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Swingposium

Created and produced by San Jose Taiko
Developed with Epic Immersive and Wesley Jazz Ensemble

Japanese Americans have the dubious distinction of being the only U.S. citizen group incarcerated due to wartime hysteria. Sadly, many Americans are unaware of this history. As more internees pass away, it becomes ever more important to preserve their history and share its lessons with younger generations. San Jose Taiko’s highly-acclaimed Swingposium employs the power of performance to teach about Internment and foster dialogue around civil rights, honoring the resilience of those who lived through Internment.

Due to COVID-19 the 2020 performances in the following cities were cancelled:
- Stockton, CA
- Torrance, CA
- Tokyo, Japan
We look forward to the day we can bring this program to communities across the country and around the world.

Press:
2/22/20: ‘Swingposium’ Celebrates Music in Japanese American Incarceration Camps … With Taiko [KQED]
10/8/19: Eureka lecture looks at Japanese American war-resisters
9/12/19: Taiko Swings Up To Humboldt: A retro tribute to Japanese American Internees
4/11/19: San Jose Taiko receives grant to take their Swingposium on the road
1/26/19: When Taiko meets Big Band and Swing Dancing!

Swingposium combines taiko, jazz, swing dance, and immersive theatre to tell a hidden history of one way Japanese Americans maintained morale in WWII Internment Camps – through swing dances with live big band music. An immersive environment surrounds the audience with the sights and sounds of "camp,” their active participation pulls them deeply into the emotional trajectory of the story: the fear and loss of being sent to an Internment Camp, the struggle to maintain dignity and hope, and the ultimate victory of the human spirit. From past presentations, we find that the immersive experience affects people deeply, inspiring community dialog.

Types of programs:
Outreach: 30 minute performance followed by discussion/Q&A. Intended for High School/College students

A post-performance discussion will be facilitated with the help of activities from the curriculum guide for “What does it mean to be an American?”, developed by the Mineta Legacy Project and SPICE (Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education). Special thanks to SPICE for allowing us to use this valuable resource to engage youth.

Immersive: 90 minute immersive theater experience (live band, dancers, actors, and of course San Jose Taiko)

Swingposium bookings are done through San Jose Taiko. Inquiries can be emailed to swingposium[at]taiko.org.

A huge thank you to JA Community Foundation and California State Library Civil Liberties Program and Knight Foundation for their support of this work