This year UNESCO Associated Schools Programme Network celebrates its 70 Anniversary. A major Arts & Culture for Peace Initiative activity took place in Kyoto, September 2023 that brought together 60 students, educators and UNESCO co-ordinators from Belgium, Japan, Oman, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, The Netherlands, The Gambia and the UK. The UK student representatives chosen were 10 Coventry Ambassadors!
You can view a short film of the children’s visit here.
Another initiative developed with the support of the Between the Stones Project was the launching of the UNESCO ASPnet Arts & Culture for Peace Initiative in 2022. You can now access this either directly from the UNESCO UK site or through the BTS Menu.
We are delighted to announce the completion of the Between the Stones - education work with the five Coventry Primary Schools! This culminated in the Coventry Young Ambassadors Festival of Japanese Arts & Culture which included an exhibition of the work associated with our project. You can view the latest account on the Garden News Updates as the final project contributed to the legacy of a full-size karesansui garden - the Coventry Young Ambassadors Islands of Peace Japanese Garden.
More information can also be found on the Cities of Peace Schools Projects page!
You will all be pleased to know that UNESCO Associated Schools Projects Network (ASPnet) have been so impressed with these projects that they are in discussion with the National Coordinators from the UK and Japan about a pilot project to extend the project to other schools.
Here is the message from Julie Saito, Director for the UNESCO ASPnet
Coventry Young Ambassadors Islands of Peace Japanese Garden at the Coventry War Memorial Park
Was opened by the Lord Mayor of Coventry and His Excellency Ambassador Hayashi on 2 July 2021 as part of the Coventry Young Ambassadors Festival of Japanese Arts & Culture, the Japan-UK Season of Culture, and Coventry UK City of Culture 2021.
The original archive film footage from the special Noh time like the present… tribute programme in honour of Akira Matsui sensei’s 70 year, is now available to view online.
At the time we produced this work we did not have a website. The Between the Stones website includes a section on past collaborations between Richard Emmert, Jannette Cheong and Unanico Group so we are delighted to be able to share this rare archive footage of Opposites-InVerse with you.
Opposites-InVerse is in three parts:
Part One: Opposites in Opposition
Part Two: Opposites Attract
Part Three: Opposites in Balance
Following some major contributions of funding from BTS supporters and sponsors, Rebecca Bollands, who is working with Graham Hardman from the Japanese Garden Society to realise the Coventry Peace Garden, has said that there is now sufficient funding for the garden build to go ahead!
The project had already received significant funding support from Coventry City Council and the National Lottery Awards for All and some other funders, but was lacking about a fifth of the funds necessary to ensure the garden build.
A huge effort followed from Between the Stones supporters and sponsors to raise a substantial part of the final sums needed to ensure the garden build can go ahead. We are especially grateful to Mitsubishi Corporation, Corporate Management Support Office (EMEA), the Japan Society and other Between the Stones supporters, who feel that the garden is a wonderful legacy that has the potential to benefit local, national and international visitors for many years to come. They are all especially moved by the project because it is inspired by work with the next generation, the children of Coventry, and this, plus the ‘Islands of Peace’ focus of the garden, sends a hugely significant message to everyone.
While the main garden build can go ahead there are still a few featured items that could be added so do contact us if you would like to make a contribution to the establishment of the UK’s first Japanese Peace Garden inspired by children!
Our thanks to all sponsors and contributors for your wonderful vision and belief in this project!
The Between the Stones Project Report is now available on the website. The report covers the period from 2018 until June 2020. It includes the project processes, inputs, outputs and key project benefits and delivery of the project objectives.
We adopted a simple, yet challenging approach to the project. It was important from the beginning that, although connected developmentally, each activity should be of value in, and of, itself. The project was divided into three phases all focused on Getting to Noh from page to stage.
Like all projects quality, time and cost were central challenges. The phased approach was used to help us tackle these generic challenges with the specific artistic focus: ‘Would it be possible to develop a new, contemporary noh drama in English with our Japanese and other collaborators using traditional techniques, within the time and cost constraints presented, and include a wide range of education and outreach activities?’
The report illustrates our best efforts in this respect. It includes comments sent to us throughout the three phases of the project, as well as comments from the artists.
We hope you enjoy reading about the unique intercultural journey of this not-for-profit international arts collaboration project.
If you missed any of the live performances you can view the film of the last performance of the European tour at the Musée Guimet, Paris on the website.
