About Mu:Arts

Mu Arts is a cultural curator and creative producer dedicated to reimagining Japanese traditions within a global, contemporary context.

Mu Artsは、ロンドンと東京を拠点に活動する芸術文化キュレーター・クリエイティブプロデューサーです。過去15年間で、40か国以上の主要フェスティバルや劇場において、著名なアーティストから新進気鋭の音楽家まで、多彩な才能をプロモートしてきました。
2016年より欧州で展開している「Noh Reimagined（能リ・イマジンド）」では、日本を象徴する舞台芸術「能」に現代的な視点を加え、ジャンルを超えた創造的な国際共同作品の発表を行っています。

2023年11月、東京に一般社団法人Mu:Arts Japanを設立。

Mu Arts Japanの目的（定款より）
当法人は、任意団体「国際能プロジェクト実行委員会」の事業と実績を継承し、
能楽を中心とする高水準の日本の芸術文化を海外に紹介すると同時に、海外の芸術家・
芸術団体との協働による創造的な国際協働プロジェクトを展開し、日本と世界、伝統と
現代を繋ぎ、国内外の文化の交流・創造・発展に寄与することを目的とし、その目的に
資するため、次の事業を行う。
１．国内外における「能リ・イマジンド」プロジェクトの企画及び実施
２．日本の芸術家の国内外での公演、プロジェクトの企画及び実施
３．次世代の新たな芸術作品の制作、初演の支援
４．国内外でのワークショップ、講座、セミナーの実施
５．国際文化交流に寄与する事業の推進
６．国内外の団体とのパートナーシップの構築
７．海外の芸術家の招聘
８．前各号に関連する芸術活動の調査及びマネジメント
９．前各号に附帯又は関連する一切の事業

Past projects and events produced and managed by Mu:Arts

2024

June:  The 4th Noh Reimagined Festival at Kings Place presenting Sumidagawa and Kinuta. Participated in the 75th Aldeburgh Festival presenting Sumidagawa. 

February: Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono tour in Germany, Italy, and the UK, with performances at Elbphilharmonie (Hamburg), the Japan Cultural Institute in Rome, the Japan Cultural Institute in Cologne, and Kings Place (London).

January: “Song of Rona Island for Noh Theatre“- A collaboration with Scottish poet Kathleen Jamie (poet) , Aidan O’Rourke (fiddle player), Brìghde Chaimbeul(Scottish small pipes player) and Noh performers.   Venue: Tessenkai Noh Theatre ( Tokyo)

2023

December:Noh Reimagined Residencywith composers Ben Nobuto and Hollie Harding in Tokyo

October: Noh Reimagined “12-beat Sanbaso” featuring Thick & Tight and Noh performers at Tessenkai Noh Theatre.

April: Collaboration between contemporary artist Cerith Wyn Evans and Noh: Taka Ishii Gallery

2022

June: The 3rd Noh Reimagined Festival held at Kings Place (London)

2019

October:  French baroque meets Noh. A R&D session with Noh performers and Lyon based baroque orchestra Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu. 

June- August:  “THE鍵KEY” UK premier. A series of events and performances of a sight specific opera, as part of Tête à Tête Opera Festival and London Festival of Architecture.

 June: Kimura Shunsuke & Kit Downes Performance, at The Japan House London

2018

 June:  The 2nd  Noh Reimagined Festival – The sublime Illusion at Kings Place London. 

 July: Noh Reimagined participating The Clásicos en Alcalá Festival at Teatro Salón Cervantes.

2017

 July: Kentaro Kobayashi (comedian/actor) “Mr Potsunen’s Peculiar Slice of Life “at Print Room the Colonet.

2016

June: “Tohoku Remix” R&D tour with a French DJ, Etsuro Ono (Tsugaru- shamisen), Bunta Sato(tsugaru-fue), Kagura groups in Miyagi pref. and Tsugaru-hayahsi group. (Supported by Kigyo Mécénat Kyogikai (Association for Corporate Support of the Arts), Regional Culture Award Tax Accountant’s Fund) 

16 May: Noh performances and lecture at Instituto Giappone di Cultura, Rome.(Supported by Japan Foundation.)

May: The 1st Noh Reimagined Festival – The contemporary art of classical Japanese theatre

Feb: Yukihiro Isso with Roger Turner & Takinojo Mochizuki & John Edwards concert at Cafe OTO.

Feb: Workshop with Noh musicians for British composers in collaboration with Sound and Music. (Secured funding from GBSF and Sound and Music.)

2015

Feb: Kentaro Kobayashi (actor)UK premier “Mr Potsunen’s Peculiar Slice of Life “ at Leicester Square Theatre 

31 May-1 June: –Shibusa Shirazu Orchestra – Torino Jazz Festival 

2014

30 Oct~7 Nov: Aki& Kuniko Swiss Tour in collaboration with Culturescapes Festival, official programme of Swiss-Japan 2014 

30 Oct Bird’s Eye Club (Basel)/1 Nov Im Rathaus um 4 (Thun)/4 Nov Teatro Sociale (Bellinzona)/6 Nov Kulturpunkt (Flawil)/ 7 Nov ADEM (Genève).

Feb: Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono concerts at Musée d’ethnographie, as part of the official opening of Swiss-Japan 2014.

2013

15 Sept: “Letter to Theo, Encounter Van Gogh” by Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono in collaboration with a French actor, as part of the Festival Il de France 

22-23 July: “Japan Music Festival 2nd Edition” at Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome, featuring Shibusa Shirazu Orchestra, and Aki & Kuniko. 

8 -28 May: Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono tour/ Germany, Belgium, Holland and Morocco in collaboration with Alba Kulture(Germany) and Festival Mawazane( Morocco).  

