Japan House London Advocate Programme 2026/27

*The application window for the 2026/27 programme has now closed

Open call for Advocates

Japan House London invites content creators, storytellers and cultural ambassadors to apply to become part of the first cohort of the Japan House London Advocate Programme.

This initiative brings together a group of creators who are curious about Japanese cultures and interested in sharing their perspectives with audiences online. Through the programme, Advocates will connect with exhibitions, events and people at Japan House London while creating content that introduces new audiences to the organization.

Ten Advocates will be selected through an open call and will join the programme for a twelve-month period beginning at the end of April 2026.

About the programme

The Japan House London Advocate Programme creates a network of inspired creators whose work connects with audiences interested in culture, creativity and Japan.

Advocates will experience the programme at Japan House London, including events, exhibitions and the Shop, throughout the year and share their perspectives with their online communities through authentic storytelling and conversation.

Through this collaboration, we aim to reach new audiences while building a network of advocates who engage with our exhibitions and offerings.

What Advocates receive

While there is no direct monetary reward*, Advocates will receive a range of opportunities and benefits throughout the programme, including:

Invitations for you and a guest to join exclusive events such as previews and early access to exhibitions
Priority booking for selected events
A discount in the Japan House London Shop
Complimentary drinks at The Stand (up to six across the programme year)
The chance to connect with other creators participating in the programme
The chance to interact with Japan House London staff (and potentially collaborators from Japan) to learn more about the organization behind the scenes.
The opportunity to visit Japan House London out-of-hours to create content (subject to availability)
The opportunity to grow your online presence with your content being made visible to the followers of Japan House London (approximately 200,000 across all social platforms)

*Participation in the programme could lead to future paid commissions outside of the Advocate Programme, should an Advocate’s content and audience align well with specific exhibitions, events or campaigns.

How Advocates engage with the programme

Advocates are expected to engage with Japan House London throughout the year and share their experience with their audiences.

Activity includes:

Attendance to at least three exhibitions or events. (Bringing a plus-one is encouraged.)
Following all Japan House London’s social media channels and subscribing to the newsletter.
Recommending Japan House London within their networks.
Sharing insights on the performance of relevant posts when possible.

Through the above interactions, we want our Advocates to feel inspired to create personal and engaging content on their channels to promote Japan House London’s exhibitions, events programme and offerings at the Shop and the Stand.

As part of participation in the programme, advocates are expected to create a minimum number of posts as outlined below. Additional content is welcome.

For Instagram:

Three grid posts per year (image, carousel or Reel), tagging @JapanHouseLdn
Instagram Stories are welcome but optional.

For TikTok:

Three videos per year

For other platforms such as YouTube, activity will be discussed individually.

Who can apply

We welcome applications from creators who:

Are aged 18 or over and based in the United Kingdom
Create content regularly on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, YouTube or other social channels
Have an active and engaged audience interested in culture, creativity and/or Japan
Are interested in visiting Japan House London regularly and sharing their perspective
Are not currently a member of staff at Japan House London

How Advocates are selected

Applications will be reviewed using a structured scoring framework to ensure a balanced and thoughtful selection process.

The selection considers several factors, including:

The relevance of the creator’s platform, with priority given to Instagram and TikTok
The location of the creator’s audience, (UK-based audiences are important)
Audience engagement and interaction quality
Follower count, reach and growth trajectory
Content quality and storytelling approach
The applicant’s motivation and interest in Japanese cultures and Japan House London
Professionalism and readiness to collaborate
A diversity of perspectives represented across the cohort

Following the review process, the ten highest-scoring applicants will be invited to join the programme via email.

Application process

Applications must be submitted through the online form, which will be reviewed by the Japan House London Marketing and Communications and Retail Marketing teams.

Applicants will be asked to provide information including:

Social media platforms and handles
Audience insights such as follower count, engagement rate and average views
The main locations of their audience
A short written statement describing their interest in the programme
An example of a piece of content relevant to the programme
Previous engagement with Japan House London, if any

Timeline

Applications open: 16 March 2026
Application deadline: 23:59 on 5 April 2026

The 10 selected applicants will be contacted with next steps via email by mid-April 2026.

Advocates will join the programme for a twelve-month period beginning 27 April 2026.

Apply now

Submit your application via this online form.

Please refer to the detailed terms and conditions before you submit an application.

If you have any questions about the programme, please send your enquiries to [email protected] with ‘Japan House London Advocate Programme’ in the subject line.