2020 February

Staff member, The Miyagi Support Center for the Artistic Activities of People with Disabilities (SOUP)
Yumiko Shibazaki

Introduction: Awareness of Issues in Implementation Areas

Since the Great East Japan Earthquake, NPO Able Art Japan has worked with network organizations to support the recovery of vitality through art and culture and the regeneration of jobs at social welfare facilities. In 2013, Able Art Japan officially established its Tohoku office in Sendai City. In FY 2014, we applied to be considered as a Model Project for Supporting the Art Activities of People with Disabilities, an initiative run by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare. In the six years since, we have operated The Miyagi Support Center for the Artistic Activities of People with Disabilities (hereinafter Support Center) (from FY 2018, Miyagi Prefecture has been the project lead).

When the Support Center was established, there was something that was emphasized as the voices of local people with disabilities, their families and supporters, as well as experts from NPOs, government agencies, universities, and other organizations in the fields of art, welfare, and education who participated as cooperative committee members. That is, while Miyagi Prefecture has a vigorous arts and cultural scene, with art, music, and theater, the artistic pursuits of people with disabilities seem to not be as thriving. The question was whether such a situation would be considered a rich environment for local art and culture.

The support center therefore started its activities with a philosophy of “from barrier to value,” based on the following pillars of the model project: (1) consultation support, (2) human resources development, (3) participatory exhibitions, and (4) network building.

In order to make the Support Center more familiar to the public, it was nicknamed SOUP, with the slogan "mix, and the world changes." We aim to create a Miyagi style of support center where sectors from diverse fields can interact and network (Image 1).

Image 1: Fostering an environment for the artistic and cultural activities of people with disabilities

The following is a summary of the projects implemented by the Support Center and their results.

Nurturing People, Building Networks (FY 2014 to 16)

(1) Establishment of Consultation Desks and Consultation Support Study Groups

In order to inform people about the existence of the Support Center, in the first year of the program, we created mini pamphlets and websites, and proactively visited workshops and exhibitions where employees of welfare facilities and people interested in art and culture would be likely to gather. At first, there were many requests for opportunities for activities and human resources, but we had little information and not much in the way of local resources. We sorted through what we could and could not do at the Support Center, and then worked on a collaborative effort to create resources that are not currently in the community. That is how we went about things. In the first year, there were 158 consultations and requests for information, which had grown to 249 by the third year. We now deal with around 200 cases a year.

Since the second year, we have been running Consultation Support Study Groups, also encouraging public organizations to participate. This gave rise to opportunities for people and organizations to use their wisdom to inspire future policies.

(2) Human Resources Development Training

At the cooperation committee—a gathering of people involved in Support Center projects as cooperation committee members—it was often pointed out that there were differences in the personnel and frequency of programs between Sendai City and other areas. Therefore, we conducted a workshop-type training program to find people who were particularly interested. This is a training program that emphasizes change whereby participants themselves become aware and take action based on their experiences when they return to the workplace. Every year, we visit new areas and places, making reference to the administrative divisions of Miyagi Prefecture. We tried to connect people we met through the training so that we could respond to the needs of people with disabilities in communities as much as possible. In addition, in the training on the protection of copyrights and other rights, we held fundamental and practical interactive courses with lawyers based on this association’s experience of the licensing business. Over a three-year period, 42 lectures were held with 806 participants.

(3) Network Building and Holding Participatory Exhibitions

Miyagi experienced the unprecedented disaster of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. We have experienced not only the restoration of lifelines, but also the mental and physical recovery of ourselves and our families, and the reconstruction of the town where we live. This provided an opportunity to truly reaffirm the importance of strength, resilience, and autonomy in small communities coming together to cooperate. Key organizations and groups were called "network hubs," and attracted attention in the disaster areas. The Support Center also focused on bringing together people with the same philosophy and thoughts and make them shine—in other words, creating a network hub.