Schedule: 8 May  Köln/10 May  Detmold /11 May   Brüssel /13 May  Bergkamen /14 May   Hamm, WDR radio recording/ 15 May  Düsseldorf/ 16 May   Wuppertal / 18 May   Leiden/(NL) /19 May  Nijmegen / 21 May  Hagen /22 May  Herne/ 23 May  Remscheid / 24 May   Gelsenkirchen / 25 May  Bonn/ 26 May   Sankt Augustin.

28 May   Festival Mawazine, Morocco Rabat -dedicated to Silk Road theme

31 May: Mieko Miyazaki (koto) Concert with Orchestra of the Swan premiering new piece.

13 April~ 27 April: Alnwick Garden, Sakura Festival (Secured funding from GBSF.)

8-17 March: Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono performances and workshops at WOMADelaide and WOMAD New Zealand. 

2012

29-30 July: Marewrew and OKI at WOMAD Charlton Park 2012 (Supported by GBSF.)

25 July: London Bon Dancers at Japan Festival 2012 

5-13 July: Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono Europe tour:

Schedule: 5-6th July:  Forde Traditional and World Music Festival (Norway)/8 July: Zurich (Switzerland) Museum Rietberg/11 July: Rome (Italy) Auditorium Parco della Musica /12 July: Hannover (Germany) Masala World Music Festival / 13 July: Arles (France) Les Suds à Arles (Supported by Japan Foundation).

11- 12 July: “Japanese Music Festival 1st Edition” at Auditorium Parco della Musica, Rome, featuring Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono, Tsugu-Kaji KOTO ( Supported by JT)

7-8 July: Japanese Music Festival at Museum Rietberg, featuring Flying Zoo: Sizzle Ohtaka (vocal), Miwazo (chindon), Yoshiaki Sato (accordion), and Yuji Tsunemi (oud), Kumiko Suzuki Taiko group.    (Supported by Japan Foundation).

18 May – 15 June: London Bon Dancers at BIG DANCE 2012 as part of Cultural Olympic. (Supported by Big Dance grand through Arts Council England.)

27 May: Bu U, Big Dance Bus on the White Lion Street, Islington 

2011

26-30 October: WOMEX 2011 in Copenhagen, Official Showcase, 

29 July: Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono WOMAD Charlton Park, UK

27 July: Shunsuke Kimura & Etsuro Ono FMM Festival, Portugal. (Supported by Japan Foundation and GBSF)

18 May: Geoffrey Museum, Japanese home cooking event with Atsuko Ikeda as part of the Japanese House exhibition.

3-5 March “HIBIKI: Resonances from Japan” – Japanese Music Festival at Kings Place featuring Mayumi Miyata(sho), Michiyo Yagi(koto), Evan Parker(sax) and others. (Secured funding from Arts Council England, Japan Foundation and GBSF.)

2 March: “Japanese Music -Tradition Toward the Future”, at Japanese Embassy in London

3~5 Feb: Kumiko Shuto (Satsuma Biwa) Europe Tour as part of Asian Festival in Uhtreht, Antwarp, and Amsterdam.

Festivals and Venues around the world  Mu:Arts worked with include:

Festivals in the UK

Aldeburgh Festival, Bath International Music Festival, Brighton Children’s Book Festival, Brighton Festival, Canterbury Festival, Chelsea Festival (London), City of London Festival, Edinburgh Fringe Festival, International Aberdeen Youth Festival, Little Chili Festival, Liverpool Biennial, Music Port Festival (Whitby, UK), Peterborough Festival, WOMAD Charlton Park.

Festivals in Europe

FMM Festival (Portugal), Forde World Music Festival (Norway), Imago Dei Festival (Krems, Austria), Istraetono Jazz Festival / Zagreb World Music Festival (Croatia), Les Suds à Arles / Festival Île de France (France), Masala Festival (Germany), Music Meeting (Holland), Osterfestival (Tirol, Austria), Paleo Festival / Culturescapes (Switzerland), The Clásicos en Alcalá (Spain), Torino Jazz Festival (Italy), Warsaw Cross Culture Festival (Poland), WOMEX (Europe).

Festivals beyond Europe

Istanbul International Music Festival (Turkey), Mazawane Festival (Morocco), Oct Jazz Festival (China), Rain Forest Music Festival (Malaysia), The International Folk Performing Arts Festival (Japan), WOMAD New Zealand, WOMADelaide (Australia).

Venues in the UK

Asia House, Banqueting House, Barbican Centre, Brunei Theatre, Cadogan Hall, Cafe OTO, Geffrye Museum, ICA, Japanese Embassy, Japan Foundation, Kings Place, Leicester Square Theatre, LSO St. Lukes, Ritzy Cinema, Royal Pavilion Theatre (Llangollen, Wales), Southbank Centre, Spitz, St Cecilia’s Hall (University of Edinburgh), St. James Church, St Johns Smith Square, The Coronet Theatre, Urbis (Manchester), Wigmore Hall.

Venues in Europe

ADEM, Auditorium Parco della Musica (Rome), Auditori Pau Casals (El Vendrell, Spain), Birdseye Jazz Club, Cafe de la Dance (Paris), Casa Armatei (Brașov, Romania), Chester Beatty Library, Dublin (Ireland), Domforum, Elbphilharmonie (Germany), Jardin de la Maison-Atelier de Daubigny, Jazzschmiede, Maison de la Culture du Japon, Museum Reitberg / Musée d’ethnographie, Neuchâtel, Rasa (Utrecht), Teatro Sociale Bellinzona (Switzerland), Teo Otto Theater, Tropentheater (Amsterdam), Zuiderpershuis (Antwerp).