Introduction
ASSITEJ World Day of Theatre for Children is an ASSITEJ campaign, promoted and celebrated through the message “Take a Child to the Theatre Today”.
This focus enables National Centres, individual members, companies, arts organisations, academics, teachers, artists, practitioners and anyone interested in theatre for young audiences to celebrate World Day and ‘make the case’ for children’s entitlement to theatre and the arts.
Each year ASSITEJ Centres, theatre companies and individuals around the globe get behind the campaign message and plan activities ranging from conferences, performances, workshops and special media events using the powerful campaign tools outlined below, we invite you to help make the 2017 campaign even bigger and better.
Activity
The message ‘take a child to the theatre – today’ can be promoted as a message and as a call to action! World Day is a global campaign and with more than 80 ASSITEJ National Centres across the globe and 5 professional Networks with affiliates across 100 countries, there is unlimited possibility for profile, visibility and advocacy!
World Day 2017
TOOLS
1) Take A Child To The Theatre Today LOGO
This year’s logo is based on the theme of “Intercultural Exchange” and the idea of recognizing yourself in the other / looking inside one another.
The logo is available to download from the ASSITEJ website. An interchangeable version is also available, so that each country can include the text in their own language! Why not use the logo to support your events, performances and communications in March 2017 and link with the global campaign!
2) World Day Messages
Since 2001, a WD message has been written by the president of ASSITEJ alongside a special message written by a guest writer. This has included: Peter Brook, Augusto Boal, Suzanne Osten, Suzanne Lebeau, Michael Morpurgo, Malala Yousafzai & Guila Clara Kessous (Unesco Artist for Peace 2015). You can read past World Day Messages, including last years by Jenny Sealey MBE here.
For 2017, the World Day Message will be written by Mexican author Francisco Hinojosa who is one of the most prominent authors of children’s literature in Iberoamerica. Many of his stories have been adapted into theatre.
The message will be shared early March.
The messages can be translated into local languages, promoted on websites, read at events, published, shared on social media, discussed, referred to in press releases and used in any way that will promote the global campaign.
3) World Day Video
You can see all World Day videos on the ASSITEJ YouTube Channel alongside other National Centre activity: here.
For 2017, the World Day video will be created by our colleagues of ASSITEJ Norway. This will be promoted on the ASSITEJ Website and through social media from early February.
Members are invited to create their own short videos and digital media using the languages of their country or region; ASSITEJ will then share these with the rest of the Membership.
4) Social Media #takeachildtothetheatre
By using social media (twitter, Facebook, vine, Instagram etc), individuals can promote the message ‘Take A Child to the Theatre Today’ and link this to the ASSITEJ site and other platforms (YouTube), which will host the media mentioned above.
Why not share your activity on the ASSITEJ Facebook page which we can re-share through the ASSITEJ newsfeed. We want all our members to keep us updated about what they are doing for the campaign. https://www.facebook.com/ASSITEJ.International
5) Press Releases
World Day has been picked up by press and media in previous years, why not try and create a story around your activity, highlighting the importance of cultural entitlement of children?
In addition, interviews, testimonials and statements from VIPS, artists, politicians, as well as cultural decision makers could be an effective way to promote the message and establish why it is important to take children to the theatre.
6) Fundraising for Access to Theatre
Some ASSITEJ members use the campaign as a rallying call to ask for donations to ensure that children and young people who otherwise wouldn’t have access to theatre get an opportunity to do so.
National Centres are asked to consider fundraising activity for their own activities but also as a way to connect with a National Centre from somewhere else in the world! Donations from one national centre to another, is a powerful way to create cross cultural links and some national centres may have more need than others.
Funds can also be donated to ASSITEJ and the EC will commit these funds to ensure they are used in another part of the world for children to have access to the theatre. National centres will receive a report on where their funds have been sent, and how the money was spent.
OTHER EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES
National Centre’s promote World Day in different ways around the world with some Centre’s running workshops, performances and special events, which are widely acknowledged.
Here are some possible activities and events which could be created to promote World Day by National Centre’s and organisations:
- Award events/ceremonies highlighting good practice and special achievements in the field of theatre for young audiences
- Conferences, forums, round tables, seminars or workshop events which focus on a particular theme
- Performances including street theatre, script readings, dance performances, monologues.
- Festivals of performances
- Distribution of flyers/ printed materials with the message Take a Child to the Theatre Today – connected to schools or theatres.
- Other advertising opportunities potentially supported by sponsors
- Film projects linking with schools and universities where students can engage with the World Day campaign
- Drama activity/workshop in schools and theatres
- Special Fundraisers or gala occasions to raise funds to ensure that children and young people get access to the theatre.
It is important to note that the ‘Take a Child to the Theatre Today’ campaign can be linked to events which are already happening.
We hope that as many members as possible will get behind the campaign for 2017 so that we can make as big an impact as possible which supports the rights of children to engage with theatre.
Please share whatever you do with the International office at
sg@assitej-international.org, so that we are able to report on the activities of the world. Links to any photographic or video documentation should be sent to nina@assitej-international.org
