Each new Centre means new voices, new collaborations, and new friendships. Each new Centre means a new connection — a new friend somewhere in the world. Looking back at the Umbrella Session, I see a growing map of faces: people united by art, care, and imagination. Culture connects us beyond borders, and through ASSITEJ, we are reminded that wherever we go, there will always be a friend waiting.
It’s the day after the ASSITEJ Umbrella Session — an online meeting that brings together people from our National Centres and Networks around the world — and I find myself thinking of the bright and smiling faces that filled my screen. So many people, from so many countries, connected by one common belief: that every child should have access to culture and the arts. In times like these, when the world often feels divided, these moments remind me how strong the ASSITEJ community truly is — people passionate about their work and about the connections we build through this association.
I’ve also noticed that I no longer think of countries in general terms. I think of the people I’ve met through ASSITEJ. Spain is now Gonzalo. Mexico is Anelvi. South Korea is Seok-hong. Rwanda is Carole. New Zealand is Kerryn. And there are dozens of other countries, dozens of other names. Wherever I travel, I know there is a friend waiting — someone who shares the same passion for theatre and the same belief in the power of culture to bring change.
This sense of connection also lies at the heart of our work in the Executive Committee’s Membership Working Group, where we focus on strengthening and expanding the ASSITEJ family around the world. Since the World Congress in Cuba, eight new National Centres have joined ASSITEJ — in Burundi, Ghana, Greece, Indonesia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Senegal, and Slovakia. We welcome them all and celebrate the creativity and commitment they bring to our global community. Work is also underway to establish new Centres in several other countries — among them an important initiative in Portugal, which will culminate in a meeting of Portuguese TYA professionals in the coming days.
It is also exciting to see that some of these new Centres are already involved in projects selected for the Regional Cooperation Programme, launched this year. This shows how new and long-standing members can work hand in hand, building partnerships full of passion, energy, and mutual learning.
Each new Centre means new voices, new collaborations, and new friendships. Each new Centre means a new connection — a new friend somewhere in the world. Looking back at the Umbrella Session, I see a growing map of faces: people united by art, care, and imagination. Culture connects us beyond borders, and through ASSITEJ, we are reminded that wherever we go, there will always be a friend waiting.
