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Where to Next? A Residency for Watching and Talking: Open Call for Participants
Where to Next? A Residency for Watching and Talking:Open Call for Participants
Application Deadline: Wednesday, July 1st, 12:00 p.m. [noon] (JST)
A program for emerging performing arts makers from around the world to share, exchange, and make discoveries for the future.
We invite emerging practitioners engaged in the creation of performing arts from around the world to Autumn Meteorite 2026 Tokyo. This residency-style program brings participants together to attend performances and deepen mutual understanding by sharing their impressions and interpretations of the works. Through discussions with a mentor contributing context and perspective, participants gain new insights into the works, while also engaging in exchanges with performing arts professionals from Japan and abroad. The program further provides opportunities to share observations and reflections developed during the residency. By encountering and engaging in dialogue with peers from diverse contexts, we hope these exchanges will evolve into ongoing, sustained networks. We are now accepting applications from emerging practitioners based in Japan who are active in the performing arts field (including artists, planners, dramaturgs, producers, and critics/writers).
Program Schedule
■ Pre-program Sessions
Saturday, September 5th and Saturday, September 19th, afternoon (Japan Standard Time)
*The time will be adjusted according to the participants’ time zone.
■ Program Schedule
Period: Thursday, October 22nd – Monday, November 2nd
Thu Oct 22: Arrival and check-in
Fri Oct 23 – Sun Nov 1: Performances / group sessions etc.
Mon Nov 2: Check-out and departure
*The program is scheduled to take place at Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre and its surrounding area, but there is a possibility that we may travel outside Tokyo as well. Further details will be shared with the participants.
*Performing Arts Festival: Autumn Meteorite 2026 Tokyo, period: Fri Oct 9 – Tue Nov 3.
Program Contents
- Attendance at the selected performances presented in the Autumn Meteorite 2026, as well as participation in related events
- Group sessions and discussions among participants
- Networking with Autumn Meteorite 2026 participating artists and related professionals
- Participation as a speaker in a talk session etc.
Language
English
Program Mentor
Ness Roque will accompany the program as a mentor, deepening participants’ discussions while facilitating group work beyond regions and cultures.
Ness Roque
Born in 1991 in Angeles City, Philippines. Actor, dramaturg, and educator. Ness earned an MA in Global Arts: Arts Studies and Curatorial Practices from the Tokyo University of the Arts through the MEXT Scholarship Grant. She is a member of Salikhain Kolektib, an interdisciplinary collective integrating art, research, and community engagement (GUDSKUL Collective Studies, 2022). She recently toured internationally with Japanese contemporary theater company chelfitsch, performing in Toshiki Okada's "Window of the Spaceship In-Between" (2023-2024). Her dramaturgical work includes Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) and Kyoto-based theater company BRDG's collaboration, "Sari-Sali: Portal Cafe" (Manila, 2024). Notable film performances include leading roles in Raya Martin's "How to Disappear Completely" (MoMA 2017, Locarno 2013) and "Now Showing" (Cannes 2008).
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- reside in Japan and be active based in Japan (open to all nationalities)
- have experience working on performing arts productions or projects and intend to continue their activities in the field of performing arts
- be 35 years of age or younger as of September 5th, 2026, or have no more than 10 years of experience in artistic practice
- be available to participate in all program dates including the pre-program sessions
- demonstrate a proactive attitude toward participating in communication in English
- cooperate with publicity and PR activities conducted by the festival
- have access to a reliable internet connection for the final selection (online interview) and the pre-program sessions
We welcome applicants who:
- have a positive attitude toward dialogue and collaboration across countries and cultures
- are open-minded and willing to reflect on and evolve their own values
- are motivated to apply the experiences and connections gained through this program to their future activities
Support
- Accommodation and per diems for program period (excluding the pre-program sessions).
- Tickets to performances attended as part of the program
- Event insurance coverage
- Reimbursement of round-trip long-distance transportation expenses (e.g. Shinkansen, airfare, ferry) from the participant’s place of residence to the program location for those joining from outside the Tokyo metropolitan area (Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, and Kanagawa)
Number of Participants
A limited number of participants will be selected.
*The program will be conducted with approximately 10 participants in total, including members based outside Japan (there will be no open call for participants based outside Japan).
Selection Process and Schedule
Application Deadline: Wednesday, July 1st, 12:00 p.m. [noon] (JST)
Document Screening Results: Wednesday, July 15th
Final Selection (online interview): Fri July 17 and Sat Jul 18, between 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m.
Final Selection Results: by the end of July
How to Apply
Please download the designated format for the Application Document, complete it, and convert it into a PDF. Then, fill out the Application Form and upload the PDF of the Application Document.
Application Document (designated format): to be submitted as a PDF file (Maximum size: 5 MB)
Application Form: https://business.form-mailer.jp/fms/c84d6862339379
*All personal information collected will be handled with strict confidentiality and will not be used for any purpose other than communication related to this program.
*All applicants will be notified of the selection results by email, regardless of the outcome. Please make sure that you are able to receive emails from the Performing Arts Festival: Autumn Meteorite Tokyo (international[a]autumnmeteorite.jp).
You can download the application guidelines PDF from here.
Harassment Prevention Guidelines
Tokyo Festival Executive Committee has established the Harassment Prevention Guidelines with the aim of ensuring that the human rights of all individuals involved in the Tokyo Festival are respected, and that people of diverse backgrounds and positions are guaranteed the right to work in a safe, secure, and supportive creative and professional environment, regardless of their origin or status.
Inquiries
Performing Arts Festival: Autumn Meteorite Tokyo
Email: international[a]autumnmeteorite.jp *Please replace [a] with @.
Supported by the Japan Foundation
*The information provided is current as of May 13, 2026, and is subject to change.