Let us celebrate the 60’s anniversary of ASSITEJ in France!

1965 – 2025 : The Revolution of diversity: 
Let us celebrate the emergence of new forms, new audiences, new voices in TYA!

In May 1965, a group of pioneers met in Paris to found ASSITEJ. As theatre people convinced of the value of their art, and of the need to address young people with confidence and respect, they decided to work together, without borders, and whatever their differences. 

In 2025, the French community of TYA proposes the candidacy of Nantes or Marseille to host the Artistic Gathering and to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the ASSITEJ.

This event will be organised jointly, nationally by Scènes d’enfance – ASSITEJ France, and locally, either by the Festival Petits et Grands in Nantes, or by the Théâtre Massalia, Theatre of National Interest for Art, Childhood and Youth in Marseille. 

It will take place in spring 2025, during one week between the end of March and the beginning of April. 

Due, among other things, to the uncertainties linked to the COVID crisis, it is not possible at this point in time to specify which of these two cities will host the Meetings. 

The Festival Petits et Grands, and the Théâtre Massalia are major venues on the French young audience scene, producers and presenters of shows, with extensive international experience, and a capacity adapted to a large programme and a large number of professionals. Very well connected by train and plane, Marseille and Nantes are major cultural metropolises. The Gatherings will be organised and shared with many local players, not only in the performing arts, but also in culture in the broadest sense, in childhood and education, and in urban policies.  

Our project

In sixty years, the world has changed a lot. So has TYA!

Within it,

• The disciplines of performing arts interact and feed off each other;
• Creation for young audiences is open to all children, from birth;
• The voice of the younger generations is more listened to;
• The diversity of human cultures is becoming more visible.

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of ASSITEJ means first of all acknowledging these developments. 

We wish to offer a programme that highlights the multidisciplinary nature of the young audience, and shows that are aimed at all ages, from babies and their families to young adults. 

In order to involve the public, to encourage children to talk about art, and to listen to them, before and during the Artistic Gathering we will rely on the participatory experiences carried out in France, for example within the framework of Avignon Enfants à l’honneur, and through the national networks and centres of ASSITEJ. 

Our country is a melting pot, with distant territories and populations of varied origins. We want the Gatherings to reflect this variety, creating cultural richness. 

Celebrating the 60th anniversary of the ASSITEJ is also an effort to understand what has given our movement its strength, and to pay tribute to the ongoing commitment of generations of performing arts professionals to children and youth. To think about the present situation, and what, in the history of ASSITEJ, can inspire us to continue moving forward. 

In this respect, we will ensure that solidarity between professionals is fostered by a policy of accessibility to representatives from low-income countries. We also wish to be part of a reflection, increasingly shared within ASSITEJ, on the ecological impact of international cultural meetings and the means, for an organisation such as ours, to develop its activities in decent conditions in this regard.

French TYA lives its young history with passion. It is more dynamic than ever, and it is this vitality that we want to share by welcoming ASSITEJ in 2025.

ASSITEJ France, January 2021