Sawa Noriyuki

From Otaru. Sawa moved to France in 1991, and then moved to the Czech Republic in 1992 as an overseas trainee sponsored by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. Based in Prague, he performed around the world. He has also given lectures and workshops at numerous educational institutes, including the Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague (DAMU), the Department of Theater and Performance Studies at Stanford University, the University of Chicago and London School of Puppetry. He has won numerous international awards, including the European “Franz Kafka Medal” in 1999, the Best Original Music and Prize for Acting Skills of the International Festival of Children’s Theatres in Subotica in 2009, and the EU Capital of Culture Award from Katowice in Poland in 2011. He was an artistic director of Yuki no Kuni no Alice (lit. Alice in the Snow Country), a giant puppet opera at the 66th Sapporo Snow Festival. He appeared on the NHK program Yokoso Senpai Kagaijugyo (lit. Tell us about your life) in 2006, and was involved in the video production of Songs for Everyone (NHK).