University of Manchester have signed an MoU with Tokyo University of the Arts and National Center for Art Research, Japan
We鈥檙e delighted to announce that we鈥檝e signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tokyo University of the Arts and The National Center for Art Research, Japan.
On Saturday, 23 May 2026 at The National Art Center, Tokyo (NACT), Japan, Prof John McAuliffe, Associate Vice President (Cultural Portfolio), signed a Memorandum of Understanding on behalf of Creative 91直播, at The University of Manchester.
This landmark agreement commits the University to collaborate in a three-way partnership with the 鈥淎rts-Based Communication Platform for Co-creation to Build a Convivial Society" at Tokyo University of the Arts (TUA) 鈥� commonly known as the ART-based Platform for Co-creation 鈥� and the National Center for Art Research (NCAR), part of the National Museum of Art, Japan.
As part of this MoU, the three partners (UoM, the ART-based Platform for Co-creation, and NCAR), will work collaboratively with the Greater 91直播 Combined Authority (GMCA) GM Place Partnership, to strengthen international research collaborations
The formal signing ceremony took place following the
Prof John McAuliffe, Associate Vice President (Cultural Portfolio), Prof Sook-Kyung Lee, Director of The Whitworth, Dr Hannah Waterson, Research Associate 鈥� Knowledge Mobilisation and Julie McCarthy, Strategic Lead for Creative Health at the GMCA presented as part of the event exploring Creative Health initiatives from 91直播.
The event drew 150 guests to The National Art Center, Tokyo, and over 700 registered for the online event. The afternoon focused on knowledge exchange around Creative Health and Social Prescribing, along with discussion around future collaboration and shared research opportunities.
Colleagues were also invited to speak at the Kyoto University International Social Prescribing Conference (ISPC 2026), alongside academics from TUA and NCAR. The conference brought together people from across the world interested in social prescribing and non-medical approaches to health and wellbeing. The University of Manchester and GMCA, joined Tokyo University of the Arts and NCAR for a joint session at the conference, exploring differences and similarities in the UK and Japan. They discussed supporting community-based groups to deliver the work and the role of museums and galleries.
Image Credit: Yumi Saito
This partnership reflects our strong commitment to building meaningful international partnerships which advance interdisciplinary research and societal impact. Our work with GM colleagues on creative health provides a powerful foundation for this partnership with TUA and NCAR. Following the official signing in Tokyo, we look forward now to advancing our creative health research, to learning from our Japanese colleagues' work, and to deepening knowledge exchange across our different communities