Long history of exchange develops further on stage of European Capital of Culture 

Over two years in 2006-07 Kindai University twice conducted international workshops and experienced fruitful exchanges between its instructors and students and those of Ecole nationale superieure des arts visuels de La Cambre (ENSAV) in Brussels. Kindai put these experiences to advantage as part of Mons 2015 in a series of joint workshops over the course of the year together with the local ARTS² Conservatoire royal de Mons.

In 2014 instructors from the two schools began discussions and visiting each other. In February 2015 students gathered at Kindai and in August at ARTS² and engaged in production of work through two different workshops on the performing arts and the plastic arts. Discovering through communal living what they share in common and how they differ from each other, the students engaed with the shared theme of “how to overcome stereotypes about foreigners”. Ultimately in October five Kindai students traveled to Mons for live performances with local students of three pieces in puppetry theater, dance and drama, as well as song and drawing. For students of the two schools this program was a valuable opportunity rich in stimulus, suggestion and insight opening their eyes to the world.

Workshop:

■Workshop in Mons “East Meets West Half Way”

Date: 23 – 27 Feb. 2015 Venue: ARTS2 (Mons) Participants: 22 students of Kinki University, 22 students of ARTS2 Directed by: Kayoko MORI, Chika SEKIGUCHI, Kimiko HAYASHI, Naoko ITO (Kinki University)  

■Performing Arts Workshop in Osaka 1 “I Meet You Here”

Date: 6-10 Aug. 2015 Venue: Kinki University (Osaka) Participants: 22 students of Kinki University, 22 students of ARTS2 Directed by: Kayoko MORI, Kimiko HAYASHI (Kinki University) Sylvie LANDUYT, Marc CERFONTAINE (ARTS2)  

 ■Visual Art Workshop in Osaka 2: “I Meet You Here”

Date: 6-10 Aug. 2015 Venue: Kinki University (Osaka) Participants: 22 students of Kinki University, 22 students of ARTS2 Directed by: Chika SEKIGUCHI, Naoko ITO(Kinki University) Philippe ERNOTTE, Jean-Francois OCTAVE(ARTS2)  

Festival:

■Exhibition “Real-Fake Japan: a foolish week-end!”

Date: 30 Oct.- 1 Nov. 2015 Venue: Maison Folie (Mons) Artist: 5  young Japanese artists (Kinki University), young Belgian artists (ARTS2) Directed by: Kayoko MORI (Kinki University)