Forest Festival of the Arts Okayama to Debut in Autumn 2024

The Forest Festival of the Arts Okayama: Clear-skies Country, an international art festival, will take place in the northern half of Okayama Prefecture in autumn 2024. The festival draws inspiration from the region's forests, which provide climate, water, food, and lumber, and from the area's historical legacy as a crossroads of the Izumo Road, with castle towns, post towns, traditional crafts, and performing arts. It aims to activate natural and cultural bounty through art, posing the question: 'what kind of capital do we truly need?' The festival views cultural facilities, life infrastructure, and the natural environment as components of social common capital, and seeks to create new capital through collaborations among artists, architects, scientists, ethnologists, and local residents. Notable sustainability efforts include a woody biomass power generation project rated as a progressive SDG model. The festival will also leverage under-touristed features like the Hiruzen Highlands, three Mimasaka spas, and limestone caves. The title 'Forest Festival of the Arts' reflects the forest's role as a symbol of diversity and richness where people gather. The festival aims to transform northern Okayama into a refreshing topos through the energy of art.