Kengo Tonotsuka x Tomoko Sekiguchi (Interviewer: Hiroki Kageyama) | Is Art Necessary in the Region? (4) -- Self-Questioning Regarding a "Sustainable Art Festival" [Part 1]
Founders of Matsudo's citizen-participation art festival, "Science and Art Hill," discuss the significance and sustainability of regional art festivals.Summary
This article features an interview with Kengo Tonotsuka (omusubi Real Estate CEO) and Tomoko Sekiguchi (Zero Factorial Representative Director), key figures behind the citizen-participation art festival "Science and Art Hill" held annually in Matsudo City since 2018. The festival is unique among regional art events for prioritizing local residents over tourism, operating under the concept of "Creating a New Festival to Test the Future." It originated from connections made through real estate and community building, aiming to connect scattered creators into a regional movement, inspired partly by the development of Ars Electronica. A key operational feature is reframing volunteers as "Catalysts" to encourage active participation rather than passive attendance. Regarding sustainability, the speakers emphasize that success metrics prioritize the number of core members and Catalysts over mere visitor counts. They acknowledge the difficulty of financial sustainability, stressing the need to move beyond reliance on public funding by seeking a balance of ticket sales, corporate collaborations, and donations, recognizing the festival's high public value.
(Source：artscape)