The International Amateur Theatre Association (AITA/IATA asbl) is a worldwide non-governmental organisation of national centres, amateur theatres and individuals dedicated to promoting understanding and education through amateur theatre. Founded in Belgium in 1952, its members operate in more than 80 countries on 5 continents, making AITA/IATA the powerful voice of the global amateur theatre community. The current President is Mr Rob Van Genechten from Belgium (Flanders) and the organisation’s Secretariat is in London, England.
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Goals
Under its banner of universal understanding and education through theatre, AITA/IATA promotes cross-frontier cooperation, artistic enrichment, and a sense of universal togetherness. For more than fifty years it has fielded a wide range of activities serving the amateur theatre community including World Congresses, international festivals, workshops and symposia, informational publications, training courses, programs for children and youth, and financial sponsorship of cross-border cultural events. The organisation is associated with UNESCO and fulfils a facilitating, networking and initiating role for member countries and cultural groupings.
Governance
Governing bodies Every other year AITA/IATA has a General Assembly and Forum (formerly Congress) where its members come together to hold the Council of AITA/IATA to account for the running of the organisation.
General Assembly The General Assembly (GA) is the highest decision-making body. It is held every two years and every other General Assembly is held in Monaco. The last General Assembly was held in Ypres, Belgium (Flanders) in July 2015 and the next one will be in Monaco in August 2017.
International Theatre Festival Alongside the GA, an International Theatre Festival is held where amateur theatre groups selected by that country's AITA/IATA National Centre come together to perform, to attend workshops and discussions and to exchange theatre experiences. In 2015, it was held in the village of Westouter, some 10 km from Ypres, and was part of the Spots op West 2015 Festival. In Monaco, the International Festival - Mondial du Théâtre - is organised by the Studio de Monaco with AITA/IATA.
The Executive Board The Executive has the following functions:
The Executive 2015 - 2017:
Council of Representatives 2015 - 2017 The Council of Representatives are individuals from each of five Regions of AITA/IATA. They are:
Standing Committee for Children and Youth (SCCY) Children and Youth have a voice in AITA/IATA through a standing committee, established in 1995 following AITA/IATA’s first World Festival of Children’s Theatre in Lingen, Germany in 1990. The Standing Committee (SCCY), exists to ensure that issues relating to children and youth are central to the concerns of AITA/IATA. A World Festival of Children’s Theatre is held in Lingen every four years and elsewhere in the world between every Lingen Festival and the Standing Committee offers an advisory and supportive role for the preparation of each festival. AITA/IATA works in close cooperation with other world theatre organisations such as ASSITEJ (International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People), ITI (International Theatre Institute), IDEA (International Drama in Education Association), and other organisations such as EDERED European Drama Encounters. The Association is governed by an all-volunteer group of individuals who meet several times a year in different locations, to co-ordinate AITA/IATA's activities.
The members of the SCCY 2013-2015:
Secretariat The Secretariat is based in London England [email protected]
Members A member (an AITA/IATA National Centre) is an organisation that co-ordinates or networks amateur theatre groups and or individuals in their country and it is they with whom AITA/IATA predominantly communicates. An Affiliate is an organisation that over a two or four year period is working towards National Centre status. Each country has only one National Centre or Affiliate.
Associates An Associate is an organisation, group, individual, or festival, interested in amateur theatre. An Associate pays a subscription to AITA/IATA (less than Membership) which enables them to be linked into the AITA/IATA network of international amateur theatre.
World Festival of Children's Theatre The first AITA/IATA World Festival of Children's Theatre was held in Lingen (Ems), Germany in 1991. It usually occurs every two years and every other Festival is held in Lingen. Non-Lingen Festivals have been held in Toyama, Japan, 2000; Havana, Cuba 2004; Moscow, Russia 2008. The last Lingen Festival was in 2014 and the next World Festival of Children's Theatre will be in 2016 in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. The City of Lingen will again organize the event in 2018.
Congress "Drama in Education" The AITA/IATA Drama in Education Congress was held for the first time in Austria in 1974 and has been held every two years since. Until the early 90s was probably the only regular international conference on "drama in education." The last one was held in April 2015.
50th Anniversary In 2002, AITA/IATA published a 50th Anniversary booklet in English, French and Spanish which is a reflection on the growth and development of AITA/IATA up to that date. A copy is on the AITA/IATA website under Resources / Key Documents.