New Year’s Greetings
We would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a happy new year.
Due to the pandemic of Covid-19 around the world in 2020, Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be postponed to this year, and the arts and culture activities all over the country had been canceled and postponed. Mecenat activities were also greatly influenced as well. Unfortunately, our association has postponed the 30th anniversary special lecture and commemorative exchange meeting to this year, and has been conducting activities with consideration for safety as much as possible while using online distribution for seminars and other events.
Even under this situation, a survey of our members conducted by our association and the NLI Research Institute last May showed a positive intention to continue arts and cultural activities and support while responding to Covid-19 situation. This result clearly encouraged us to promote Mecenat. In response to this result, the GB Fund (where G stands for Geijutsu, or Art, B for Bunka, or Culture, and F for Fukkou, or Restoration) , which launched at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake, recognized Covid-19 infection as a disaster. We solicited donations and provided 16 initial grants at the selection committee on October 8.We appreciate your cooperation and we are still looking for donations.
The world is changing rapidly to realize a sustainable society and then value of art and culture is further increasing. This year as well, based on the “With Corona” and “After Corona”, we will not only focus on companies that are engaged in regional and social creation through culture in various parts of Japan, but also bring out unique cultures from all over Japan as well as domestically. We will do our best to disseminate it to the world and pass it on to the future.
We contribute to the realization of a prosperous society together with the member companies and organizations that are working to solve social issues and create new value through art and culture.
We would like to thank everyone for your continued support, and extend my wishes for a happy and prosperous new year.
Motoki Ozaki
President, Association for Corporate Support of the Arts