Using complete sentences, provide a brief biography summarizing your work, education, awards, and any notable professional achievements. Do not copy and paste your resume/CV or include website links.
[200 words limit]
[ Kan Fukuhara
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Agent: Prissima
After graduating Meiji University, he started his career as an actor.
In 2014, he became a member of theater collective HANCHU-YUEI. Since then, he has appeared in domestic and international performance.
In 2015, he started his own theater project SANPIN. Based on the keyword "A fragment of your life is the main part of someone's life", he creates works that “describes the place through people".
Since 2016, he has been producing rehearsals for actors and dancers (known as SESSION UNTITLED). He handles a wide range of works from domestic and foreign classics to contemporary plays, and operate a place to think about words and the body.
Since 2020, as a workshop facilitator, he has been actively conducting theater workshops and communication classes at schools and theaters.
Major appearances: plays "Cyrano de Bergerac” at Tokyo Metropolitan Theater Playhouse, "Human History" at Kanagawa Art Theater, "Greeks" at Kanagawa Art Theater, "HAMLET” at Tokyo Globe Theatre, "ZOO" by Chiharu Shinoda, "Kurozuka" by Kinoshita Kabuki, "Yorube Nighter" by FUKAIPRODUCE Hagoromo, "Nevermind” by Nuthmique, "Un-balanced”. by Baobab etc.
Please provide your current professional position/title:
自身の現在の肩書、所属機関がある場合は役職を記入下さい:
Title (肩書/役職):
Actor |役者
Company member |劇団員
Workshop facilitator |ワークショップファシリテーター
company leader |劇団主宰
Administrator |運営者
Organization (団体、組織名):
PRISSIMA |プリッシマ
Theater collective HANCHU-YUEI |範宙遊泳
SANPIN |さんぴん
SESSION UNTITLED |無題の稽古会
Artist Statementアーティスト・ステートメント:
If you have an artist statement, please enter it here [200 words limit]
[ As an actor and the activity of SANPIN:
If acting can portray a person, its essence lies within oneself and in encounters with people. I want to do activities that speak for the lives of people I've met, and people I might meet someday. Worry for others, get angry for others, laugh and cry for others. Because people can't live with their emotions.
About the activities of SESSION UNTITLED:
I think that actors might need a rehearsal room just as much as they do in their daily lives. It's not a place to create for the show, but a place where you can face yourself, share your troubles and conflicts with others, and try and fail as much as you can. I would like to propose a space where you can keep a distance from "win" and "lose" and continue to express yourself tomorrow. Expression should also be something that is nurtured while running side by side with life. ]
Provide a brief summary of your proposal [in 3 sentences or less]:
A survey of what kind of creations, workshops, lessons, and classes are being held at various "rehearsal space" in NY, and the attitude of actors and dancers in rehearsals.
[ My collaborator, dancer Shunpei Mitsuhashi, and I, an actor, would like to stay in New York and participate in workshops, rehearsals, and lessons held at theaters, studios, and schools to find out how it works. And I would also like to investigate how these rehearsal places function in society and how they are connected to society. And also like to find out how actors and dancers work on rehearsals, and what they do for continuation and training.
I chose New York because there are far more rehearsals, not just for creative work, than there are in Japan or other countries. There are people with diverse roots and lifestyles in New York, and I would like to expand my horizons by gaining diverse values through sharing spaces with them.
I have a goal that came through my own activities. It is the mindset of the performer and the creation of the audience. I believe that now is the time to travel since my goals have been clarified. The language is probably the highest wall. However, after staying in the UK in 2021 and experiencing residencies in India and Singapore, in my career, I have known the importance of language, and I’ve continued to learn ever since. Once I get adopted, I have a plan to increase opportunities for output, like speaking, and prepare as much as possible.
During my stay, I would like to participate in and observe workshops and rehearsals, mainly physical theater. I plan to attend classes for ordinary people as well as for professionals. As for dance, Shumpei mainly participates in contemporary dance and contact improvisation. He and I will actively communicate with workshop participants, facilitators, and company members, conduct research, and gather information. If we meet someone who wants to continue learning and improve each other, communicate with them with a view to inviting them in the future. Regularly report each other's activities and leave them into notebooks.
Visit as many places as possible in the first half of our stay. I especially want to go to HB Studio, Jordan Rosin, Emotions Physical Theater, Movement Theater Studio, PUSH Physical Theater, SITI Company, T. Schreiber Studio, Bated Breath Theater Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Stella Adler Studio, Anthony Meindl's Actor Workshop, Mark Morris Dance Group and others.
From the latter half, I would like to narrow down my research subjects, get opportunities to session with artists we meet at there, and participate in improvisational venues such as the Brooklyn Contact Jam. And I want to hone my sensibility and get the seeds of inspiration by the stage, music, and art as much as possible. Also, if possible, we would like to hold workshops and rehearsals at there so that we can share our thoughts with the people and get their feedback.
After returning to Japan, I will open up opportunities to share the experiences and specific works or exercises I experienced during my stay. ]
滞在前半はなるべく多くの場所に行く。特に行きたいのは HB Studio, Jordan Rosin, Emotions Physical Theater, Movement Theater Studio, PUSH Physical Theater, SITI Company, T. Schreiber Studio, Bated Breath Theater Company, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Stella Adler Studio, Anthony Meindl's Actor Workshop , Mark Morris Dance Group などだ。
後半からは研究対象を絞っていき、現地で出会った表現者とセッションをしたりBrooklyn Contact Jam などのインプロビゼーションの場にも参加したい。そして可能な限りの舞台、音楽、美術に触れることで、自分の感性を磨き閃きの種を得たい。また可能であれば現地でワークショップや稽古会を開き自分たちが考えていることを現地の方にもシェアし、フィードバックをもらいたい。 ]
滞在で得た経験や具体的なワークは帰国後にシェアする機会を開く。
Future Goals and Impact 将来の目標とその影響:
Describe what you hope to accomplish through your proposed activities.
