our story

The International Foundation for Arts and Culture (IFAC) is a non-profit organization, which was formed to advance human well-being through music and all the arts.

Established in 1996, IFAC was officially recognized by the Government of Tokyo as a non-profit organization in 1999. The foundation has since enjoyed the backing of a great number of art enthusiasts who have pledged support for our objectives and kindly contributed to our activities in various ways.

our chairman
DR HARUHISA HANDA

It is my firm conviction that both the civilization and culture of the 21st century are reaching beyond the borders of art, religion, welfare, economics, politics and other realms. The current times are particularly characterized as an age of economics, and in recent years corporate patronage of the arts and culture has expanded greatly.

latest news & events

HANDA Gallery at Wells Maltings reopens with Tim Reeds Norfolk Skies 900 600 Ellie

HANDA Gallery at Wells Maltings reopens with Tim Reeds Norfolk Skies

After UK’s long awaited return to the arts & cultural facilities following UK lockdowns, the Handa Gallery at Wells Maltings will reopen on 17th May with Tim Reed’s exhibition of Norfolk Skies.

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HANDA OPERA ON SYDNEY HARBOUR LA TRAVIATA 2021 900 600 Ellie

HANDA OPERA ON SYDNEY HARBOUR LA TRAVIATA 2021

Raise your glass, flutter those lashes. He’s staring at you, he’s singing for you… Are you tempted? Violetta is the life of every party. A courtesan with a heart of gold, she’s free and free-spirited. Could a little love change everything?

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Photo credit: Hamilton Lund

we support

Photo credit: Prudence Upton
music & theatre

IFAC proudly supports music, theatre, dance and poetry through various global partnerships including world class performances with Opera Australia and Japan’s oldest theatre art Noh.

In Australia, set against its stunning backdrop, Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour continues to redefine operatic theatre and the imaginative spaces in which art can be performed.

In Japan, Noh theatre is performed incorporating traditional masks, costumes and various props, in a dance based cultural performance, drawing on its 14th century heritage.

Visual Arts

IFAC sponsors and supports visual arts at all levels including its ongoing partnership with the Annual International High School Arts Festival in Japan and its historical partnership with the British Museum.

The annual International High School Arts Festival in Japan is an opportunity for senior high school students to showcase their outstanding creative talent on a global platform.

IFAC and the British Museum’s partnership showcased the art and culture of Japan, sharing its beauty with the millions of people visiting the British Museum every year.

youth education

For more than 20 years now IFAC has partnered with some outstanding organisations such as The Juilliard School, Sing for Hope and the Australian Singing Competition supporting youth education within music, arts and culture at a global level.

Through the partnership with IFAC, Juilliard has been able to bring some of the most renowned singers and musicians in the world to work with their young singers.

Sing for Hope now have a decade-long commitment to support toward their programs in New York City as well as dynamic new creative initiatives around the globe, whilst in Australia the Australian Singing Competition has been elevated from a valued contest with piano, to an internationally respected and locally celebrated event.

our partners

@ifac_global