The Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Arts Council Tokyo (Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture) have launched a new program, Tokyo Artist Accelerator Program (TAAP), to support young artists in the fields of art and visual arts. TAAP], a new program to support young artists in the field of art and visual arts, has been launched this fiscal year.

We are currently accepting applications for the first term of the program. The deadline for applications is January 12, 2024 (Fri.) at 17:00. Online applications only, advance entry required.

https://taap.art/

Accelerator Program" for Artists.

TAAP is inspired by the Accelerator Program for Young Entrepreneurs in Industry.
TAAP is a completely new form of support for artists by offering this type of support. TAAP is a completely new form of support.

Focusing on the "power of storytelling" and presentations by artists

To be successful as an artist, it is important not only to create meaningful works of art, but also to be able to clearly communicate the artist's own position in art history and the concept of the work.
TAAP is a program that focuses on the artist's presentation of his or her own work, supporting both the improvement of the artist's ability to tell the story and the strengthening of the concept of the work.

What is TAAP?

The selection process also focuses on the "power of storytelling," and each applicant who passes the preliminary (document) selection will give a 10-minute presentation to the selection committee members during the main selection process, in which they will actually talk about their own work in their own words. The work to be presented must be previously unproduced and unpublished, and the work itself is not required to be submitted.
After the selection process, about 15 artists will be selected for support.

A wide range of eligible artists. Artists do not have to live in Tokyo to apply.

The wide range of artists eligible to apply is another feature of the TAAP program.
Eligible Artists
Individuals who reside in Japan and wish to be active in the Tokyo art market.
Applicants must have exhibited their work publicly in Tokyo (solo exhibitions, etc.) for at least 3 years and less than 10 years since their first such exhibition. Or, the applicant must have been active more than 5 times but less than 10 times.
In other words, TAAP is open to non-Tokyo residents, and there are no age or nationality restrictions for applicants.
Please check the website for other details.

Eligible Artists."

Mentoring and presentation opportunities as well as production support funds

There are three main types of support provided to selected artists.

The first is a production support grant of 495,000 yen, which will be provided after the selection is made.
The first is a production support grant of 495,000 yen, which can be used freely for creation, research, etc. The advice and techniques received during the mentoring can be immediately put into practice based on this grant.

Secondly, starting in April 2024, the program will provide eight months of continuous dialogue (mentoring) with artists, specialists in contemporary art, selection committee members, and mentors. The objective is to support the growth of the supported artists by encouraging them to improve their ability to talk about their works and strengthen their concepts through repeated presentations and advice.

The third is the "Artwork Presentation Stage (tentative name)," an opportunity to present the final results of the program to contemporary art professionals in Japan and abroad, and to talk about the artwork on their own. This will be an opportunity to meet with art professionals and those who wish to support young artists, with the aim of encouraging young Tokyo-based artists to make a leap forward internationally.

A total of 10 selection committee members and mentors

One of the features of this program is that as many as 10 specialists, including selection committee members and ment ors, provide support to the supported artists.

The selection committee members focus on selecting supported artists and providing advice at the mid-term report meeting scheduled once every three months, while the mentors provide support mainly through the mentoring program, which is available at least once a month. Mentoring will be conducted on a one-on-one basis between the artist and the mentor.

Selection committee members and mentors are curators, artists, collectors, gallerists, editors, and others who are active at the forefront of their respective fields.
Supporting artists will be able to receive advice and mentoring from each of the selection committee members and mentors based on their expertise, and this will be a valuable opportunity to receive more diverse and objective opinions about their own works.

Videos of the 10 mentors talking about TAAP and contemporary art are available on the official YouTube channel.
The videos are a must-see not only for those who are considering applying to TAAP, but also for those who are interested in contemporary art.

TAAP Selection Committee Members and Mentors

TAAP Official YouTube

The first phase of supported artists will be selected at the end of March 2024. After that, the program will run for approximately 8 months, with the "Artwork Presentation Stage (tentative name)" scheduled to be held in November to present the results of the program.
The selection process, the supported artists, and the state of support will be posted on the official website and social networking services as needed.
We can't wait to see what kind of artists will spread their wings from TAAP.