundamental means of expression and does not necessarily require a theater. It can be done with a small number of people, and it can be carried out even without technology such as lighting and sound. We need to rethink our previous economic way of thinking, but in that respect, things have definitely changed with the emergence of crowdfunding and so on. For example, we could create a system where a work can be produced by two or three people that can be taken anywhere, and tour the country through a network of small theaters. If we can create such a style of activity, neither artists nor audiences will need to be based in the city center."
A small international festival concept
"Another idea I have in mind is to create a small festival in this area."
Once people are able to travel again, I'd like to plan an international festival. Not a large-scale event like before, but something like an expanded version of a workshop at the docks, with small, face-to-face encounters. This idea came from the exchanges I've been having with nearby art facilities since last year. I'd like to collaborate with nearby facilities, using the eaves of supportive homes and vacant lots to hold workshops and present the results of our creations. I want to create a new style that makes people think, "This is why we created Wakaba-cho Wharf."
