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여기를 클릭 하시면 크롬 등 브라우저에서 제공하는 한국어 번역을 이용하실 수 있습니다. If you can't read the email, please click here to read it in your browser | "Akantnenge akaltye, akaltye akantnenge" - "I shape the story, the story shapes me" |
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By Jon Dafydd-Kidd, Member of the Executive Committee of ASSITEJ International From the Arrernte people of Central Australia, this profound First Nations wisdom captures the heart of our global ASSITEJ community. Just as the storyteller and story are inseparable, so too are we - interconnected across continents, united by our commitment to theatre for young people. Our work spans far beyond geographical boundaries, knowing that every corner of the globe holds profound creative wisdom. From remote Indigenous communities to urban performing arts centres, from community theatres to national institutions, we know that knowledge is not hierarchical but circular. Just as our elders can teach, they equally learn from the young. It’s all about our intention. Our sector - theatre for young audiences - understands this fundamentally. We are not just creators of performance, but advocates, listeners, and constant learners, committed to amplifying voices of the young, and/or marginalised or overlooked. I have had the privilege to be in a creative space with a collective of learning disabled and/or neurodivergent creatives in the last 6 months. They are united by their need to respond to aggressive online hate; united by the need to express themselves creatively. Part of the process has included storytelling, the telling of their true stories and experiences. The often-brutal realities of when humanity has been pitched against one another. But in the space where difference is acknowledged and held, we learn from one another. We learn the true, deep power of what resilience can be, and the incredible power of how creativity and collaboration cannot only bring people together but literally save lives. In these times of global uncertainty, division, and complex challenges, our work becomes more urgent than ever. We will continue to work. We can do that work and create spaces of empathy, understanding, and genuine human connection. Our theatres, our stages, our creative platforms are not just spaces of performance, but of resistance, healing, and hope. For me, it feels like the work is shifting; it’s more urgent than I've experienced before. I recognise the need to keep my heart and mind open, to listen deeply, and to be truly present with our global community of artists and audiences as we navigate increasingly complex social, political, and personal landscapes. As we move forward, our collective journey is about more than artistic practice. I want to create spaces where understanding can bloom, where different perspectives can meet, and where the transformative power of performance can bridge seemingly impossible divides. In the words of Nigerian Author Wole Soyinka: "When you understand the story, you understand the struggle" - a testament to the profound potential of our shared mission. |
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| News from ASSITEJ International |
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 | | | | Welcome Back ASSITEJ Slovakia! | | | We are pleased to welcome back ASSITEJ Slovakia as an ASSITEJ National Centre after several years of absence. With their return, our global network continues to strengthen. We look forward to their participation and collaboration and wish them every success in the work ahead. With the recent additions of ASSITEJ Greece, ASSITEJ Montenegro, ASSITEJ North Macedonia, and now ASSITEJ Slovakia, the vast majority of European countries now have an ASSITEJ National Centre, which is exciting news for our association and for collaboration in the region. |
 | | | | Regional Cooperation Programme | | | The process of developing the Regional Cooperation Programme has been an inspiring and challenging one. It is a programme that we hope will play a part in growing connections between National Centres, regions and ASSITEJInternational. We hope it will stimulate greater awareness of theatre and performance for children and young people across audiences, adults in those audiences, government, decision makers, cultural institutions, and more. The two selected projects were: Wanderlust: (ASSITEJ Mongolia, ASSITEJ Nepal, ASSITEJ Indonesia) is a project concentrating on access for children who have not experienced theatre and performance made especially for them, in countries where the sector is extremely small or non-existent, with the creation and sharing of new festivals for children in their countries. African Vogue: (ASSITEJ Senegal, ASSITEJ Burkina, ASSITEJ Côte d'Ivoire) is a project with two other partners from countries without a National Centre. It concentrates on the creative process of making work for a young audience through the creation of a ‘cookbook’ and the workshop process to creation, sharing this process and works created between festivals in each country. |
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 | | | | FETEN 2026 Open Call For Proposals | | | ASSITEJ Spain FETEN 2026, one of the main Spanish performing arts markets for young audiences, launches the call for companies to participate in the 2026 edition. The event will take place in Gijón from 21 February 2026 to 27 February 2026. 🌎🌍🌏 Gijón, Spain 🗓 21 - 27 February 2026 Deadline: 11 September 2025 More information Leer en español |
