The Forefront of Regional Co-creation in the UK and Japan: Co-creation Forum Vol.2 with Tokyo University of the Arts - 'Being Happy (Wellbeing) at an Arts, Health & Wellbeing Museum'

The National Center for Art Research (NCAR; Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Director: Masayuki Tanaka), an Independent Administrative Institution National Museum of Art, will co-host the Co-creation Forum Vol.2 'Being Happy (Wellbeing) at an Arts, Health & Wellbeing Museum - The Forefront of Regional Co-creation in the UK and Japan' with Tokyo University of the Arts, in co-sponsorship with the British Council, on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at the National Art Center, Tokyo. This event aims to promote art and cultural activities that positively impact health and wellbeing.

Museums are public spaces where people can connect, sometimes beyond words, through encounters with artworks and materials, sharing diverse human expressions. It has become clear through the accumulation of various studies in recent years that such cultural experiences can play a vital role in supporting physical and mental health.

In the Co-creation Forum Vol.1 held in 2023, we introduced practical examples mainly from museums in the UK. For this second installment, we will broaden our perspective from individual programs ('points') to 'planes' where the entire community supports each other. Collaboration among diverse entities, such as welfare and healthcare, is indispensable to aim for implementation at the regional or municipal level. In this forum, using 'Creative Health' advancing in Manchester and 'Cultural Prescription' being conceptualized in the Ueno area of Japan as clues, we will explore a future where museums become the foundation for supporting health and wellbeing together with the community.

◆ About the Activities of the National Center for Art Research (NCAR) https://ncar.artmuseums.go.jp/
Under the mission of 'connecting, deepening, and expanding art,' NCAR continues to engage in activities that contribute to the overall enrichment of museum activities in Japan, such as collecting and disseminating information domestically and internationally, promoting the use of collections, building human networks, expanding learning, and supporting artists.

'Arts, Health & Wellbeing - Being Happy (Wellbeing) at a Museum - The Forefront of Regional Co-creation in the UK and Japan' Key Visual

Overview
■ Date and Time: Saturday, May 23, 2026, 11:00 - 17:00 (Doors open at 10:30)
■ Venue: The National Art Center, Tokyo, 3rd Floor Auditorium (7-22-2 Roppongi, Minato-ku)
■ Organizers: Independent Administrative Institution National Museum of Art, National Center for Art Research (NCAR) / Tokyo University of the Arts
■ Co-organizer: British Council
■ How to apply: Please apply via the website between Monday, April 13, 2026, and Friday, May 22, 2026. *Capacity 150 people (Registration closes when capacity is reached)
■ Admission: Free
■ Other: Archive video planned for release at a later date (around late June) (Advance registration required via the website by Friday, May 22)
■ Website: https://ncar.artmuseums.go.jp/events/d_and_i/wellbeing/post2026-3137.html
*This Co-creation Forum is held with the support of the JST 'Program on Open Innovation Platform for Academia-Industry Co-Creation'.
■ Main Program *Simultaneous Japanese-English interpretation, Japanese sign language interpretation, and Japanese live text captioning available

11:00 Opening/Greetings
General MC: Anri Makino (Project Assistant Professor, Tokyo University of the Arts)
Greetings
- Masayuki Tanaka (President of the Independent Administrative Institution National Museum of Art, Director of the National Museum of Western Art, Director of the National Center for Art Research)
- Katsuhiko Hibino (President of Tokyo University of the Arts, Director of Museum of Fine Arts Gifu, Director of Contemporary Art Museum Kumamoto)
- Jim Booth (Country Director, British Council Japan)

11:10 Concept Explanation
The trend of museums and health/wellbeing
Sawako Inaniwa (Senior Researcher at the National Center for Art Research, R&D Task Leader for the 'Art Communication Co-creation Base to Create an Inclusive Society')

11:30 Session
Creative Health in Manchester, UK
Moderator: Tatsuya Ito (Director and Professor, Social Cooperation Center, Tokyo University of the Arts, Project Leader of the 'Art Communication Co-creation Base to Create an Inclusive Society')
Speakers:
- Hannah Waterson (Knowledge Mobilisation Research Fellow, University of Manchester)
- John McAuliffe (Professor, Associate Vice-President (Cultural Affairs), Director of Creative Manchester, University of Manchester)
- Julie McCarthy (Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) / NHS Greater...)