United by Music! Entering the Celebration Live Finale of “RockCorps supported by JT 2016”!
Hello, this is PR Sunny-chan!
SUNNY SIDE UP serves as the lead secretariat for the executive committee of “RockCorps supported by JT 2016.”
On Saturday, September 3rd, the “Celebration” live event was held to mark the conclusion of this year’s activities!
In its third year in Japan, as many as 4,077 volunteers gathered in Fukushima!
Now, we would like to share the highlights of the day and a glimpse behind the scenes!
The venue, continuing from last year, is right here!
Fukushima Azuma Gymnasium, Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture
Lines forming early in the morning again this year!?
The venue’s plaza was lined with Fukushima City booths and food stalls, where everyone enjoyed the delicious flavors of Tohoku!
Here we are in front of the photo panel decorated with volunteer photos and the message board.
Everyone enjoyed their time before the doors opened, taking commemorative photos at the panel and writing their personal messages on the board!
[Meanwhile, what was SUNNY SIDE UP doing…?]
Operations Team
At the operations headquarters, the team is busy with final progress management checks, while the SNS team prepares posts. Everyone is moving quickly to prepare for the main event.
Explaining precautions and the flow of events to staff at the INFORMATION booth.
PR Team
This is the press center. It is a place where media personnel perform editing work after their interviews or take breaks. It is calm before the show, but once the concert starts, it becomes a race against time as we handle media requests and process the massive volume of images sent during the event.
In the press conference room, a senior staff member is lecturing new employees on the procedures. Since photo sessions and press conferences take place after the artists finish their sets, it is necessary to track both the stage schedule and the interview times. We coordinate carefully, as schedules can change due to operational requirements.
JT Stakeholder Reception
Now, this is the reception area to welcome our guests. We are confirming who will arrive and at what time. Since they handle this reception every year, they look very composed! Truly professional!
The show is about to start…
Media reception begins slightly ahead of the main stage. Everyone has changed into staff T-shirts and is standing by to welcome the media!
And there, we find members of SUNNY SIDE UP!
They came to visit not as RockCorps staff, but as participants who volunteered in Fukushima the previous day.
As previously mentioned in our blog, SUNNY SIDE UP members outside the project team also participate in RockCorps in their own ways!
Stephen’s Press Conference
Returning to the PR team, the press conference for RockCorps CEO Stephen Greene began before the Celebration. He provided comments regarding this year’s event. The woman standing on the far left, slightly away from Stephen, is a member of SUNNY SIDE UP. She is in charge of interpretation and attendance. She looks great!
In the meantime, the Celebration has begun!
The moment the lights went down and the stage began, I was just as excited as the participants (laughs).
Here is a staff member confirming the schedule in front of the performers’ dressing room.
While monitoring the stage progress, they coordinate the standby times for the next artists and the press conferences for those who have finished their sets with the PR team. At an event site, things move in various locations simultaneously, so it is essential to constantly monitor the situation and make instantaneous decisions.
As the finale approaches, everyone watches the stage with their own thoughts.
It has been about three months since volunteering began in May. Seeing the comrades who volunteered together gathered and getting excited through music, I felt that this special sense of unity is unique to RockCorps.
The Celebration live ended in great excitement. In the outdoor plaza, many people gathered in front of the photo panels and message boards!
“The smiles of the friends I met through RockCorps are irreplaceable,”
“I can connect with many people through music and volunteering,”
“I will continue to do what I can from now on”
—we received many such comments on social media and the message boards.
Whether it was a desire to do something for Fukushima or because a favorite artist was performing, everyone’s motivation for volunteering was different. However, this Celebration made me realize that RockCorps’ vision of “a form of social contribution that is fun and easy to participate in” is gradually spreading, serving as a catalyst for action and reflection.
We would be delighted if RockCorps serves as a first step toward the future for all those who participated. SUNNY SIDE UP will continue to work toward making social contribution so familiar that it becomes a part of everyone’s lifestyle!
Details of the Celebration live are available on the official RockCorps website.
RockCorps supported by JT 2016 Celebration Implementation Report!
Please take a look at this as well!
● RockCorps to be broadcast on BS-TBS!
A TV program following the 2016 RockCorps activities will be broadcast over two consecutive nights on BS-TBS!
The program will fully showcase “RockCorps supported by JT 2016,” including the live performances at the Celebration, the volunteer activities conducted over approximately three months since May 22nd, and footage of the artists participating in volunteer work.
Please be sure to watch the broadcast!
＜Program Overview＞
● Broadcast Date Time / Title
・Tuesday, September 28, 2016, 11:00 PM – 11:54 PM
“RockCorps 2016: The Power of Music Creates Bonds! A Music Fest Starting from Volunteering – DAY 1”
・Wednesday, September 29, 2016, 11:00 PM – 11:54 PM
“RockCorps 2016: The Power of Music Creates Bonds! A Music Fest Starting from Volunteering – DAY 2”
● Broadcast Channel: BS-TBS
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Official Website and SNS!
RockCorps supported by JT 2016 Official Website
Official Facebook Page
Official Twitter Account
Official Instagram Account
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