2 February 2019 | 10am-1pm (Student workshop)
(Phase 1) Introductory Talk and Performance Workshop for BA Acting Students of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, London

5 February 2019 | 7pm-8.30pm (Public Event)
(Phase 2) Performance demonstration talk at the British Library, London. Presenters: Kinue Oshima, Teruhisa Oshima, Richard Emmert, Jannette Cheong.

6 February 2019 | 6pm-8.30pm (Invitation only)
(Phase 2) Demonstration Talk and Reading of Between the Stones
Embassy of Japan, London. Presenters: Kinue Oshima, Teruhisa Oshima, Richard Emmert, Jannette Cheong

The Between the Stones Project comprises the development and performance of a new English language noh drama (Between the Stones) by Jannette Cheong (author) and Richard Emmert (composer), alongside the performance in February 2020 of a classical han noh (half noh), and a programme of education and outreach activities - 'Getting to Noh from Page to Stage' which will run for the duration of the whole project (2018-2020).

The project is in three phases:

• Phase 1 (2018): A minimum of 10 Illustrated talks to introduce the art of noh, plus a reading of the new noh, Between the Stones

• Phase 2 (2019): A Development Workshop with the creative team (in London) followed by a sharing of those developments at two major events in London, on the website, and possibly in a small number of other cities

• Phase 3 (2020): The Performance Tour: which will comprise a classical han noh (half noh) and a full-length contemporary noh. (The tour is being planned for London, Dublin, Stockholm, Paris, Tokyo & Kyoto)

Between the Stones illustrates the transformative power of gardens and gardening to both nurture and heal the soul… in its celebration of life and death, friendship, beauty and love...
Our vision is not only to help others understand the wonderful art of noh, and how it has been preserved and continuously performed for the past six centuries, but also to highlight that it is a living art form that serves to reflect contemporary societies worldwide. English language noh, developed over the last 40 years, has given particular focus to the latter while using the traditions that have been handed down over the centuries in Japan.

Art has the potential to provide us with a creative mirror through which we can reflect on our impact on the wider society. The art of noh is an excellent vehicle for all these challenges to be explored and it is our hope that many more people will Get to Noh through the project activities. Noh is a powerful art form that can be used to support how we learn more about each other – no matter where we come from in the world.

We believe that:

• noh can continue to ‘earnestly and brilliantly cross national borders’* both for, and beyond, the cultural activities
organised around the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the associated Japan Season of Culture

• noh can be appreciated both in terms of its classical traditions and contemporary relevance

• Getting to noh ‘from page to stage’ – and beyond will give a better understanding of noh for many

• Young and old alike can enjoy an engagement with noh and key elements of noh can inspire and be transferred to other creative formats / genres

• the art of noh provides an excellent vehicle for exploring our common humanity.

Our aims for the project are:

• To contribute to the development of new audiences for traditional and contemporary noh • To foster a better understanding of the key elements of noh internationally (as well as in Japan) from ‘page to stage’

• To improve international cultural relations and development through cross cultural artistic engagement

• To highlight the creative connections between noh, and other forms of art, culture and society

To give focus to noh as not only a continuously performed theatre art, but also one that is continuously developing and expanding its reach.