 | | | | Call AmEY – Artists Meet Early Years 2026 | | | La Baracca AmEY is an under-35 project that allows international artists to pursue research within the educational services (crèches and kindergartens) of Bologna and its province, accompanied by pedagogists of Lo Sguardo Altrove. The performative or laboratorial results will be presented to the operators of the Festival. 🌎🌍🌏 Bologna, Italy 🗓 8 - 15 March 2026 Deadline: 15 August 2025 More information |
 | | | | Open Call PESTA BONEKA #10: Holding Hands | | | ASSITEJ Indonesia Get ready for an unforgettable experience at PESTA BONEKA #10: HOLDING HANDS, the independent international puppet biennale festival initiated by Papermoon Puppet Theatre in 2008. For our special 10th edition of PESTA BONEKA, we choose a theme of "HOLDING HANDS", to show a gesture of affection and support to each other. "HOLDING HANDS" is a much needed gesture these days, where borders were built, people lived in their own frames, and polarization happens everywhere. We believe that puppetry is a selfless medium, that could be the bridge to communicate between people. We need to be a better humankind, and HOLDING HANDS is a very much needed action these days. In Pesta Boneka, you will experience performances, workshops, lectures, sharing sessions, film screening and one of the best sessions ever ; WHEN PUPPETEERS COOK! 🌎🌍🌏 Yogyakarta, Indonesia 🗓 8 - 11 October 2026 Deadline: 4 August 2025 More information |
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| News from Around the World |
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 | | | | International perspectives in German TYA-Magazine | | | ASSITEJ Germany "ixypsilonzett. Magazine for Children's and Young People's Theatre": Yvette Hardie about Arts-rich schools Starting with the summer magazine 2025 there will be one article with an international perspective in each of the upcoming issues of "ixypsilonzett". The topic of the summer issue 2025 is "School and theater: places of democracy?". ASSITEJ Germany is very glad that Yvette Hardie shared her experience on arts-rich schools in South Africa. Read article |
 | | | | Words of Remembrance: Søren Valente Ovesen | | | ASSITEJ Denmark & ISCENE Søren Valente Ovesen passed away on July 8 The former editor of Teateravisen, Carsten Jensen, shares a tribute to one of the most prominent figures in Danish children’s theatre. Søren Valente Ovesen, director, playwright, and actor with the theatre group Batida, has passed away. He was 74 years old and died on July 8—just three days after being admitted to the hospital following a sudden resurgence of cancer. With his passing, Danish children’s theatre has lost one of its most defining figures - someone who carried its history and left a lasting mark through an impressive artistic and organizational career. Read more |
 | | | | Green Touring | | | Sustainability Section Artists have a critical role to play in fostering creativity and bringing communities together. Arts On Tour passionately believe in the importance of audiences and communities across Australia having access to live performing arts experiences, both locally made and touring productions, because we know they have a significant positive impact in communities at a cultural, social and economic level. We also care deeply for the wellbeing of our people and our planet, and our planet is in climate crisis. Many artists and arts organisations urgently want to respond. “Artists and cultural workers have often led new initiatives, informing attitudes and behaviours that support change. When change is so desperately needed, arts workers also need support to help their communities and audiences imagine and rehearse much needed action.” Read more |
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 | | | | 2025 PRIX ASSITEJ Switzerland /Suisse/Svizzera/Svizra | | | ASSITEJ Switzerland The winner of the 2025 PRIX ASSITEJ Switzerland/Suisse/Svizzera/Svizra is the actress, author and initiator of ‘Kulturkosmonauten’. Pamela Dürr's passion for theatre and her commitment to youth development make her an outstanding personality on the Swiss cultural scene. Read more |
 | | | | Diridiri Festival 2025: Joy, Stories, and Hope for Burundian Children | | | Umunyinya ASBL The Diridiri Festival returns to Bujumbura in September 2025, bringing inclusive theatre to Burundian children, including those in refugee camps and underserved communities. Created by Umunyinya, ASBL it celebrates childhood through storytelling, imagination, and meaningful artistic encounters. 🌎🌍🌏 Bujumbura, Burundi 🗓 24 - 27 September 2025 Read more |
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 | | | | The 14th China Children's Theatre Festival Opens | | | ASSITEJ China On the evening of July 4th, the 14th China Children's Theatre Festival, jointly organised by China National Theatre for Children (CNTC), the Government of Dongcheng District of Beijing, and China Children’s Drama Society (ASSITEJ China), opened in Beijing, China. This year, the festival, themed "Lighting up Childhood and Shaping the Future", will be held from July 4th to August 17th, inviting 42 plays of 21 theatres from 4 countries, with 185 performances, meeting the theatrical art needs of audiences of all ages. Over the past 14 years, with the continual expansion of the influence of China Children's Theatre Festival, more and more outstanding works from China and abroad are participating. After 6 years of absence of on the ground performance, the festival starts to invite international shows to perform live again. Read more |
