Taking too long? Close loading screen.

theater is *nuchigusui

Nuchigusui is an Okinawan dialect which means ‘medicine for life’ or ‘medicine for long living’. However this ‘medicine’ is not just a normal medicine, but a nutrient for your heart. For example, people in Okinawa often say ‘Oh, it was such a Nuchigusui!’ After seeing a great performance.

ricca ricca*festa strives to deliver quality performances with belief that enriching art experiences would become your Nuchigusui.

theater is *nuchigusui

Nuchigusui is an Okinawan dialect which means ‘medicine for life’ or ‘medicine for long living’. However this ‘medicine’ is not just a normal medicine, but a nutrient for your heart. For example, people in Okinawa often say ‘Oh, it was such a Nuchigusui!’ After seeing a great performance.

ricca ricca*festa strives to deliver quality performances with belief that enriching art experiences would become your Nuchigusui.

ricca ricca festa international theater festival okinawa for young audiences japan

ricca ricca*festa

ricca ricca*festa, also known as the International Theater Festival Okinawa for Young Audiences, is an international festival of performing arts for children, young people and families which has taken place every year in Okinawa since 2005.

The festival presents high-quality productions which are carefully selected with the motto of ‘productions which can be enjoyed from 0 year old to adults’.

ricca ricca*festa does not only present productions, but also organises networking programmes, symposiums and workshops for TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) practitioners in Asia and beyond. It is a popular summer event for local families and at the same time an active platform for artists and professionals world-wide.

history + mission

International Theater Festival Okinawa for Young Audiences first took place in 1994, organised jointly across several towns within the middle of Okinawa, as the very first international performing arts festival for families in Asia. After several smaller events, it restarted in 2005 at Okinawa City with the nickname ‘Kijimuna Festa’. It was the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa and the festival declared that it is ‘a festival which seeks for peace with children’. Since then the festival has taken place every year and 2019 marks its 16th edition. In 2014, the 10th anniversary since the restart, the festival moved its home from Okinawa City to Naha City and changed its nickname to ricca ricca*festa.

The festival’s mission is to share emotional experiences with families and friends, to act towards a peaceful world by accepting differences and interacting, also to be a hub of TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) in Asia, and to cultivate creative activities by participating in the festival. The festival presents high-quality productions for children and young people from all over the world, and also actively organises symposiums, workshops, networking programmes as well as international co-productions.

history + mission

International Theater Festival Okinawa for Young Audiences first took place in 1994, organised jointly across several towns within the middle of Okinawa, as the very first international performing arts festival for families in Asia. After several smaller events, it restarted in 2005 at Okinawa City with the nickname ‘Kijimuna Festa’. It was the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Okinawa and the festival declared that it is ‘a festival which seeks for peace with children’. Since then the festival has taken place every year and 2019 marks its 16th edition. In 2014, the 10th anniversary since the restart, the festival moved its home from Okinawa City to Naha City and changed its nickname to ricca ricca*festa.

The festival’s mission is to share emotional experiences with families and friends, to act towards a peaceful world by accepting differences and interacting, also to be a hub of TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) in Asia, and to cultivate creative activities by participating in the festival. The festival presents high-quality productions for children and young people from all over the world, and also actively organises symposiums, workshops, networking programmes as well as international co-productions.

archives

Below you can click to view and download a programme summary of each years previous festivals.

Asian TYA Network

Recently the recognition and interest in TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) have been growing more and more in many regions in Asia. More arts organisations are starting activities for children and young people and new TYA festivals are launching.
In Asian regions, especially in Southeast Asia, where the economics have been developing rapidly the role of TYA is anticipated in order for children to nurture sensitivities and creative minds even in a tough time, and such movements can be seen already. Since 2016, ricca ricca*festa has been working to establish and expand the network with TYA professionals in Southeast Asia as ‘Asian TYA Network Programme’. During the festival period, various discussion and exchange programmes have been organised and several research trips were executed in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Myanmar.
This programme has aimed to deepen the understanding about the current situation and issues of TYA in Southeast Asia and to explore the possibilities for future cooperation, and over the two years it managed to connect many TYA practitioners in the regions and encouraged self-motivating exchanges. Now we have an open, practical network which is connected not by institutions but by individuals. During the process we have found out there are so much to learn for TYA practitioners in Japan as well as other regions, and the interest of the international TYA community to the network is getting evident.
ricca ricca*festa aims to keep this network active and continue to work for the development and cooperation of the TYA in Asia. Please visit Asian TYA Network Website for more details.

Asian TYA Network

Recently the recognition and interest in TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) have been growing more and more in many regions in Asia. More arts organisations are starting activities for children and young people and new TYA festivals are launching.
In Asian regions, especially in Southeast Asia, where the economics have been developing rapidly the role of TYA is anticipated in order for children to nurture sensitivities and creative minds even in a tough time, and such movements can be seen already. Since 2016, ricca ricca*festa has been working to establish and expand the network with TYA professionals in Southeast Asia as ‘Asian TYA Network Programme’. During the festival period, various discussion and exchange programmes have been organised and several research trips were executed in Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia and Myanmar.
This programme has aimed to deepen the understanding about the current situation and issues of TYA in Southeast Asia and to explore the possibilities for future cooperation, and over the two years it managed to connect many TYA practitioners in the regions and encouraged self-motivating exchanges. Now we have an open, practical network which is connected not by institutions but by individuals. During the process we have found out there are so much to learn for TYA practitioners in Japan as well as other regions, and the interest of the international TYA community to the network is getting evident.
ricca ricca*festa aims to keep this network active and continue to work for the development and cooperation of the TYA in Asia. Please visit Asian TYA Network Website for more details.

ATYA

Asian Alliance of Festivals and Theatres for Young Audiences

Asian Alliance of Festivals and Theatres for Young Audiences (ATYA) is an open network which was founded in order to develop TYA in Asia and promote it to the world through festivals. It started as ACTA (Asian Children’s Theatre Alliance) in Okinawa in November 2004, attending 4 festivals in Taipei, Shanghai, Seoul and Okinawa.

In 2007, ATYA started a partnership structure to organise the festivals around the same time of the year and to produce synergistic effects by sharing programmes and co-productions.

At the ATYA Meeting in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, in March 2013, ricca ricca*festa was selected as the Chair Festival of ATYA. Since then, ATYA welcomed new members from China, Singapore and Philippines, and has continued to develop and contribute to the TYA in Asia. In April 2017 ricca ricca*festa completed the term and the chair was passed on to Taiwan Dot Go Festival.

ATYA currently has 14 members around East and South East Asia and aims to connect with more festivals and organisations in the regions.

Official Festival Items

Available at the Festival Ticket Center
ricca ricca festa international TYA theater for young audiences children japan asia

Bag

2,000 Yen
A limited edition fabric tote bag featuring ricca ricca*festa's artwork by Bokunen.
ricca ricca festa international theater festival okinawa for young audiences japan

Container

500 Yen
A cute and simple transparent plastic container for drinks etc. with our logo.