Civic Creative Base Tokyo: Igniting civic creativity and a co-creative ecosystem

Civic Creative Base Tokyo (CCBT) is a vibrant hub that brings together art, digital technology, and society – mobilising “civic creativity” to shape Tokyo’s future. Opened in October 2022 CCBT has a key question at its heart: how can civic creativity contribute to co-creation in the city? Equipped with labs and creative studios, CCBT collaborates with artists, researchers, citizens, and businesses to engage in projects that fuse culture and innovation. This intersection becomes a node for transforming urban knowledge into collective action. It has hosted nearly 300 events to date, and is particularly attractive to young people. Over 300 creators have taken part in nearly 300 events since 2022, attracting nearly 38,000 participants.

Engaging participants and creating a civic creativity ecosystem

CCBT runs different types of programmes to engage participants in civic creativity.

Through its “Art Incubation”, Artist Fellows are selected via open calls, and their creative process is made visible to the public, enriching civic imagination. Fellows are already feeling the benefits, with many sharing how their involvement with CCBT has expanded their activities – including initiatives leading to social implementation and participation in the world’s largest digital art festival.

Meanwhile “Showcase” presents media art exhibitions that reveal creative processes and technology contexts. CBBT’s 2024 exhibition for example focused on what it means to be human and how we relate to each other through technology and art.

CBBT’s “Camp” programme offers intensive workshops combining lectures, hands-on sessions, and group work to address social issues through art and technology. The public can also earn digital and craft skills using CCBT’s Tech Lab. A survey of 1,100 Tokyo residents shows that 40% expressed interest in participating in CCBT in future –especially over 50% among younger age groups – and more than half believe Tokyo can become a more creative urban environment. Additionally, more than half of Tokyo residents positively evaluated the city’s potential to become a more creative urban environment.

And CBBT are facilitates talks and community-building around civic creativity at the intersection of art, tech, and design. This means hosting encounters with art and technology, designing societal futures in partnership, nurturing new art expression, and building networks across Tokyo and beyond. CCBT is fostering a network among artists, creators, citizens, businesses, schools, and research institutions, both in Japan and internationally, contributing to the development of a co-creative system.