Artistic Development in AITA/IATA
Artistic Development in AITA/IATA
(taken from the Congress Book Tromso 2011)
Unsurprisingly, members of this organisation (AITA/IATA) have always been concerned with artistic matters. This document will refer to the three most recent formal attempts. Of course, the artistic values, and evaluation of the artistic level of theatre production, have always been the target of keen interest and debate of our AITA/IATA theatre makers and are frequently the subject of concern. Because of this concern, by the people making theatre all over the world, there have been three attempts by AITA/IATA to assist, develop and support this art form with the best possible tools and knowledge.
The three attempts are:
- In 1997, Yanky Fachler was elected Chair of the Artistic Standing Committee. In Monaco 2001, the General Assembly elected director Timo Mäkinen (Finland) as the new Chair. (This committee was established alongside the existing Standing Committee for Children and Youth, which also had responsibility for artistic matters.) This committee achieved many positive goals but was not entirely successful. The committee saw their work as leading rather than supporting the artistic thinking around the world.
- The second attempt (2003) was to approach the subject from the research angle: secondary school teacher Olaf Grimstad (Norway) invited by Council to Chair a ‘Task and Finish Group’ to research ways to develop the artistic work in AITA/IATA. He made a survey sending a questionnaire to all national centres in an effort to profile them and to identify their needs. The resulting paper was used as a basis for the next attempt.
- Following the Congress in 2005 Council appointed, Dr. Roger Ellis (USA) to chair a new committee. The committee began its work in 2006 and its task was further developed following the Congress in Masan in 2007 when additional members were formally endorsed by the Council. They were tasked to draft a strategic Plan for Artistic Development following the recommendations of the break-out group in Monaco 2005.
While the committee worked extremely hard in their approach to this task it was the view of Council following the Congress 2009 that no strategic plan had emerged from the group and some members felt unable to continue within the existing framework of the committee. Some concrete proposals, however, were put into effect.
These three serious attempts prove that Council has taken considerable action to develop an artistic policy and the outcomes of all three attempts will help future development. The diversity of cultures makes it necessary to move beyond a European and Western-centric view of artistic matters. Such diversity could be seen as overwhelming but it presents our organisation with both challenges and opportunities
I completely endorse this idea
Hope to see few successful result soon….!