Nat Eek

Discovering a New Audience for Theatre, Vol. I Nat Eek

In June 1965, a group of dedicated professional artists of the theatre met in Paris, France to create the International Association of Theatre for Children and Youth (ASSITEJ). Four days later ASSITEJ was born, and ten years later the organization boasted a total of 28 National Centers in Europe, the mid-East, the Far East, and North and South America. This is their story told meeting by meeting. Leadership in the new organization had come from Great Britain, France, Russia, East Germany, Romania, and the United States. During these ten formative years the world went from an open discovery of new theatrical cultures dedicated to the art of theatre for young people after WWII to a divided membership that found itself lining up politically East to West but still functioning. ASSITEJ currently has over 80 national centers around the world. Its Secretariat is in Sweden, and the members of its current Executive Committee (2005-2008) come from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Finland, Great Britain, Israel, Japan, Korea, Rwanda, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, USA, and Zambia. Volume I covers the years from 1964 through 1975. Volume II will cover the years from 1976 to 1990, and Volume III the years from 1991 to 2005.