Additional resources are also available on the website:
the podcast of Simon Callow and Jonathan Dove in discussion with Richard Emmert and Jannette Cheong
an audiobook of actor Hugh Quarshie reading Between the Stones, as well as his article ‘my need to noh’
an opera vocal rendition of the Courage Song from Act 2 of Between the Stones by bass-baritone Piran Legg, using the original noh score, and you can see the same section of the live performance and read the libretto.
Getting to noh: education and outreach work is listed with special mention of the two-year Cities of Peace Noh Theatre Project
the final activity of the Cities of Peace project will be the creation of the Japanese Peace Garden.
Opera singer, bass-baritone, Piran Legg, also worked with us as part of the Noh time like the present… tribute to professional noh actor, Akira Matsui in 2017 during his 70th year. During the noh time like the present programme Piran sang in the Opposites-InVerse piece written and composed specially for Akira Matsui by Jannette Cheong and Richard Emmert.
The Courage song is sung in Act 2 of the new contemporary noh drama, Between the Stones. Here Piran uses the original noh score with his Opera vocal rendition of the song.
Actor Hugh Quarshie worked with us in 2017 as part of the Noh time like the present… tribute to celebrate the lifetime achievement of professional noh actor, Akira Matsui in his 70th year - performing alongside Matsui sensei in Samuel Beckett’s Rockaby.
Hugh discusses ‘my need to noh’ in an article he wrote at around the same time.
Hugh read Between the Stones to support those remembering tragic loss whenever and wherever it takes place - for individuals, communities or, indeed, across the world. Our common humanity gives us a shared empathy in such circumstances and lies at the heart of Between the Stones.
If you know someone who has suffered from a tragic loss we hope this this beautiful reading will help to lift their spirits.
Hugh Quarshie with Akira Matsui in Rockaby by Samuel Beckett during the dress rehearsal for the performance at the LSO St Luke’s, February 2017. Photography by Clive Barda
We are delighted to share the archive film recording of the Between the Stones performance at the Musée Guimet, the National Museum of Asian Arts in Paris (recorded on 4 February 2020). This was the last performance of the European 2020 Performance tour. The film has English subtitles.
For more information about Between the stones click here
Kinue Oshima as the maeshite (the Woman Gardener, Act 1) Between the Stones.
Using the children’s inspiration and ideas that came from their work with the Between the Stones project, the Japanese Garden Society are now designing and building the Coventry Young Ambassadors’ Japanese Peace Garden ‘Islands of Peace’ as a permanent garden be located in the City of Coventry at the War Memorial Park with the help of volunteers from the Park and the Japanese Garden Society.
Initial funds have been found to support the building of the Coventry Children’s Islands of Peace Garden. If you would like to help fund the building of the garden and find out more about the building of the Coventry Children’s Garden please contact: Rebecca Bollands: deputy@howes.coventry.sch.uk
This link will take you to the webpage where you can See all the children’s work with the Between the Stones team. You can also find out much more about the inspirational children’s work in developing the initial ideas for the garden here, as well as see the concept design for the final garden.
““I was very much moved by the beautiful rendition of your text. It was wonderful to see how the various elements, which you and your collaborators have been working on with such passion and dedication, have coalesced so seamlessly.”
We were delighted to be able to complete the European tour of final phase of the Between the Stones project as an official event of the 2020 Japan-UK Season of Culture.
““I’m SO glad we squeezed this wonderful event in before the world closed down.” ”
Though we were aware of the major difficulties in China, and increasingly in Japan, the wider COVID-19 crisis was only 3 days old when the artists arrived in London on 27 January 2020. Now, at the time of writing this news update, the number of deaths from the virus in Europe and around the world has soared. These circumstances are unprecedented in modern history with all public events cancelled or postponed indefinitely; making the timing of the tour more fortuitous than any of us could have imagined. Not only was the tour able to proceed successfully, but it also included a number of unique aspects - perhaps most especially the first debut international visit of 11-year old Iori Oshima. We will list all of these in the tour report.
However, it is quite extraordinary to consider that one of the major unique factors that we may all reflect on in the years to come is that we may be one of now only a few world premiere live theatre events pre-pandemic 2020 to have taken place in London (perhaps in the world) in 2020 with all theatres in major cities now closed to the public. It is a bitter-sweet acknowledgement and one from which we take no joy. The devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic affects us all. So while we are pleased to have completed the tour successfully, our thoughts are much more focused on people around the world struggling to cope with this pandemic.
