Imabari Para-biennale Art Festival Kicks Off, Intersecting Welfare, Culture, and Community with 'Entire City as a Community Center' Vision

Social Welfare Corporation Kurushima-kai (Imabari City, Ehime Prefecture) held a talk event on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at Imabari Hohoho-za. This event served as the kickoff and official 'Opening Declaration' for the 'Imabari Para-biennale' art festival, which is scheduled to take place in February 2027.

Approximately 30 participants, including local residents, welfare professionals, educators, and artists, attended the event. Practitioners operating at the intersection of welfare, art, and local communities gathered under the theme, 'What Artists Can Do in the Local Community,' to discuss the new initiatives set to unfold in Imabari.

Starting with this event and leading up to the main festival in February 2027, the 'Imabari Para-biennale' will launch various co-creation projects utilizing welfare facilities, shopping arcades, public spaces, and vacant houses across the city as their stage.

From left to right: Kazuomi Tansho and Atsushi Nakano (Life Care Facility Nuka Tsukurutoko), Kiyohito Ochi (Chairman, Social Welfare Corporation Kurushima-kai), Shotaro Arikado (Actor/Director/Playwright), Michiyoshi Isozaki (Artist), Yusuke Kataoka (Musician), Daisuke Mihata (Deputy General Manager, Kurushima-kai / Imabari Para-biennale Project Secretariat), Masafumi Todate (Cultural Policy/Art Management), and Takashi Tsuchiya (KOSUGE1-16/Artist).

Imabari Para-biennale Opening Declaration Statement (Excerpt)

Social Welfare Corporation Kurushima-kai has officially declared the opening of the first 'Imabari Para-biennale' art festival, scheduled for February 2027.

The statement highlights that, 'In a society where efficiency and correctness are prioritized, moments of chance encounters and interactions where people can enjoy their differences are becoming rare.' It then declares a commitment to 'nurture a culture where people with and without disabilities, children and adults, artists and locals can meet in the same city, enjoy things not going according to plan, and accept each other's differences with a forgiving mindset.'

Furthermore, the festival's philosophy asserts that 'the goal is not to exhibit magnificent artworks, but to cultivate the very activities of human life as culture.'

Additionally, as part of Kurushima-kai's practice, the private community center 'Gatchanko' is set to open in Muroya-cho, Imabari City, in August 2026. While collaborating with various existing community spaces and initiatives throughout Imabari, the organization will advance its challenge of 'making coexistence a culture' under the keyword 'the entire city as a community center.'

For the full statement, please visit the official website. https://www.imabari-parabiennale.com/

First Imabari Para-biennale Planning Framework, Participating Artists, and Event Guests

◆ First Imabari Para-biennale Planning Framework

<General Director> Kiyohito Ochi (Chairman, Social Welfare Corporation Kurushima-kai)

<Supervisors> Gatchanko Director: Takashi Tsuchiya (KOSUGE1-16 / Artist) Gatchanko Coach: Masafumi Todate Gatchanko Manager / PR Director: Kotori Hayashida

◆ Participating Artists and Talk Event Guests

- Michiyoshi Isozaki (Artist) - Yusuke Kataoka (Musician) - Nuka Tsukurutoko (Life Care Facility) Atsushi Nakano, Kazuomi Tansho - Shotaro Arikado (Actor/Director/Playwright / Event Guest)

Highlights of the Event

'Art' Exists in 'Relationships', Not Just in Artworks

During the talk session, diverse perspectives were shared regarding the transformation of human relationships established through expression, the practice of open community activities, and the fundamental 'activities of living as a human,' going far beyond the simple question of 'What is art?'

Among the initiatives introduced was the 'Dondoko! Giant Paper Sumo' project by artist Takashi Tsuchiya. This project involves people working together to build giant cardboard sumo wrestlers and collaboratively organizing a tournament.

Using the simple game of paper sumo as a medium, people who rarely interact naturally mix, cooperate, and support each other. Flexible ideas—such as rules not solely determined by physical strength and the inclusion of 'foul moves' specifically designed to allow wheelchair users to participate—function as mechanisms to ensure 'everyone can stand on the same playing field.'

The discussion emphasized that the true value lies in the process itself—how diverse individuals interact during production workshops dubbed 'provincial tours' (Jungyo), gradually cultivating relationships as they build toward the main tournament.

Furthermore, a project themed around 'making a toast' was introduced as a collaborative practice born from the interaction between the 'Life Care Facility Nuka Tsukurutoko' and the 'Job Support Center Kokosuta.'

This initiative developed as the two groups, meeting for the first time through the Imabari Para-biennale framework, deepened their relationship with the shared desires of 'wanting to become friends first' and 'wanting to build a relationship where we can enjoy something together.'