PIE SIG on Lake Nojiri Conference 2026
"Performance in Education at Lake Nojiri"
📌 Conference at a Glance
Aug 31 – Sep 2, 2026
Monday through WednesdayShinanomachi, Nagano
Reformed Elementary School SitePIE SIG
Annual Summer Gathering
🌲 About the Conference
This is the PIE SIG Conference in the beautiful resort area of Lake Nojiri in northern Nagano. The site of the 3-day conference on Performance in Education is right on the lake.
PIE SIG conferences have always been family-friendly events, and this conference is no exception. The Lake Nojiri area is a place that has everything necessary for a great vacation: impressive natural scenery, interesting sights to see, a variety of family entertainment spots, many good restaurants, and many types of accommodations from top-class hotels to pensions and campgrounds. Come to the conference with your family!
If you haven't reserved a room yet, we recommend:
- Nojiri Lake Resort (recommended for the lake view)
- Elan Hotel Lake Nojiri
🏫 Site & Venue Details
The conference is hosted at a reformed elementary school site with beautiful facilities, free parking, and a slope entrance.
Room #1 (Second Floor - Accessible by Elevator):
- Empty room with tables and chairs available in a storage area in the room
- Air conditioning available
- Maximum Capacity: 30 (Expected Attendance: 8–10)
- Large room with space for tables and a workshop area as desired
- Equipped with a whiteboard and 2 chalkboards
- Screen and projector provided for rent
- Free Wi-Fi available throughout the building (access details posted on the room wall)
- Restrooms located on both floors (barrier-free restroom available on the 1st floor)
🎟️ Registration, Submissions & Resources
📅 Detailed Program Schedule
Monday, August 31 — Day 1
* Bicycle Tour around Lake Nojiri has been cancelled — Replaced by optional local museums or souvenir shopping on demand.
- Recommended Souvenirs: Soba cha (Shinano-machi sourced), jams, wine, wood or wickerware, sweet corn, and peaches (shipping available).
- Meals: Lunch and/or dinner by choice.
Tuesday, September 1 (9:00 – 17:00) — Day 2
- 9:00 — Doors Open
- 9:00 – 9:30 — Room Set-up
- 9:45 – 9:55 — Welcome Message (Kevin Bergman & David Kluge)
- 10:00 – 10:45 — “Life Lessons: A PIE SIG-based English Textbook” – David Kluge with Takahiro Iida
- 11:25 – 11:35 — BREAK
- 11:35 – 12:00 — Morning DISCUSSION
- 12:00 – 14:00 — Lunch at Lumberjack lakeside restaurant or Capitan Italian Restaurant
- 14:00 – 14:50 — “JOEE to the World” – Ruth Gilmore Ingulsrud
- 15:00 – 15:45 — DISCUSSION: Theatre vs. Drama (Kevin Bergman & David Kluge)
- 15:45 – 16:40 — Afternoon DISCUSSION
- 16:40 – 17:00 — Room clean-up
Wednesday, September 2 (9:00 – 14:30) — Day 3
- 9:00 — Doors Open
- 9:00 – 9:20 — Room set-up
- 9:20 – 9:30 — Welcome Message
- 9:30 – 10:15 — “Down the Rabbit Hole: The Superpower of Multimodality” – David Kluge
- 10:20 – 11:10 — “Perform or Die: The Argumentative Performance of Werewolf in ELF Classrooms” – Michael McGehee
- 11:15 – 11:40 — “Doodles in the Margins: Art as Performance, Participation, and Meaning-Making” – Ariel Taback
- 11:40 – 12:00 — Room clean-up
- 12:00 – 12:15 — Transport to restaurant and short tour of the facilities
- 13:00 – 14:30 — Lunch at St. Cousair Winery Restaurant (A-la-carte ordering: 760–1,650 yen)