hanare at Akiyoshidai
5W1H for (re) building community

With alternative spaces/gatherings springing up, and many “community art projects” emerging in Japan, a basic and critical question needs to be raised and discussed; what kind of community do we really envision? If the increase of many community related projects is a reflection of what neoliberal economy has left behind: the fragmentation of every aspect of the society, privatization of many public sectors, and decrease in social service spending, rethinking, discovering, and re-organizing community is not only necessary but indispensable for our own survival. And non-traditional and artistic approaches to community are expected to come into play not just for bringing fun and creative actions, but for complicating the surrounding issues, integrating social, political, and economical aspects.

Through the presentations and discussions, we will look at the various efforts of community building and community art projects which might be useful for people in Yamaguchi to think about their own community.

Program
12:00- Lunch and introduction
12:30-2:00 Program1
2:00-3:00 Program2
3:00-4:00 Program3

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Program 01_Presentation
Introducing hanare’s recession in Kyoto, and many examples around the world.
hanare introduces its own activity in Kyoto and many other examples in the world from which people in Yamaguchi might be able to draw useful ideas and methods, and perhaps observe mistakes in as well. This presentation also link individual activities/projects happening here and there in an attempt to understand bigger political and social landscape, that has contributed to the recent increase in organizing community/gatherings/alternative spaces. While looking at each case, we will be asking following questions;
What is a community in the first place?
Why do we organize a community?
Why have artistic practices emerged in the scene of (re)building community?
How do we face social and political interests of a community?
Will organizing community in Japan enable us to practice participatory democracy and small politics?

Program 02_Presentations and discussions
Hands-on advice from Sami Abou Shehadeh and Yael Bar-On
Sami Abou Shehadeh and Yael Bar-On will be participating in the discussion online from Israel as special advisers. Sami Abou Shehadeh, a community organizer based in Yafa, has been fighting for equal political and economic rights of Palestinian population in Israel. Yael Bar-On, a performing artist, has been working with youth and women, mostly new immigrants in Israel. Using theater performance as a tool, she focuses on building a sense of empowerment among those who are underrepresented in society. In a region where everything is politicized, both of them are tackling their immediate communities through direct organizing and artistic practices. By putting Israeli and Japanese societies in the same scope, one overtly politicized, and the other one overtly depoliticized, critical issues regarding community organizing, which need to be addressed and discussed, will emerge.

Program 03_Discussion
Methods and tips for organizing hanare-like activity. Anyone interested?
hanare's weekly café, which only opens on Mondays at one of member's house and offers food and drinks, does not require a big budget or unreasonable amounts of work. What is crucial about hanare's “recession style” activity is to do it in everyday life and to continue long enough so that it becomes part of your life. For those who are interested in organizing hanare-like activity in Yamaguchi, hanare's methods and tips will be discussed to examine whether or not they can function in Yamaguchi.
* This suggestion no way means that you have to imitate our activity. Nor do you have to use hanare's name.