 | | | | ASSITEJ Spain & the Cyprus National Theatre Collaborate on Staged Reading in Cyprus | | | ASSITEJ Cyprus On May 23rd, the Cyprus Theatre Organisation (THOC) hosted a staged reading of Mi sueño de invierno (My Summer Dream) by Spanish playwright Nieves Rodríguez Rodríguez. The presentation was part of THOC’s programme for teenage audiences, Suitcases, under the artistic direction of Stavros Stavrou, President of ASSITEJ Cyprus and member of the ASSITEJ International Executive Committee. The event was held in collaboration with ASSITEJ Spain, which had published the play after it received the Best Play Award in the ASSITEJ Spain Theatre Awards for Children and Young People. The reading was directed by Eirini Andronikou, who also performed alongside Rafaella Kavazi and Antony Papamichael. The play was translated from Spanish into Greek by Maria Hatziemmanouil. The initiative was supported by the Embassy of Spain in Cyprus, the Cervantes Institute, and the Embassy of Sweden in Cyprus. A discussion with the audience followed the reading. |
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 | | | | PRO Registrations Now Open for elPetit 2025 | | | ASSITEJ Spain Mark your calendars! The 2025 edition of elPetit Festival is happening from November 15 to 30. As in every year, the Professional Gathering of Arts for (Early) Childhood will take place during the festival, from November 20 to 23. This is a tailor-made PRO circuit designed to get the most out of elPetit — including performances, talks, debates, training, networking, and much more! This year, elPetit 2025 will feature over 15 exclusive artistic proposals for early childhood by national and international companies. Shall we weave together? 🌎🌍🌏 Sabadell & Barcelona, Spain 🗓 15 - 30 November 2025 More info & registration PRO Program PDF |
 | | | | Valeria Frabetti Award 2026 | | | La Baracca Honorary award given to people and institutions that have promoted the development and dissemination of performative arts for infants and toddlers between 0-3 years old. The Award is dedicated to Valeria, who, as artistic director, decisively supported the start of the “Il Nido e il Teatro” project and then passionately accompanied it for more than 30 years. The 2026 Prize, while continuing to give greater emphasis to cultural and artistic paths, will also take into consideration production paths, that is, the uniqueness, originality and attention that a production path has given to early childhood. Self-nominations are not allowed. Deadline: 25 October 2025 More information |
 | | | | Take part in SEGNI New Generations Festival: 20th edition | | | ASSITEJ Italy Professionals' days 🗓 30 October - 4 November 2025 Focus on accessibility 🗓 7 - 9 November 2025 Save the date and check your mailbox: you will receive detailed info for travel packages not later than August 8th. Choose Your Travel Package: Take the Early Bird Pass to SEGNI Festival with access to a limited number of gift cards for FREE packages (from 15 October - 16 November). Packages are on a first-come-first-served basis. Fill the form for more information Choose "Grand Tour of Italian TYA” realised for SEGNI 20th edition thanks to CHAIN REACTION Partnership (from 16 October - 16 November). An opportunity to discover other Italian festivals and artists sharing experiences between different partners. Fill the form for more information The perfect chance for those who like TRAVELLING AND GETTING THE BEST from their schedule and do not have a big budget. |
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| Article/Podcast Section | | | | Looking Back: AAG 2025 - Bright Generations |
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| By Small Size Network | | | | Small Size World Café: Making Early Years Work | | | Small Size facilitated this open discussion as part of the professional exchange programme at the Théâtre Joliette in Marseille, as part of ASSITEJ International's Bright Generations / Generations Lumineuses Festival in March 2025. It allowed participants to explore not just how to make early years work itself but, literally, how to make it work logistically in specific national and international contexts. It was an intimate, fun, listening conversation rather than a teaching session and took place in an informal and relaxed environment There were five tables, each with a different provocation, a host from the Early Years performance community and six delegates from all over Europe and further afield, which gave an international flavour to the responses. The delegates rotated tables at the end of the round, so that they were able to input into several conversations and develop the argument. This report gives an oral summary from each of the hosts (more about them at the end of this piece) as well as the key responses to the provocations at the tables themselves. The conversation included participants from France, Belgium, Brazil, Wales, Canada, Greece, Japan, Ireland, Sweden, Finland, England, and Germany. View full report |
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