ASSITEJ UK is the umbrella body for the performance for young audiences [PYA] sector in the United Kingdom. It is part of ASSITEJ INTERNATIONAL, which unites theatres, organisations, and individuals throughout the world who make theatre & performing arts for children & young people. ASSITEJ is a French acronym which means the International Association of Theatre for Children & Young People.
ASSITEJ UK is made up of professional artists and organisations from Scotland, Northern Ireland, England and Wales who create performance for young audiences. It welcomes new organisational and individual members from across the sector. To find out more about becoming a member, click here.
OUR AIMS
- Promote and protect performance for young audiences across the UK
- Celebrate excellence in PYA and publicise its high quality across the wider theatre industry
- Advance the growth of the PYA sector so it can enrich and nourish both the artists making the work and young people’s experience of the world through live performance
- Embrace and protect equity, diversity, and inclusivity across the PYA sector, working proactively towards the organisation and the wider sector being accessible to all residents of the UK
- Support cross sector partnerships and internationalism, connecting artists in the UK with artists abroad
- Promote ASSITEJ INTERNATIONAL opportunities, festivals and events in the UK
- Reflect and respect the ASSITEJ INTERNATIONAL constitution and manifesto
The pillars of ASSITEJ UK are:
- Internationalism
- Professional Development
- Advocacy
WHAT DO WE DO?
- Advocate for PYA artists and audiences across the UK
- Run quarterly Zoom Cafes where the PYA sector can meet online and share approaches
- Send a regular newsletter where anyone can advertise opportunities and share news about PYA in the UK
- Support the PYA sector through a range of projects
- Host PYA meetups at festivals like Edinburgh International Children’s Festival
- Host an Annual General Meeting for our members online
- Encourage UK artists and companies to attend ASSITEJ INTERNATIONAL events and get involved with its networks, supporting them to attend where possible
HOW IS ASSITEJ UK RUN?
ASSITEJ UK is comprised of four regional centres:
TYA England
TYA NI
TYA Scotland
TYA Wales
Each centre communicates with members in its local area, and sends two representatives to ASSITEJ UK’s quarterly Board meetings.
ASSITEJ UK Board Members are elected for a three year term. The Board currently has 16 members, including a Chair and a Treasurer. It also has several subgroups which collaborate on specific projects between Board Meetings: for example, the Equity Subgroup, the Zoom Cafes Subgroup, and the Finance Subgroup. Click here to find out about our Board.
If you are interested in joining the Board of Assitej UK, please send a brief expression of interest to EMAIL ADDRESS and we’ll contact you when we’re advertising roles.