An artist group in which artists are a minority
Although Tomorrow Girls Troop is an artist group, artists are actually a minority within the group. Nevertheless, most of our projects are artworks led by artist members. This is because we value the perspective of artists in our activism.
In many of our projects, the artist members will decide on the general direction of the project and create graphics, performances, videos, etc., while other members, who have a college education in politics or gender studies, would research literature that supports our message, conduct interviews with those affected by the issue, write articles on politics and history, and work with members in other fields, finding the right political moment for activism.
We wish to expand Japanese feminism, which has centered around academia, to reach more women of diverse experiences. Thus, we actively ask our younger teenage members, those who have not yet received higher education, and those who did not study gender studies at a college level, to read and edit our texts repeatedly in order to ensure that our content is accessible to as many people as possible.
Through collaborating in a way that leverages each member’s characteristics and expertise, we are devising ways to make art a more important tool for social change.
We also aim to spread the sisterhood and solidarity that feminism offers. To achieve this, we value collaboration with other organizations. Our goal is to connect with as many people as possible to create a feminist movement in society.
It is necessary for our art activism to be “art that does activism,” immediately demonstrating a message in the midst of backlash against feminism and an unstable political climate. Unlike ordinary artworks, there usually is no predetermined budget, production plan, or exhibition location. We create flexibly, to match the course of activism at that particular moment, which is an unusual way to create art.
We continue to explore different forms of “art” for the sake of everyone’s future, equality, and happiness in an unpredictable modern society.