Thanks to all who came to our first meeting at the Machi-tsukuri Center. Great to see many new and many familiar faces. Many nationalities and walks of life, too. These images are of talk session and group photo, but we also went a little of the wall (as usual) playing bingo and practising jingles.

More is to come in our next meeting, where we will be spending much of the time doing
festival preparation work, including making WMDF bags out of T-shirts (yes, you read that right: come along to find out how).

WMDF 2nd Staff Meeting
June 25 (Mon) 18:30-20:30
Place: Hakodate Josei Center（http://www.hakodate-josen.com/）
Please note location is different to 1st meeting
Details: Festival prep work, poster & flier distribution, etc

As usual, we welcome all, including anyone who just wants to come along to take a look.

Hope to see you soon!

With the ending of Japan’s “Golden Week” season, we are now less than three months away from this year’s WMDF. We have been quietly been working hard to bring you yet again a gathering of world cultures. Join us in Motomachi Park for music, dance, goods, gourmet and more.

Always on the lookout for new ideas, this year we have introduced “Challenge Booth” spaces at our co-located “Mogu Mogu” Festival. Expect to see some new faces in our lineup, including some who are trying out the business end of festival life for the first time.

Another place for new faces is our staff meetings. Each year, some  veteran staff move on, and a new wave of enthusiasts appears.

Last year’s opening Staff Meet

We cater for all levels of interest and all kinds of skill-sets. Our first meet gives a run-down of the festival organisation structure, a sneak preview of this year’s groups, and a chance to get hands dirty with some of this year’s preparation work. Observers are happily welcomed (but be warned that we have been known to run our own specialised version of “speed dating” to get as many people as possible talking to each other…)

■2018 Staff Meeting #1

Date: May 31 (Thu) 18:30-20:30
Place: Machi-Tsukuri Center（https://goo.gl/maps/mRfMZvSqvS82）
Add this to your calendar

For first-timers, here is the answer to every year’s most asked question: “No you don’t need to be available for the whole festival. Even one day is a huge help to us…. Even a couple of hours on one day is a huge help for us”

No time for meetings? Our staff mail can keep you up to date. Registration is quick and easy, and carries no obligation.

Whichever route you choose,  we hope you will play a part in this year’s blending of old friends with new encounters…

Let “worlds meet” again in 2018!

With 23 days left to our tenth anniversary, things are moving fast. Our staff will look the real deal this year in our all-new design WMDF T-shirts.

You too can become a proud owner of one of these shirts at our event (did we mention 23 days left?), but if you want one sooner, come along to our staff meet. We are always happy to welcome new faces, and observers are welcome, so there is no commitment. One of our themes is “Long Now”, so we encourage people to register for the staff email even if they think they might just have an hour or two to help out “next year, or, well, sometime”.

Next staff meet details:

Date: Jul 14 (Fri) 18:30-20:30
Place: Machi-Tsukuri Center, Suehiro-cho 4-19 (Map)
Participants: WMDF staff, newcomers, observers, Press
Contents: work time (making flags, passes, J/E translation), event explanation, etc.
Note: If you think you can help with the translation work, please bring a PC. Thanks.
 

There are many people to meet and many life-changing experience to be had!