The story of Between the Stones gives focus to the tragic loss of loved ones. Giving this poignancy in 2020, we would like to send our love and best wishes to all who have suffered and continue to suffer. We would also like to pay homage to those essential workers who are struggling to keep us all safe and well around the world.
Please stay safe everyone!
The 2020 European Performance Tour was only possible with the support and encouragement of The Japan Foundation Performing Arts Japan Programme for Europe 2019-2020, Mitsubishi Corporation International (Europe) Plc, Mitsubishi Electric Europe B.V., the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation, the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation (who funded Phase 2 - without this funding Phase 3 could not have happened), the Japan Society, and finally, the support of Embassy of Japan in London and our many other past and present collaborators and friends.
Our sincere thanks to them all for their shared vision, and incredible encouragment and support over the lifetime of the project.
The Between the Stones Team
In late November 2019, actor and director, Simon Callow and composer Jonathan Dove had an informal ‘Getting to Noh’ discussion with Rick (who joined us ‘virtually’ from Tokyo (in the middle of the night!) and Jannette. The podcast can be heard here.
We are now able to announce the Full European Tour Programme for 2020. Tickets are on sale in Ireland, and at the Southbank Centre in London, but not yet in Paris. Do keep checking the Musee Guimet’s website this month as we have been told they are soon to be on sale!
The last time we were able to put together such a programme was 10 years ago so do join us at one of these rare and unique programmes! The world premiere of Between the Stones is on 29 January 2020 at the Southbank Centre, Purcell Room, London. 10 years ago we were able to feature Kinue Oshima in the lead role and Jubilith Moore as the ‘waki’ role as the ‘traveller’ in Pagoda. In 2020, we bring them back together for Between the Stones and this time joined by 11-year old Iori Oshima who will play the Spirit of Winter Butterflies in Act 2. Iori is already known in Japan as a rising child actor (kokata) but this will be his first international tour! He will also be joined on stage with his father Teruhisa Oshima who will also be breaking new ground by singing in English in the chorus…
It was such a wonderful pleasure to be able to see some of the children perform the work they had completed for Project 2: Short Plays and Travel Songs at the Coventry Cathedral Hiroshima Day Ceremony on 6 August 2019. Everyone was deeply moved by the children’s work.
Teruhisa & Kinue Oshima and Richard Emmert
Performance presentation at the Embassy of Japan London. 6 February 2019. Photograph by Clive Barda
We have now completed the development workshop in London, as well as a range of education and outreach activities in London, Coventry, Dublin and Paris. Most of these took place within the period from 1-11 February, with the addition of a ‘Getting to Noh’ talk at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens for the Japanese Garden Society and members of the public. You can read comments in other related news updates below.
The Development workshop was a wonderful opportunity for Teruhisa and Kinue Oshima, Richard Emmert and Jannette Cheong to work together for four days on the new ‘Between the Stones’ noh. The creative team discussed character focus, choreography, music, mask, costumes and essential props and accessories and how these could be developed to enhance the central essence of the piece.
This was an exciting phase of the project for Jannette and Rick especially, as this aspect of the development is the direct result of having the opportunity to discuss the work with Teruhisa and Kinue Oshima and to include their thoughts and ideas on how they see the work developing for stage. So a very big thank you to everyone concerned in undertaking this work so earnestly.
We are pleased to be able to say that we completed all the activities as planned for the visit and the whole team was delighted to receive such positive feedback from each of the additional events undertaken. We would like to thank everyone for their interest and support! The audiences were wonderful and their positive interest has been very much appreciated and extremely encouraging.
Since the team returned to Tokyo Jannette has continued working on the piece with Rick, as he continues to work on the music composition. Each time Jannette undertakes a new talk to share the ‘page to stage’ experience of creating a new noh she has shared how the piece has been shaped by the development process and this will continue at future talks.
These Phase 2 activities have been possible because of the wonderful support of a number of individuals and organisations. In the UK these included:
The Embassy of Japan London, Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, the Japan Society, Mitsubishi Electric Europe, London Digital Print (Ian Greaterex and Chris Rowe), the British Library, (especially Hamish Todd, Head of East Asian Collections and Jean-Philippe Calvin, Corporate Affairs). The British Library has supported both Phase 1 & 2 and have now also expressed a strong interest in education and outreach activities for Phase 3.
