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A TOBI Gateway Project forum titled “Let’s Talk about Building the Future: Museum, Community, University – Art Communicators and Community Design” was offered. The 260-seat hall was filled to capacity. Thank you very much to everyone who attended. We had initially planned on using a hall with 180 seats, but due to the large number of people interested in attending, we responded by moving to a larger venue and placing temporary chairs to allow attendance by as many people as possible. However, we could not meet everyone’s wishes and had to implement a waiting list and turn people down after reaching capacity. We deeply apologize for the inconvenience.

We were blessed with nice weather on the day of the event, and all the staff members were relieved. We were glad to get off to a great start.

The job of the TOBIRAs is to connect people to the energy of the museum. There are a variety of ways to make connections: Some are supporting disabled people’s art viewing tours, practically applying art viewing education, and offering workshops by the artists. In addition, they do things like trying things that no other museums have done and realizing tasks that curators could not have done on their own even if they wanted to. However, you might think that this would require special experience and knowledge. Actually, what the TOBI Gateway Project needs is not a small number of art professionals; we need well-motivated people from a wide range of age groups and experience. There is meaning to this Project when people of different values come together to think and engage in activities. The “TOBI Gateway Project” is not a school where you go and learn something, even for the Museum volunteers. It is a project where we all think proactively, share with others, and work together.

This photo is of the artist Mr. Katsuhiko Hibino. Four instructors talked about such issues as their thoughts and feelings regarding the “TOBI Gateway Project” from their own point of view. Each had their own views. For the content of the talks, please take a look at the video clips.

At the end, everyone engaged in a discussion, and we managed to answer insightful questions from the audience. The TOBI Gateway Project is still a young project, and even though its parents, TOBI and the Tokyo University of the Arts, each have their own ideals, we are in the midst of trial and error on how it should grow and develop. Since this is the first attempt at something that has never been done, we want the Project to grow through good discussion and a focus on the individuality of the “TOBIRAs” that will be selected.

In the hallway outside the venue, we had the comments, questions, and memorable keywords, etc. that attendees wrote during the Forum stuck up on the window panes. For people on the waiting list – although their time was reduced – we set up a “TOBI Gateway Project” Participation Information Session after the Forum. I believe that the comments, questions, and keywords that the Forum participants left were good tips for people in the second group.

Currently, many applications to the TOBI Gateway Project are arriving every day. We will make every effort to satisfy everyone’s expectations and we look forward to receiving everyone’s applications! (Itō)

2012.02.19