This year marks Earth Celebration's 29th year and the time has come for this annual event to undergo a renaissance. In 2016, EC will transform from a festival that was centered on outdoor events to date into a "creative community" that is deeply rooted in the local area.
Sado Island will be the stage where people gather to celebrate the earth by sharing music, art, culture, performing arts, and much more. Everyone who takes part will become a member of the community that we create here together. Join us for Earth Celebration to learn, share, and experience new things on Sado Island.
This year EC will offer special programmes and tours that take you to villages on Sado Island to stay a night or two and experience their festivals, performing arts, local culture, and the great outdoors.
◉ Onidaiko (Demon Drumming) Village Visit & Stay Programme [Aug. 27–28]
◉ EC Day Camp (for children) [Aug. 26–28]
◉ Diverse Sado Experience Programme [Aug. 26–28]
(The EC 2016 Sado Experience Programme is planning to offer sea kayaking, marine sports, standup paddle boarding, a bus tour visiting World Cultural Heritage candidate areas, traditional homestead homestays, and more.)
EC will create opportunities for Kodo members and festivalgoers to share performances and exchange alongside one another.
◉ Kodo Village Concert [Aug. 26] with guest artists from Vietnam (traditional Vietnamese musicians)
◉ EC Theatre [Aug. 26–28] at Shukunegi Community Hall (TBC)
◉ Kodo Fringe Performances [Aug. 27–28] on Event Stage at Harbour Market (TBC)
◉ Workshops [Aug. 26–28] at Sado Island Taiko Centre (TBC)
When you live somewhere, you might not notice all the great people, foods, nature, and local charms in your area. So this year, EC will invite creative gurus from different fields and eager guides to help us uncover the many wonders that Sado Island has to offer.
◉ Harbour Market x Cinema Caravan [Aug. 26–28]
◉ Campsite x Snow Peak [Aug. 26–28]
Further details about events and programmes will be announced on the official Earth Celebration English website in late May.
Earth Celebration Official Website
Meeting the EC 2016 Guest Artists on a Visit to Vietnam
The featured guest artist at EC 2015 was Suar Agung from Bali, Indonesia. Through this collaboration, EC decided to deepen its connection with Asia even further, which led to a guest artist search in Vietnam for EC 2016. In February, Kodo performers Yuichiro Funabashi, Kenta Nakagome, and Ryotaro Leo Ikenaga visited Hanoi with EC Managing Director Atsushi Sugano. Kodo had never been to Vietnam before but through various connections, this research group met many people during their time there. Thanks to the kind assistance of the local Japan Foundation, the Kodo members enjoyed exchange with traditional musicians while they were in Vietnam. As a result, this year EC will welcome guest artist Minh Chi, who was born into a traditional Cheo theater family, leading an ensemble of his fellow traditional Vietnamese musicians and performers. Kodo's visit to Vietnam planted a seed for cultural and musical exchange. We look forward to seeing that seed bloom in Japan at the EC 2016 Kodo Village Concert.
