We are very excited to announce that the Biennial Playable City Conference will take place in Tokyo, Japan this year on 28 September in partnership with the British Council.

Making the City Playable Tokyo is a unique day conference that explores themes around Playable City. Bringing together an international mix of artists, policy makers, cultural producers, and creative changemakers to challenge our thinking and shape our inquiry into the future of Tokyo as a Playable City. Full Speaker details will be announced on 27 August.

Playable City Tokyo launched in 2015 to develop imaginative new ideas for urban spaces and to engage communities in thinking about the future of Tokyo, particularly in the run up to the 2020 Olympic Games. Building on the success of Shadowing at Roppongi Art Night, the Playful Welcome Lab and the Playable CIty Tokyo Residency, this will be the first time the conference will be held outside of the UK.

The day will feature contributions from our Japanese partners including Rhizomatiks, and curated networking events from our Creative Producers International Programme and the unique chance to test the results of a summer of thinking and making from the Playable City Tokyo 2018 Residency with Tom Metcalfe and Sophie Sampson. The artists have been working collaboratively, to research and develop playful ideas at the intersection of art, technology, and society around public space in Tokyo, and aim to start a new kind of city conversation through play.

Tokyo also sees the participants on Watershed’s talent development programme Creative Producers International reunite for our second Residential Lab. Together with our producing partners, we will reflect on our journey so far and continue to strengthen this network of talented creative thinkers supporting and challenging each other from cities across the world. A mixture of Japanese and international guest speakers will lead our Producers in a series of innovative workshops, talks and discussions, allowing them to explore the innovative cultural work being produced across Tokyo and think about their own practice in a dynamic international context that is vastly different to their own.

To register your interest in the conference, or to find out more about Playable City Tokyo activity, please email us at playablecity@watershed.co.uk

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