The support of other individuals such as Simon Callow, Graham Marchant, Henrietta Heald, Clive Barda and Paul and Clementine Laikin has also been very important to the delivery of the project before and during Phase 2.
Our sincere thanks to these collaborating partners, as well as all of the education partners, especially David Hughes, Ramiro Silveira, Margaret Coldiron and Kenneth Rea and their wonderful students; and to the amazing staff and pupils in Coventry with whom Kinue, Richard and Jannette spent time with on 7 February 2019 to help them begin their second (of three) ‘peace’ projects! We were delighted that the results of the first project, the children’s peace poem tanzakus, could also be exhibited at the Japanese Embassy during our Between the Stones event to highlight the collaboration between the 180 Coventry Young Ambassadors from five Coventry Primary Schools, the Japan Society and the Between the Stones Project Team!
“Dear Jannette
Thank you so much for all your hard work involving us in the Noh project and for giving us such fantastic opportunities.
Firstly on behalf of myself and all the schools, thank you very much for inviting us to the Embassy event. It was a great honour to attend and we were thrilled at how interested everyone was in our peace poems.
Secondly, many, many thanks to you, Kinue and Richard for coming up to Coventry especially when you had such a busy schedule. The workshop with the pupils was absolutely fantastic. I had been curious to see the children’s reaction to Noh and they were completely mesmerised. It was something so different to anything they have experienced before. I think that they will always remember the experience. In our busy lives as educators we sometimes need to stand back and let the children experience something totally different.
We are very excited about the next phase of our project and are meeting in a couple of weeks to plan how we are going to develop the travel songs. I’ll keep you informed of our plans. I’ll also start working with Afton on the gardens project so that it is ready for the summer.
Please pass on our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the Oshima family and Richard.
”
Coventry Young Ambassadors’ 180 wind chimes and their peace poem tanzaku which were first exhibited at Coventry Cathedral on Armistice Day 2018, and then displayed at the Japanese Embassy on 6 February 2019 for the Between the Stones Phase 2 Presentation Event.
Kinue Oshima and Richard Emmert giving a performance workshop to 180 Coventry Young Ambassadors on 7 February 2019 in preparation for their second ‘peace’ project.
During a very busy ‘student’ working week Jannette participated in the delivery of a noh writing workshop at the invitation of Margaret (Jiggs) Coldiron. Jannette found her time (almost four days) with the students inspiring - especially their positive attitude to the project, dedication to understanding as much as they could about the art form and their keen interest to produce exciting original work in such a short time. Jannette felt each of the students’ projects had such great potential and was very moved by their storytelling skills and engagement with the project theme (we chose the same theme as Between the Stones, i.e. ‘finding peace and love from tragic loss’…)
Congratulations to all the students on their achievements and many thanks to Jiggs for the kind invitation to work with the 2nd year BA World Performance students at East 15 Acting School.
The project focused on some key principles of storytelling as applied to noh, but giving the students the flexibility to perform their work in a musical genre of their own choice… demonstrating how cultural fusion can occur through this form of storytelling… and with such fascinating results!
“I was astonished at what truly passionate, clear and moving work Jannette was able to draw from my World Performance students in her project on Noh: From Page to Stage. As both a scholar and lover of Noh I wanted my students to be able to engage with this exceptional art form, but I worried that the challenges of grasping both the Noh aesthetic and the structure of Noh plays might be more than could be accomplished in just a few days. However, Jannette’s careful management of the tasks required provided the students with the tools they needed to create some marvellous pieces that used Noh and their own ideas and experiences to create six exceptional poetic performances. I hope that we can repeat the project with more time that will allow the students to go even further. The project has won over this group to Noh and many want to go on to pursue deeper study of the form, while others are finding it a useful tool in their own creative work as playwrights and theatre-makers.”
The students performing their original work inspired by noh:
East 15 Acting School, University of Essex, 2nd Year BA World Performance Students
This short project was designed to introduce students to the key elements of writing for noh and to have a close up and interactive experience of how a new noh begins its journey. Working in small groups students were also asked to create a short piece using their own work drawing on what they have learned about storytelling and how this evolves from the page to the stage in a classical art form working with the theme: finding beauty, peace and love from tragic loss, but using their own musical genre as applied to either a newly created michiyuki ‘travel song’ or kuse ‘central song’.
“Q1: To what extent do you have a better understanding of key elements in storytelling for both classical and contemporary noh-related works?
