Saison Artist in Residence
The Saison Foundation is a grant-making foundation established in July 1987 that supports projects and activities related to contemporary Japanese theater and dance. In order to increase the visibility of contemporary Japanese performing arts (theater, dance, and performance art) on a worldwide level, The Saison Foundation awards grants and priority use of its rehearsal/workshop and residence facilities at Morishita Studio in Tokyo.
Based on the outcome of Residence in Morishita Studio from 2011 to 2015, the Saison Foundation starts “Saison Artist in Residence” to stimulate two-way international cultural exchanges with artists and arts organizations overseas.
Saison Artist in Residence offers the following two types of support:
Saison AIR Partnership
This program aims to develop exchange residency programs with international partners, such as theaters, dance houses, festivals, artist-in-residence organizations, theater companies, dance companies, and grant-making organizations. The international partners are expected to invite Japanese artists to their residency program and to send artists to The Saison Foundation’s residency program. Those who wish to start collaboration projects between an overseas artist and a Japanese artist through artist-in-residence programs are also eligible to apply.
Visiting Fellows
This program aims to build up an international network for contemporary performing arts and to enhance mutual understanding and gives opportunities for artists and arts managers to research the contemporary performing arts scene in Japan. The program supports research visits to Japan for those who are expected to play an important role in the international performing arts scene.
2020
Saison AIR Partnership 2020
Museum of Human E-Motions 2020
A dance exchange program in partnership with Comune di Bassano del Grappa in Italy, La Briqueterie Centre de développement chorégraphique national du Val-de-Marne in France, Weiwuying National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts in Taiwan, and Freespace, West Kowloon Cultural District in Hong Kong.
In FY2020, five artists from different cultural and historical backgrounds toured the digital residencies hosted by each partner institution from September 2020, and presented their results in December 2020.

Osamu Shikichi

Giacomo Citton

Sarah Xiao

Fouad Boussouf

Liu Yen-Cheng
Details
Saison AIR Partnership 2020
Open Forest Launch
An exchange program with the art collective, “Mapped to the Closest Address.”
In FY2020, “Open Forest Launch”, a digital residency connecting art activities in Tokyo and Berlin, was hold.
[Participating artists]
Alex Viteri
Catalina Fernandez
Shuntaro Yoshida
Maharu Maeno
Details
Online Research Residency 2020/21
Online Research Residency is a program that supports research with a view to creative work, providing an opportunity for artists to broaden the scope of their creative activities and deepen their connections with artists working in Japan and abroad.
In parallel with their own research, participating artists took part in group sessions where they could share their research process online with other participating artists. In addition, online workshops and presentations of the results were held to share the artists’ own dance practices and methods, research ideas, and methodologies.

Kristīne Brīniņa

Saori Hala

Adrienne Hart

Megumi Kamimura

Acaye Kerunen

Declan Whitaker
Details
Performing Arts AIR Study Group
With the aim of exploring the significance and role of artist-in-residence in the performing arts, the Performing Arts AIR Study Group conducted a survey to understand the actual situation, trends, and issues in the production and operation of AIRs related to the performing arts, and held study sessions.
Details
Performing Arts AiR Meeting 2020
Performing Arts AiR Meeting is a program aimed at promoting artist-in-residence programs for the performing arts in Japan.
In February 2021, a symposium was held at TPAM 2020 (International Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama) to clarify the reality and significance of artist-in-residence as a local place in today’s globalized society.
Details
supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan, in Fiscal Year 2020
2019
Japan Italy France Taiwan Dance Exchange Program: Museum of Human E-motion
Museum of Human E-motion is a dance exchange program between The Saison Foundation (Japan), Comune di Bassano del Grappa (Italy), La Briqueterie – Centres de Développement Chorégraphique du Val-de-Marne (France) and National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Taiwan). Teita Iwabuchi, Sorour Darabi (Iran / based in France), Masako Matsushita (Italy) and Ming-Hwa Yeh (Taiwan) worked at Morishita Studio in December 2019. Each organization hosts a residency program, Italy in August, France in September 2019, Taiwan in December 2019 and January 2020.

Teita Iwabuchi

Sorour Darabi

Masako Matsushita

Ming-Hwa Yeh
Details
Co3 Australia Exchange Program MA Project

Raewyn Hill
Exchange program with Co3 Australia, resident dance company at the State Theatre Centre of Western Australia. Raewyn Hill, artistic director of Co3 Australia stayed and worked at Morishita Studio in June 2019 and Naoko Yoshimoto, a visual artist will stay and work in Australia in July 2019.
Details
Visiting Fellows 2019

Adrienne Hart
(*cancellation
for personal reasons)
Performing Arts AiR Meeting
The Performing Arts AiR Meeting aims to promote the artist-in-residence programs in performing arts in Japan. In February 2019, the foundation co-sponsored and held a lecture and symposium at TPAM 2019 (International Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama) for information sharing and networking of the artist-in-residence programs in performing arts In fiscal 2020, a meeting was held at Nagano Prefecture’s small theater, Sai no Kaku in December 2019, to deepen understanding of the artist-in-residence production and management, and support of the resident artists. In February 2020, in collaboration with the International Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama, at TPAM 2020 (International Performing Arts Meeting in Yokohama), a roundtable was held to discuss why AiR is so indispensable “now,” introducing examples of the artist-in-residence programs which artists or producers have “personally” started.

at TPAM 2020

at Ueda Theatre Festival 2019

at TPAM 2019
Details
supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan, in Fiscal Year 2019
2018
Japan Italy France Dance Exchange Program: Kiseki – Trajectories
Kiseki – Trajectories is a dance exchange program between The Saison Foundation (Japan), Comune di Bassano del Grappa (Italy), La Briqueterie – Centres de Développement Chorégraphique du Val-de-Marne (France).
Teita Iwabudhi, Giorgia Nardin, Satchie Noro worked at Morishita Studio in February 2018. The program continues and each organization hosts residency program in Italy in August and in France in September 2018.

Teita Iwabuchi

Giorgia Nardin

Satchie Noro
Details
Bloom Up Residency Exchange Program
THE AGENCY
Germany
Artist Collective (Theater)
1 June to 18 June 2018
Exchange program with RODEO hosting an international performing arts festival and residency program, Bloom Up Residency in Munich, Germany.


Details
TÓPOS Exchange Program
Exchange program with Colectivo La Perdición based in Barcelona, Spain.

Pau Aran Gemeno

Junya Ishii

Kaho Kogure
Details
Supported by the Agency for Cultural Affairs,
Government of Japan, in Fiscal Year 2018