As a result, the network hubs that were born around Miyagi Prefecture have now grown into organizations that are indispensable to the region. In FY 2014, Yamamoto Town, a small town with a population of 12,000, hosted the Yamanomoto Art Exhibition at six temporary housing sites. As many as 2,000 attendees visited over the event’s 37-day run, and a new NPO for disability and art and culture has been established to promote its activities nationwide. In FY 2015, the Ishinomaki Art Exhibition was held in Ishinomaki City. Thanks to cooperation with newly established NPOs and others involved in reconstruction efforts, the event’s 19 venues attracted 5,000 visitors over 32 days. Social welfare facilities and NPOs have joined forces to create and present more and more works at an astounding rate. In FY 2016, simultaneous exhibitions were held in three areas—Kurihara City, Yamamoto Town, and Ishinomaki City—and the network hubs of each area were active in planning and managing exhibitions.

Focus on Welfare, Culture and Art, and Local Community (FY 2017 to FY 2019)

Creating the foundation of the Support Center, and running consultation support for art activities, human resource development, and participation exhibitions has produced a certain level of results and achievements. On the other hand, a lack of expertise in performing arts was noticed. To address this, in FY 2017, we worked on gathering information, networking, training human resources, and organizing performances in the field of performing arts.

At workshops, participants gained experience with practical programs in various parts of the prefecture. Two stage performances then went on to be held. As a result, I believe that the Support Center has gained a wide range of knowledge and experience concerning facilities and human resources in the field of performing arts in Miyagi Prefecture, networkers, and how to put together performances.

In June 2018, the Act on Cultural and Artistic Activity of Persons with Disabilities came into effect. Miyagi Prefecture, with its tight budget on its path to reconstruction, came with a policy to continue this Support Center, and has become the project lead. At the NPO, we presented a proposal and have been entrusted with the operation of the Support Center, which we continue to the present day.

Furthermore, a major movement began to emerge in the cultural administration of Sendai City. In FY 2018, the Sendai City made Cultural Program to Support and Promote Cultural and Artistic Activities by Persons with Disabilities one of the themes of the Sendai City Culture Program. In Miyagi Prefecture, we are mainly promoting projects to develop supporters and build network hubs. In Sendai City, we are mainly promoting the creation of places for expressive activities and building networks with people involved in culture and the arts. In other words, the Disability Welfare Division of Miyagi Prefecture is in charge of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare projects, while the Culture Promotion Division of Sendai City and the Sendai Cultural Foundation (public interest incorporated foundation) are in charge of the Agency for Cultural Affairs projects (Image 2). The Support Center now has an office at the base of the Sendai Art Node Project (By Sendai Mediatheque), and we have encountered a variety of people and have been given the freedom to experiment in various ways at the nexus of diverse culture and art after the Great East Japan Earthquake.

Image 2: Project framework for FY 2018

Creating a Culturally Rich Society (2020 onwards)

While the Act on Cultural and Artistic Activity of Persons with Disabilities has been enacted, we would like to remain sensitive to the on-site voices and sense of challenges. In particular, the concept of disability in society is becoming more diverse every day, and there may be situations for which that current system is not sited.

Due to the impact of the Great East Japan Earthquake, children refusing to go to school and young people withdrawing from society have become serious issues in Miyagi Prefecture. In FY 2020, programs related to mental health will be expanded in 33 municipalities in the prefecture. In fact, young people who used to be socially withdrawn participate in volunteer activities in Support Center projects, and children with disabilities and children who refuse to go to school participate in open ateliers as siblings. The Support Center also functions as a place for people with disabilities living at home and people with developmental disabilities or mental disorders who are repeatedly in and out of work, as well as a place for such people to make friends. The motivations and backgrounds of participants are becoming more complex and diverse.

Going forward, I think it is time to recalibrate the work of the support center in order to respond to the need for support for lifelong learning in the truest sense. This is another role that the Support Center has discovered, and we believe that this is one of the perspectives from which the system of support for arts and culture for people with disabilities is truly valued by society.