photo credit/Vanessa Fortin Dancer Liane Thériault
Production Théâtre à l'envers Photo: Michel Pinault
Young People's Theatre | Photo Cylla von Tiedemann
photo credit/Vanessa Fortin Dancer Liane Thériault
Mission and mandate
Mandate
ASSITEJ Canada is a membership-driven, non-profit, inclusive service organization. It supports and promotes the cross-cultural exchange of knowledge, development and practice in the professional performing arts for young audiences in order to increase creative co-operation and to deepen mutual understanding. ASSITEJ Canada, as part of ASSITEJ International, allows creators and presenters of work for young audiences across Canada to take part in international conversations and activities.
Mission
ASSITEJ Canada is an open and inclusive service organization developed for the purpose of providing leadership and support to professional groups and organizations that present or produce live performances for young audiences across Canada. In this role, ASSITEJ Canada will:
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Endorse and foster the value of live performances for young audiences
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Connect and communicate with partners nationally and internationally
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Encourage new ideas and concepts for this specific profession.
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Share the excellent work accomplished by its members
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Promote the creation and dissemination of the work of its members
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Explore avenues to include associated communities such as academics.
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Participate in the development of cultural policies both national and international that reflect the role of live performances for young audiences.
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Provide bilingual communications and services in Canada’s official languages and others as feasible
Vision
Over the next five years, the objectives of ASSITEJ Canada are:
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To be a unifying, inclusive and open organization.
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To provide its members with services developed and crafted according to the needs they express
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To actively participate in all discussions on a national and international level which are directed towards cultural policy affecting live performances for young audiences.
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To bring together a solid, united and diverse membership base that is truly representative of the creators and developers of work for young audiences in Canada
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To be the recognised Canadian organization for all live performance arts for young audiences across the country and internationally.
Board of directors
Stephen Colella
Past President
Associate Artistic Director & Dramaturg
Young People’s Theatre
Toronto
Hélène Ducharme
Treasurer
Artistic Director
Theatre Motus
Longueuil
Monica Dufault
Vice-presidente
Artistic Director
Carousel Players
St. Catharines
Corben Kushneryk
Board Member
Co-Artistic Director
Concrete Theatre
Edmonton
Pierre Tremblay
Board Member
Executive Director
Théâtres Unis Enfants Jeunesse
Montreal
Yves Simard
President
Artistic Co-Director
DynamO Theatre
Montréal
Caroline Howarth
Interim Secretary
Artistic Associate
Concrete Theatre
Edmonton
Hélène Langevin
Board Member
Artistic Director
Bouge de là
Montréal
Katy Raymond
Board Member
Projects manager
Association des théâtres francophones du Canada
Ottawa
Pragna Desai
Board Member
Creation Warehouse Director
Theatre Direct
Toronto
Committees
Conference Committee
Monica Dufault (Committee Head), Caroline Howarth, Sehar Bhojani, Pragna Desai, Stephen Colella
Membership Committee
Hélène Ducharme (Committee Head), Pragna Desai, Helene Langevin, Katy Raymond
Communications Committee
Pragna Desai (Committee Head), Hélène Ducharme, Yves Simard, Corben Kushneryk
ASSITEJ International
ASSITEJ unites theatres, organisations and individuals throughout the world who make theatre for children and young people.
Mission
ASSITEJ is dedicated to the artistic, cultural and educational rights of children and young people across the globe and advocates on behalf of all children regardless of nationality, cultural identity, ethnicity, or religion. ASSITEJ brings people together so that they can share knowledge and practice within the field of theatre for children and young people in order to deepen understandings, develop practice, create new opportunities and strengthen the global sector, on behalf of all children everywhere. The members of ASSITEJ are National centres, Professional Networks, and individuals
Manifesto
As Covid-19 crisis was raging, hundreds of professionals of performing arts across the globe collaborated through the Coffee Sessions of ASSITEJ. They shared their realities, expressed their points of view and their emergencies. ASSITEJ Manifesto is the fruit of all this work. We wish it to be a tool, and, through a coordinated international campaign, a mighty lever for recognition and support to arts addressed to children and young people, and those who produce it. We encourage you to circulate it, to share and explain it to the public, circulate it through social media, and confront the cultural decision-makers with its content. More than ever, taking action in favor of an equal and equitable access to arts and culture is an indispensable requirement, as we want our children live in a sustainable and healthy world.