BBA Creative Lab

FOR CREATIVES

Hey! So glad you found us.

This is for the person who scanned the QR and thought tell me more. It covers what the two weeks actually feel like, who it's for, and what you leave with. Read it at your own pace.

In the cohort

Teams

Weeks

Showcase

How the days actually run

Workshops run in the evening, roughly 5 to 9PM, two nights a week. That's deliberate. It's what lets working Tokyo professionals mentor without leaving their jobs, and it means participants with day jobs or classes can take part too.

Daytime is yours. Access to a shared coworking space for production, independent exploring, or an optional Japanese language day. Weekends carry optional group outings and dinners, covered by your program fee.

Four mentors, four ways in

The program follows how a project actually gets made, not a lecture series.

The Idea

Concept development and creative direction.

Collaboration & Critique

How teams work together, give and take real feedback.

The Making

Production planning and hands-on craft.

The Telling

Pitching, personal branding, navigating the industry.

One core belief.

The most meaningful creative work happens in collaboration, not isolation, not competition. In the friction of different minds, different backgrounds, and different disciplines working toward the same thing.

Who this is genuinely for

We don't recruit on resume, credentials, or years of experience. We recruit on passion, curiosity, and creative commitment.

You're an emerging creative with a practice you care about. Photography, film, styling, direction, writing, design, whatever it is. You're ready to take it somewhere new.
You're genuinely curious about cross-cultural collaboration. You want to make something real, not have a tourist experience.
You're ready to work hard, in a team, under creative pressure, across a language gap. And you find that exciting rather than intimidating.

You don't need: fluent Japanese, a formal creative education, or prior brand experience. Full bilingual support runs throughout. Optional English sessions are available for Japanese participants too.

What you leave with

Finished project work, made with a team, under a real deadline
Direct feedback from working professionals in Tokyo's creative industry
A portfolio and personal brand you've actually thought through
People who know your work, on both sides of the Pacific
A public showcase where that work was seen

The practical part

When	Fall 2027 to early 2028
Where	Tokyo, Japan
Applications open	Spring 2027
Accommodation	Arranged by BBA, included
Travel insurance	Required. We help you find coverage
Scholarships	Need-based support available

We don't gatekeep here.

Your fee helps cover the program. Subsidized rates exist for those who need them, so cost never decides who gets in.

FOR CREATIVE PROFESSIONALS

Founding mentor, not guest speaker.

Not a job agency. A connector. We build the trusted relationships between international creative talent and Japan's creative industry. This program is the most visible proof of that work, but it isn't the whole of it.

The actual ask

One evening session in Week 1. One in Week 2, where you see what the teams built and give real feedback. About 90 minutes each, scheduled in the evening so it works around a day job.

We cover transport and materials. Sessions are paid. We kept the ask small on purpose. Good mentors are busy people.

Where you'd fit

The Idea

Concept development and creative direction

Collaboration & Critique

How creatives work together and handle feedback

The Making

Production planning and craft

The Telling

Pitching, personal brand, navigating the industry

What you get

Named as a founding mentor in program materials, now and going forward
Early access to emerging creative talent from Japan and abroad
A seat at the final showcase, alongside other mentors and invited guests
First offer on future cohorts, if you want to stay involved

For brands & venues specifically

Sponsor the pilot directly for founding partner recognition, host a workshop or the showcase, or offer coworking access. Original creative work made in response to your brand is yours to use.

Where things stand

Fiscal sponsorship	Active, through Fractured Atlas
Program structure	Built and locked in
Budget	Complete, two scenarios
First collaborator	Signed
Tokyo scouting trip	Fall 2026
Pilot cohort	Fall 2027

FOR FUNDERS & GRANTMAKERS

A lean budget, built on people.

Loving a culture and understanding the people who make it are different things. BBA Creative Lab closes that gap. Here's how we plan to pay for it.

The shape of the budget

Staff	$36,020 · 62%
Participant support	$11,350 · 19%
Overhead	$5,066 · 9%
Program experience	$3,360 · 6%
Venue	$2,600 · 4%
Total	$58,396

81% goes directly to people.

Staff who deliver the program, and participants who go through it. Venue and admin are a rounding error by comparison. Overhead sits at 9%, within most funders' 10% cap.

Why this is fundable now

Fiscal sponsorship active through Fractured Atlas, a 501(c)(3), so gifts are tax-deductible today
Diversified funding: participant fees, grants, sponsorships, and individual donations, not dependent on any single source
Full two-scenario budget already complete, with a Fall 2026 scouting trip confirming real venue and vendor pricing before launch
University partnerships anchored in accessibility, reaching community college and high school students alongside four-year arts programs

Why it matters

There's enormous appetite in the US for Japanese creative culture, and far fewer real paths into working with it. For Japanese creative professionals, the mirror problem exists. This program builds working relationships between American and Japanese creatives at the earliest stage of their careers, when those relationships are most likely to last and compound over decades.

Help us build something that outlasts one cohort.

Full program blueprint, detailed budget, and grant materials available on request.

WHAT ON EARTH IS THIS?

A creative incubator in Tokyo. And why you might care.

Our understanding of others is shaped by the media we consume. That creates a real need for culturally aware creators. People who move between worlds instead of consuming them from a distance.

What we actually do

We connect emerging international creatives with Japanese brands and companies, run workshops helping creatives navigate a global market without losing their own voice, and collaborate with Tokyo-based and global organizations to build a cross-cultural creative community.

We also serve as a liaison between US colleges and Japanese institutions, building pathways for students on both sides to find each other long before or after any single program brings them together.

This isn't a once-a-year thing.

It's who we are, year-round. We're where people come to find the right person, or the right company, because we've done the real work of knowing both sides. The cohort is our most visible proof of that, but it isn't the whole of it.

What we are not

A job agency

A study abroad program

A talent scouting service

A one-size-fits-all experience

What we are

Community builders. Facilitators. Creatives looking out for creatives.

Find your door

Emerging creative? See the Participants tab. Working professional or brand? See Mentors & Brands. Funder or grantmaker? See Funders. Ready to put your name down? See Register Interest. Just curious? You're already in the right place.

GET INVOLVED

Put your name down.

We're building a home where creativity is a warm bridge between cultures. Tell us you're interested, and let's talk about how we might host you. Applications don't open until Spring 2027, so this isn't one. It's a quick way to put your name in front of us, and we'll reach out when the time is right. Takes about a minute.

I'm interested as a...

Participant

Mentor or Brand

Funder or Grantmaker

Name

Your creative practice

Photography, styling, filmmaking, writing, design. Whatever it is.

Where are you based?

Organization or brand name

Leave blank if you're independent.

What kind of involvement interests you?

Organization name

Leave blank if you're giving individually.

What kind of support are you exploring?

Anything else you want us to know?