In celebration of their approaching 20th anniversary, the world-renowned Design Festa is launching a new chapter.

The aim of this new project, the All Student Art Festival Gakuten, is to support students, the creative professionals of the future who are in the greatest need of opportunities to prove themselves and succeed on an international stage.

Over its nearly 20 years of operation, Design Fest has combined an original-art-only Booth Area, an Indoor Show Stage, and Theater Hall, an artistic recipe that has proved incredibly successful, drawing 50,000 visitors and 11,000 artists to the biannual event. Expect a smaller group of artists for Gakuten’s debut—organizers are arranging for about 700 booths this time around, featuring the work of a variety of creative characters ranging in age from 8 to 64. There will also be two entirely new zones added to the Design Festa formula, which will allow Gakuten’s up-and-coming artists the opportunity to spread their creative wings even further.

The Installation Area is a unique area completely devoted to displaying large and small scale installation pieces to the entire convention hall, while The Campus Area is a multipurpose space populated by local and international high schools, universities and vocational schools to bring the experience of an open campus directly to visitors. You’ll be able to see the work of these schools’ artists, and prospective students and parents can find out more about the art education options that these academic institutions offer.

Admission to the event is open to everyone, and children 12 and under can enter free of charge.

Gakuten 2014

When: August 9 & 10

Where: Tokyo Big Sight, East Hall #6 (see map)

How much: ¥800 (adv.)/¥1,000 (door)

More information: http://www.gakuten.jp/en/