WAGON in partnership with Peacock Visual Arts is thrilled to present an evening of presentation and conversation with Manami Sato from Shimizusawa Project in Yubari, Japan and Dr Leslie Mabon from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen.

Presentation and conversation with Manami Sato from Shimizusawa Project
6-8pm, Thursday 15th November 2018
W OR M (11 Castle Street, Aberdeen AB11 5BQ)
Facebook event page
日本語のプレスリリースはこちらからご覧いただけます

Speaker: Manami Sato (Director, Shimizusawa Project, Yubari, Hokkaido, Japan)
Panel: Dr Leslie Mabon (Reader in Environment and Society, Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen)
Facilitator: Naoko Mabon (Independent Curator and Associate member of Peacock Visual Arts)
Presented by Peacock Visual Arts as part of Associates’ Social programme.
Supported by British Council, Creative Scotland, Aberdeen City Council and Robert Gordon University.

As part of a wider development towards a future exchange project between Japan-Aberdeen, Aberdeen-based Japanese curator Naoko Mabon visited Yubari in Hokkaido in early June and gave a public talk at Shimizusawa Project to introduce the art and cultural scene in Aberdeen. In return, with support from a partnership fund from British Council and Creative Scotland, Manami Sato, the Director of Shimizusawa Project will visit Aberdeen for a one-week site-visit to research about Aberdeen and introduce Yubari and the community-focused activities of Shimizusawa Project to the Aberdeen community. Yubari is a former active coal mining city and the first Japanese city to announce bankruptcy in 2007 after the final closure of the city’s coal industry in 1990.

Presentation and discussion
Following a presentation by Dr Leslie Mabon on his ongoing research in Yubari, Manami Sato will give a presentation about the Yubari community and the activities of Shimizusawa Project.

After the presentations, Manami will be in conversation with Leslie and Naoko to discuss the current challenges and future plans of Yubari and Aberdeen, with the aim of exploring a way to develop a new collaborative art project between Yubari and Aberdeen into the future.

The conversation includes a Q & A with the audience followed by a networking over drinks.

This event is free, no booking is required.

Lecture at Robert Gordon University
As part of her site-visit, Manami will give a lecture at Robert Gordon University with Dr Leslie Mabon from 2-4pm on the 19th November 2018. The lecture will be a part of the lecture series on Daily Life in Northern Japan led by Dr Mabon.