ASSITEJ South Africa's Theatre4Youth programme is a mechanism for connecting theatre companies with schools and getting schools to the theatre. It has been in existence since 2011 and has been funded by the National Arts Council of South Africa, the National Lotteries Commission and UNESCO's International Fund for Cultural Diversity.
Theatre4Youth exists as both an online site and a print catalogue. A team of coordinators across South Africa work to support theatre companies to tour their work into schools and communities. All ASSITEJ SA members are able to make use of the programme as one of the perks of membership.
This month the online site (www.theatre4youth.co.za) relaunched with a new look and an easy-to-use searchable database.
The site serves as a facilitating bridge between theatre and education, making it easy for schools to book excellent productions for their learners, and for theatre companies to tour productions to schools. It moderates the quality of the theatre presented in schools through a participatory feedback system, serves as a space for local artists to develop collaborations with communities as resident artists, and assists theatre companies in making their work more relevant and accessible to schools.
We invite all those interested to visit the site, and for South African artists/members of ASSITEJ SA to update their details on the site, so that they can get their productions to the children and young people who need to see them! www.theatre4youth.co.za
