Annual Activity Report
Theatre Research Centre Activity Report
(November 1, 2003 - October 31, 2004)
Assistant Director, The Tsubouchi Memorial Theatre Museum,
Waseda University
Theatre Research Centre Assistant Leader, Yuichi
Akiba
Waseda University started the 21st Century COE Program to “Establish
Comprehensive Studies in Theatre and Theatrical Science” in
October 2002. Just how assuredly and steadfast research activities
are developing can be readily understood from the Activity Reports
of the four courses: “The Studies of Theatre Archives”,
“Theoretical Studies of Theatre”, “Traditional
Japanese Theatre Studies” and “The Studies of Cultural
Environment for Theatre”. A description of the individual
courses is best left to those reports; for now, let us call to your
attention the following two points.
1. Research Group Activities
The activities of the Theatre Research Centre are animated and varied.
Between the almost 30 project leaders, roughly the same number of
cooperating researchers and some 70 special research students, everyone
is learning assiduously through cooperation and rivalry while working
hard to maintain the program. Compared to the early days of the
Centre, the interaction amongst researchers has increased in leaps
and bounds. It is not uncommon for researchers to be involved in
more than one course. And, this kind of interaction breeds new developments
and new encounters. Whether a research group, research announcement,
seminar, special lecture, theatre debate, lecture, workshop, symposium
or what have you, researchers are often together. Looking at statistics
from April last year to March this year, there were some 160 events
that brought people together. Perhaps drawn by the vitality, many
visiting researchers use the Theatre Research Centre as a hub for
their activities and their participation further ignites meetings
and get-togethers. You see just the opposite, too: it is not rare
for experts from this program to travel abroad for research meetings
or to take part in active research exchanges. It is the first rule
to functioning as a centre of theatre research for the Theatre Research
Centre to develop activities outside its walls while continuing
to promote research activities within its walls.
2.Information Sharing
In order to operate as an open institute, it is necessary to announce
research results via publications and other means, as well as to
compile materials and information into a database and provide access
to such database from the outside. The task of building an archive
and the practice of allowing public access to materials and information
help to discover researchers with strong interest in theatre both
in and outside Japan. For the Theatre Research Centre, cooperation
in the development of the COE Program is a smart way to secure researchers
who can contribute to the Centre. Frequently sharing opinions on
research with the outside world and inquiring as to research results
in other parts of the academic world establishes a synergetic position
as a research centre.
By integrating individual research results, the “Comprehensive
Studies in Theatre” should come together and contribute to
the “Establishment of the Theatrical Sciences”. We are
hoping for a synergetic effect here as well.
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