Student Graded Responses: 5, 4, 5
Q2: To what extent have you been able to utilise your increased knowledge of noh to create a new piece of work?
Student Graded Response: 5, 4, 5
Q3: To what extent have you learned how a new noh in traditional style is conceived and created from page to stage?
Student Graded Response: 4, 4, 4
Q4: Which aspects of the Getting to Noh project made the greatest impression on you and why?
Student response1: The reading of Jannette’s poetry as it was very emotionally captivating and it made me connect to Noh more as I could actually enjoy the poetic side of it through language accessible to me. Also, the project was very well structured, consequently the whole process was very easy to follow.
Student response 2: The writing of the script - I was unfamiliar with how they were meant to be formatted (for example, the journey song maps out key geographical points), so it was interesting to learn how these were created. The poetry that can come out of this is quite inspiring.
Student response 3: The Jo-Ha-Kyu structure is powerful in creating and sustaining action and has also been useful in other modules such as playwriting.
Q5: What aspects of the project development have you most enjoyed and why?
Student response 1: The part in which the story and poetry were created. In a fairly short time and by use of “deadlines” the groups managed to come up with a story quite quickly which allowed us plenty of time trying to fit the story into the Noh form which I found very interesting and enjoyable. Getting to know the form and trying to understand the place of the characters within the form gave me a new perspective of the function of characters within a story. Also, the main elements of jo-ha-kyu and less is more, although they are very universal concepts were not as prominent in my thinking while creating new works as they are now. Having worked with these concepts and purposely trying to use these concepts in the pieces we were making, re-introduced them in my mind which will be definitely helpful for future creations.
Student response 2: Adding music to our poems was interesting because it looked at how music could support the text in setting the scene or creating an atmosphere.
Students response 3: I thoroughly enjoyed coming up with a concept for a Noh piece based around the theme of loss, and then creating a touching story about innocence and childhood. Writing a travel song for this story was an enjoyable process, as I liked researching the geography of our chosen location and intertwining it with the poetry.
Q6: What areas of learning presented the greatest challenge and what did you learn by working through the challenge?
Student response 1: Bringing page to stage was definitely the hardest part of the whole process. The main obstacle was trying to figure out how much of the visual Noh aspects we were going to use. What we learned, however, and this was initiated by the fact that we did not learn the Noh way of singing nor the very specific movements, is that by taking inspiration from the way of staging or use of space and artists we could fill this ‘empty’ form or silhouette and paint it in ourselves using our own skills.
Student response 2: I found that creating the narrative of the complete Noh play, as a means to better understand the poem we were writing, very challenging because I felt that the conventions we had to stick were not familiar to us. However, in the long run I feel pushing through this challenge lead to solid narratives with action instead of merely emotion were created.
Student response 3: The biggest challenge was trying to put the song/story on its feet due to the amount of time we were given, but through this I learned not to try and overcomplicate things and keep it simple, especially when given a short time-frame.
Q7: Do you feel you will be able to use any of this new learning in some way in the future? If possible, can you give some examples?
Student response 1: Definitely. The concepts Jo-ha-kyu and less is more are now one of the first thoughts I have when creating new works, especially when problems arise, they seem to help push the process forward again. Also the idea that a form is empty and with the understanding that one can fill it in themselves, is very useful as it gives you beacons or boundaries which will keep your feet on the ground as it were, it gives the creation a certain direction or grounding, while in the meantime recognizing the freedom of the space between gives you endless possibilities of creating without being completely lost. In general I think that is something useful to remember, it gives you guidance and support through your journey of ideas.
Student response 2: Adding music to our poems was interesting because it looked at how music could support the text in setting the scene or creating an atmosphere.
Student response 3: Writing poetry is not something I have a lot of experience in, so this project was a chance for me to explore outside my comfort zone. The aforementioned geography research and combining with song was a great experience, so this is definitely something I may try again in future.
”
The second Getting to Noh event of 2019 was a student performance workshop with the BA Acting Students at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. The students were fortunate to be able to work with the Between the Stones Creative Team: Richard Emmert, Teruhisa and Kinue Oshima at the invitation of Kenneth Rea.
