By Stavros Stavrou, ASSITEJ International Executive Committee Member& ASSITEJ Cyprus President
One of the questions we are often asked by National Centres, as members of the ASSITEJ International Membership Working Group, is: What can we offer our members? How can we make membership attractive and create opportunities for people to connect, collaborate and grow? It is an important question, and one that does not necessarily have the same answer in every country.
Last September, I had the pleasure of spending three wonderful days in Bergamo and Brescia, participating in In-Forma, organised by ASSITEJ Italia. It was a great example of how a National Centre can actively support its members and create a strong sense of community.
Through workshops, discussions, presentations and informal encounters, In-Forma brought together theatre professionals from across Italy to exchange experiences, share ideas and learn from one another. What impressed me most was not only the quality and variety of the programme, but also the atmosphere of openness, generosity and genuine interest in collaboration. There was space for artistic reflection, professional development and, equally importantly, for people to simply spend time together. Sometimes, these opportunities to meet and talk are among the most valuable things an association can offer.
I was also particularly inspired by VitaminAssitej, another excellent initiative through which members of ASSITEJ Italia come together to develop collaborative projects. Rather than simply participating in activities organised by their National Centre, members are encouraged to take the initiative, propose ideas and work together on subjects and challenges that matter to them. I had the opportunity to learn about some of these projects, and it was wonderful to see how much can be achieved when an association creates the conditions for its members to collaborate.
In a sense, the philosophy behind VitaminAssitej was also one of the inspirations for the ASSITEJ International Regional Cooperation Programme, which aims to encourage similar collaborations between members across our international community. The principle is simple: by working together, we can develop ideas, share resources and create opportunities that might not be possible individually.
During my visit, I also had the pleasure of attending the General Assembly of ASSITEJ Italia, where I shared updates about ASSITEJ International‘s work and current initiatives. It was a valuable opportunity to connect the national and international levels of our association, exchange perspectives and listen to the people who make our network what it is.
I returned from Italy with new ideas, new connections and a strong feeling that we have so much to learn from one another. Every National Centre operates in a different context, with different resources and challenges, but initiatives such as In-Forma and VitaminAssitej show how much is possible when members are given the space and encouragement to connect, share and work together.
I hope these examples will inspire other National Centres across our network to explore similar initiatives, adapt them to their own contexts and share their experiences with the rest of us. After all, one of the greatest strengths of ASSITEJ is the opportunity to learn from each other.
A big thank you to ASSITEJ Italia for the warm welcome and wonderful hospitality!
Grazie di cuore!
