Otenba! Yancha! - online talk on Inclusivity and the Netherlands-Japan cultural cooperation

Originated from the Dutch word ontembaar and the diminutive name Jantje, otenba (お転婆) and yancha (やんちゃ) means untamable naughty girl and boy in Japanese. This interesting evolution in language epitomizes the century-long exchange between the Netherlands and Japan. Nowadays, the fun spirit of otenba and yancha, which could be interpreted as keeping a heart of a child and thinking out-of-the-box, is continuing and reflected in Dutch-Japanese collaborations, especially in the cultural and creative fields.

In this online talk, we otenba’s and yancha’s will gather and focus on the theme of inclusivity – one prominent topic in the cultural exchange between the Netherlands and Japan. By looking into three NL-Kanto* projects: Super T market, The Fifth Season artist-in-residency in Fukuroda Hospital, and Free Haven / Common Space, we will guide the audience to review the broad spectrum, tenacity and sustainability in Dutch-Japanese cultural/creative collaboration in relation to the (social) subject of diversity and inclusion. Questions to be discussed are, among others: What kind of discursive or physical spaces are being established between Dutch and Japanese creative minds/makers? How do the partners react on and their projects thrive from the challenges and obstacles amid the COVID-19 pandemic? What are the prospect and new opportunities for the cultural fields from both countries to continue working together?

More info about the programme 

Watch back the talk:

*NL-Kanto is the interdisciplinary cultural program of the Netherlands in Japan on the occasion of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games. It is initiated by the Dutch Embassy in Tokyo and DutchCulture. The program focuses on the themes of ‘inclusivity’ and ‘beyond the capital’, and demonstrates the interaction and sparks between Dutch and Japanese creative minds through various cultural and art projects. The NL-Kanto program was inevitably disturbed by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, each project came up with its own solution to recalibrate, in order to still reach their audience and react to the new situations.