The students worked on basic kata (movement patterns) and utai (chant) as well as some drum call patterns. They made good progress given the amount of time available and appeared to understand and benefit a great deal from the three-hour workshop. Dr Kenneth Rea who worked with us to arrange this workshop for the students wrote:
“Dear Jannette,
I want to thank you and your team most sincerely for the wonderful Noh workshop that you ran for our Guildhall students last Saturday. I had hoped that my students would gain an understanding of the discipline, presence and concentration of Noh actors, and the workshop delivered all of that brilliantly. For the students it was an inspiring event that, I’m sure they will draw on for many years to come.”
“Comments from three students:
Hi Ken,
Just wanted to say I appreciated the workshop it was a great opportunity to learn and experience a skilled Japanese art form. I took away many things from that workshop but one thing I want to point out is how technical and kind of physically tiring it was to have stage presence which I want to bring to my work.
Emanuel Vuso
Dear Ken,
Yesterday’s workshop was lovely and a privilege. Thank you once again for always getting the best for us.
Regards,
Chirag
Hi Ken,
It was so wonderful to watch the Noh actors perform and be welcomed to join in and learn from their process. I especially loved the dance/choreography we were taught as it helped me centre and focus my energy and concentration.
See you soon,
Lucy ”
Our thanks to Giulia Pesole, and Artistic Directors Lucia Bensasson and Jean Francois Dusigne, for inviting us to ARTA, Association de Recherche des Traditions de l'acteur in Paris. As with our other visits during the week, in Paris people also had to brave strong winds as they travelled to the Cartoucherie to see our presentation at ARTA. It was lovely to see such a variety of people, many of whom spoke so positively to us about our work after the presentation. We thank them all for their kind and encouraging comments. We would also like to thank Veronique, who by chance was in the audience and is a professional translator from Japanese into French and English! Many thanks for your very kind contribution, Veronique!
After the workshop the team had the wonderful opportunity to have a meeting with Ariane Mnouchkine, founder of Théâtre du Soleil and Vice-President of ARTA, at Théâtre du Soleil which is just a stone's throw from ARTA!
We look forward to working again with ARTA in future.
Many people braved ‘Storm Erik’ to come to see us at dlr Mill Theatre, Dundrum in Dublin. We were very pleased to arrive in Dublin (safe and sound after a difficult landing by a very skilful pilot!) because the Mill Theatre audience was extremely warm and hospitable!
A huge thanks to the Ireland Japan Association and Mill Theatre staff, especially Manager Kate Canning, for all their efforts. On the night more than 150 people turned up in the bad weather to the presentation event. We were also grateful to the number of friends who travelled up from Kilkenny to support us! Kate had also kindly arranged for a professional photographer to take the shots (pictured below) - our thanks to them both!
There were a number of questions at the end of the presentation. A lot of interest in understanding noh and the new piece had been generated judging by the number of people who stayed behind to ask further questions and to pass on their thanks to the team! We are very grateful to them all for their interest and to Kate for the kind invitation.
After the performance we met a number of members of the Ireland Japan Association. It was a particular special honour to meet the oldest Japanese person who has ever lived in Dublin - Yoshiko Ushioda, who has a fascinating history! You can read more about her life in the attached article.
Performance Presentation Event, dlr Mill Theatre, Dundrum, Dublin - 8 February 2019. Photographs courtesy of Mill Theatre.
We were delighted to be invited to present the public Phase 2 event on 5 February 2019 at the British Library.
While working with the British Library the Creative Team took the opportunity earlier in the day to study and discuss some of the Library’s relatively new acquisitions of noh-related material with British Library staff Yasuyo Ohtsuka and Hamish Todd, Head of East Asian Collections.
The Phase 2 event sold out early and we were delighted that it was very well received by the people who attended. We thank them for their very kind feedback and support!
“Dear Jannette,
I just wanted to send you a note to thank you, Rick and the Oshimas for a wonderful event last night and to wish you ‘good luck’ for tonight! ”
“Thank you so much for inviting me to the moving Between the Stones Phase 2 event at the British Library. It was a great pleasure to be present at the first public performance of the play and to witness how beautifully it has developed since I heard the first reading some eighteen months ago. It was also a great privilege to be taught a few of the fundamentals of Noh by two members of a great Noh dynasty. The combination of your introduction to Noh, the demonstrations by the Oshimas translated so aptly by Rick, your reading of your play, and then finally the dance in the magnificent Noh kimono did much to enrich my understanding and enjoyment of Noh. Good luck with Phase 3. Phase 2 already stands as a memorable achievement in its own right. ”
Photographs by Jannette Cheong. Library resources courtesy of the British Library.