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On Thursday, August 17, 2017, a lecture titled “Performance Can Forge the Future” was held at the University of Tsukuba’s Tokyo Campus. Seijo University’s Center for Glocal Studies organized the lecture with the Japan All-Stars child-development institute (headed by Yuji Moro of the University of Tsukuba) as part of the university’s project to “establish and promote a world-leading glocal-studies center that contributes toward a sustainable and inclusive society” (a MEXT-supported Research Branding Program for Private Universities). The event was well-attended, with over 100 people present.

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The workshop featured a presentation by Lois Holtzman, who worked for many years to support child welfare in the USA. Drawing on the ideas of Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotsky, Holtzman argued that human development and creativity are shaped by intersubjective and cultural environments, rather than being entirely dependent on individual factors, as psychologists have traditionally believed.

The next presentation was by Dan Friedman, who has many years of experience using theater as a tool for supporting young people. Friedman argued that we should not only view performance as something that happens on the stage, but also as a response to situations people encounter in their daily lives. He also underscored the importance of using performance as a method of separating ourselves from our preconceptions and frameworks.

The Seijo Gakuen Education Institute was the first educational institute to introduce drama as an educational tool. By exploring how drama contributes to human development, this workshop will benefit the educational activities of Seijo institutions. We will continue working to promote dramatic activities.