What do you hope to gain from visiting another country, either personally or professionally?
How might the knowledge or skills you gain contribute to the development of your work or art practice?
What are your long-term goals and how will this opportunity help you realize them?
On a larger scale, what need do you see in the field and/or communities in which you work, and what contributions do you hope to make?
How will this opportunity enable you to make those contributions?
[500 words limit]
[ When you are active as an actor, of course, there is time with no production, so to speak, blank time. At that time, I often have the question, "Can I really call myself an actor if I'm not acting?" Of course, no actor has a constant supply for acting. Blank time always comes to everyone. In 2016, I was in a long void. Some might say that your daily life should be taken care of. There is a hint of expression in living daily life carefully. That's certainly true. However, I struggled and suffered in the face of an endless void that seemed to last forever. I was almost overwhelmed by the obsession that I was worthless when I didn't do anything.
So, what kind of daily life should I send? I sought the answer by "practicing." But I don't know how to practice. Looking back of it, it's because I've never rehasaled for nothing but for the actual production. I called out to my friend and started practicing by fumbling around. That was the beginning of the “SESSION UNTITLED”, where you can continue to practice without a real performance. In a rehearsal room where there is no actual performance, we nurture an “Introduction of the play”. There is no winning or losing, there is only time to face yourself. Theater and dance are all different, so you will make it clear what do you like and what are you interested in? Also, put into words where you want to go, what you want to get, and what actions are necessary to achieve that. I still have managed this rehearsal room as a place to share troubles and help each other.
Now, I have a goal. It is the mindset of the performer and the making of the audience numbers more through the operation of the rehearsal room.
About the mindset of the artist. It's just a feeling, but in Tokyo, I think there are too many actors who get tired of the battle of whether they success or not, and quit. In a sense, it can't be helped, and it may be possible to think of it as the norm in the world of showbiz. But is expression always about winning or losing? Theater and dance are the culture. Culture does not refer to the activities of a certain group of people, but rather should be something that each person nurtures while running side-by-side with their daily lives. Therefore, I would like to share the mindset that "Even if I can't make a living as an actor, I still like to express myself. That's why I won't give up." I want to increase the number of people who continue their hobbies in the same way as sports and music. Acting and dancing is a joy, a release. It's just like any other culture or art.
About increasing an audience number. Through workshops, I will share the “Introduction” exercises and specific work that are nurtured in our rehearsal room with people who don’t usually express themselves. In the same way that knowing the rules of sports makes watching a game more fun, I would like to lower the hurdles to watching a play by actually experiencing what creators think about and what processes are used to create production. Also, in the future, I would like to have a rehearsal room as a physical space somewhere in Tokyo or other prefectures. It is a creative space open to both professionals and amateurs, a place for maintenance, and a place for training. By doing so, I would like to create a flow of not only "people gathering in people" but also "people gathering in places".
Art has saved me. So I want to do what I can for someone. By doing what I like and I’m good at. Someone's smile increases through acting, workshops, and management of the rehearsal space. There is no greater joy than when someone’s breathing becomes deeper and when you gain courage. ]
Describe any non-financial support you hope to receive from ACC and explain how important it is to the success of your plans. Please be as specific as possible.
I would like you to introduce a theater company, dance company, or theater in New York where I and Shumpei can participate in rehearsals and workshops. Also, I would like you to introduce actors and dancers at there. Because I imagine that the studios and companies, I listed above are just the tip of the iceberg.
それでも昼に映画館に行ったのは「七人の侍」を見るためであった。会場はDUKE OF YORKというイギリスで最も古い映画館。これがまた痺れる空間だった。恥ずかしながら初めて��「七人の侍」。それがまさかイギリスで、しかも英語字幕で見ることになるとは。久蔵と菊千代の最後のくだり、劇場がぐっと緊張したのが分かった。2時間半の上映が終わり客席からは拍手が起きた。ふらふらになりながらブライトンの街を歩き、翌日に備えて早く寝た。いよいよ明日ワークショップに参加する。何としても声を出せるようにしなくてはまずいのだ。
10/4 陰性の結果が出たのが前日の夜9時。その瞬間を持って隔離が解かれた。Free at last!! 急いで着替えて寮を出る。ただただ外に出たかった。ブライトンは海に向かってなだらかな傾斜になっている街で、その傾斜を登ったり降りたりしながら頭の中に地図を作っていく。海がありパブがある。それだけでなんだか最高じゃないか。
7/31 LUNA SEA『A WILL』をようやく聞く。ちょっっと待ってくれ、これ超すげー名盤なのでは。こじらせスレイヴ過ぎて何年も聞いていなかったけど、なにしてたんだ俺、アホ過ぎる。これはまじですごいアルバムだよ。初めてルナシーに出会った時のようなような感動と何年も経て再びルナシーの新譜を聴いてるんだという興奮があった。LUN変化は進化なんだなあ。一番新しいのも聞かなくては。
7/8 稽古ゴリゴリ。ハードに動き、家帰ってボヤッとし、夜中にラジオ聞いたりレコード聞いたりして寝る。IRMAから出ているa collection of rare jazzy club tracks vol.5というコンピ。毎晩片面ずつかけてるんだけど、聞いてるうちにいつも寝てしまう。タイトルなんだか恥ずかしいけど、いやいや案外調子いいです。