Analog/Digital Transmissions of Knowledge in Noh

Abstract: The advancement of digitization is having a deep impact on the way institutions approach education. Paid and free online platforms offer courses on virtually any subject, and there is a growing expectation by a new generation of “digital natives” that these tools be implemented in teaching curricula. Online technologies allow content to be accessible outside the classroom, as it does not require the physical co-presence of teacher and student. This is prompting a shift in the teacher-student paradigm from the idea of the “teacher as transmitter” to that of the “teacher as facilitator” (Allain, 2019). This impact has also affected theatre training and the institutions (universities and conservatories) in which it is delivered.

How are digital technologies used in Noh education? The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a process of production and distribution of online material on Noh that started in the early 2000s. Today, online educational platforms, curated websites, video sharing providers, and conferencing software allow for specialized training materials to be accessible from outside the keikoba (the learning place of a Noh master). To what extent are these tools being used, and by whom? How might they support the education of those who are interested in Noh performance, but do not have access to institutionalized training? How can digital education, seemingly validating auto-didacticism, function in the context of Noh actor training, where the transmission of knowledge traditionally occurs behind closed doors? Based on the experience of the author as a practitioner, educator, and producer of digital content, this paper will introduce examples of how digital technologies are used in professional and amateur training, and how the adoption of digital and online transmission may prompt us to reconsider the traditional relationship between teacher and student.

About the presenter: Diego Pellecchia is an Associate Professor, Faculty of Cultural Studies, Kyoto Sangyō University. He received a Ph.D. in Drama and Theatre Studies from Royal Holloway, University London, with a thesis on the reception of Noh by 20th-century European practitioners. He has published articles and interviews on Noh's challenges in the contemporary, global context. His current research interests are Noh training and performance analysis. He coordinates the International Noh Institute in Kyoto, offering workshops on Noh chant and dance to the non-Japanese. He is a certified instructor (shihan) of the Kongō school of Noh.