Japan-Britain Contemporary Theatre Exchange 

November 2024 (spin-off)

To register please click here

Venue: Lancaster University, The LICA Building A27-29 (event spaces)

10:00am - 1:00pm Workshop
Takuya Takemoto: Presence and Perception

Please note workshop is limited to 20 participants.

In this workshop Tokyo-based live artist, dancer and choreographer Takuya Takemoto breaks down his method based on themes such as ‘landscape’ and ‘perception’?" The workshop will focus on the landscape of mountainous region of Gunma Prefecture, where Takemoto spent his childhood and participants’ own experiences of nature and landscape. Through breathing and movement exercises, we will consider the impact of landscape and geographical conditions on the perception and physical sensations in performance.

Takuya Takemoto was born in mountainous region in Gunma Prefecture. In 2017, he started performing every day with or without audience in community centres in Tokyo. He studied performance art and theatre at Musashino Arts University and in his late 20s studied with famous actionist Kubikukuri (also known as ‘The Hangman’). Solo performances to date include I saw a newt (2022) at Tooyoka International Theatre Festival, came to see mountains (2021) at Dance New Air. In addition to his own performances, he has appeared as an actor and dancer in works by Aya Momose, most recently at Theater der Welt 2023 in Germany, Akumanoshirushi, Yasunori Ikunishi and Megumi Kamimura. Parallel to his artistic activities, he also works as a project manager for an IT company. He is 2023-24 Saison Fellow 1.
https://takuyatakemoto.com　

2:30 - 3:30pm Performance
Takemoto Takuya: See a Porous Stone 

"What does it mean to have a person in front of you? How do we 'see' the space in front of us?

Stand quietly, listen carefully to the sounds and air around you, and sense the fluctuations between light and shadow. Based on the theme of "What does it mean for a person to stand in front of a person in performance?" performance artist, dancer and choreographer Takuya Takemoto reconstructs the relationship between the body and the environment and transform the viewer's perception of space through extremely subtle movements.

Takuya Takemoto was born in mountainous region in Gunma Prefecture. Since 2017, he has been performing this performance every day with or without audience in community centres in Tokyo.

The daily performance of 'being there' changes constantly beyond artistic intention and continues to awaken our perception and behaviour. This performance is an extension of this daily activity, but also a new attempt at something unique in the place where it is performed.

Moving from New York to Lancaster, UK and then to Düsseldorf and Hamburg in Germany, this performance is to be experienced by the whole body.

4:00 - 5:30pm Roundtable

‘Walking, Standing, Seeing – perspectives on live art and contemporary dance from Britain and Japan’

with Nigel Stewart (Senior Lecturer, Lancaster University), Takuya Takemoto (performance artist, dancer and choreographer), Yurika Kuremiya (independent dance researcher, dramaturg and curator), Beri Juraic (PhD Candidate, Lancaster University), Dr Karen Jürs-Munby (Senior Lecturer, Lancaster University)

To register please click here

11:00am - 1:00pm Silent walk
Fairfield Nature Reserve

(start and end: The Water Witch Pub)

conceived by Beri Juraic, inspired by Takuya Takemoto's work

This is a silent walk for a maximum of 20 participants. We will be walking quietly at a normal pace. No talking or mobile phones are allowed. Just the nature and our bodies. This walk is suitable for all ages and is on mostly even ground. Following the walk we will have a brief sharing session at The Water Witch.

This walk will not take place in case of bad weather. You will be notified if that is the case. 

4:30 - 6:00pm Talk + Q&A

Venue: Marcus Merriman Lecture Theatre

Yurika Kuremiya
Embodied Expression: A Journey Through Japanese Performance Practices

In this talk, Yurika Kuremiya will trace the evolution of Japan’s postwar performance scene, focusing on the body as a central element. We will explore the work of artists who pushed the boundaries of dance, theater, and visual art, and who at times moved beyond traditional venues to experiment in the streets and public spaces. In the 1960s, as Japan underwent rapid urban development and economic growth, dancers, visual artists, musicians, and writers gathered and responded to the shifting social and political landscape, creating a swirl of unnameable expressions. Although these movements seemed to lose momentum on the surface, they continued to flow beneath, like an underground stream, subtly shaping contemporary performance practices. By highlighting groundbreaking performances from this era and beyond, she will discuss how these artists engaged with society and developed innovative methods of expression, reshaping the role of the body in contemporary art and performing arts.

Yurika Kuremiya is a Tokyo-based art coordinator, dramaturg, and dance critic. She holds master’s degrees in art from Université Paris 8 and in literature from Waseda University, where she also completed all doctoral coursework at the Graduate School of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. In addition to writing performance reviews and essays for a range of domestic and international publications, she has contributed as a coordinator and dramaturg to numerous performances, exhibitions, and festivals. Her recent projects include Newcomer "H" Sokerissa!'s Festival of the Body on the Road H!, Takao Kawaguchi's Rosentanz – Critique of Pure Sexualization, LAND FES's TOKYO DANCE AR, and the web magazine YDC Magazine for Yokohama Dance Collection. https://yurikakuremiya.mystrikingly.com/

Venue: New Adelphi Building, New Adelphi Studio, University of Salford

10:00am-1:00pm Takuya Takemoto's Workshop
1:00-2:30pm Lunch break
2:30-3:30 Performance 'See a Porous Stone'
3:30-4:00pm Q&A