ASSITEJ. Most people have never heard of it, and if they have heard of it they have no idea what it stands for. It’s an acronym, a French acronym at that; roughly translated it means "The International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People," and it’s an eclectic and incredible organization peopled with artists who are strangely devoid of ego. Established in 1965, ASSITEJ is an international network of thousands of theatres in more than 70 countries. It is the only theatre organization in the United States which has the development of professional theatre for young audiences and international exchange as its primary mandate.
     Generally, ASSITEJ conferences are held concurrently with existing venues such as New Visions/New Voices, a play development lab of theatre for young audiences held at the Kennedy Center. This year’s conference, entitled “One Theatre World,” was held in conjunction with The Philadelphia International Children’s Festival. There is a large Dutch influence in Pennsylvania, and the focus of the Festival was on Scandinavian theatre for young audiences, with shows from Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Finland, and Denmark performing. The Scandinavian Counties have long believed support of the arts was not only an honor but a sacred civic duty, and 80 – 100% of most theatres' budgets are subsidized by the state, affording Danish artists the luxury of creating art rather than revenue.
     Stand-out performances at the Festival included “Donkey Skin” and “Prophecy.” “Donkey Skin,” an old Swedish folktale about a princess who runs away from home disguised as a donkey, was brought to life through the use of sign language, spoken dialogue and movement, while “Prophecy,” presented storyteller fashion with the accompaniment of a cellist, was a mystical re-telling of the tale of the Norse god Odin who, in his quest to know the future, robbed himself of the ability to enjoy the present.
     The highlight of the conference for me was the opportunity to work with The Liz Lerman Dance Exchange. Liz, now in her 50’s, brings not only her artistry but her activism to the stage. Her work seeks an answer to the question, “What are we going to do about our differences?” In response the company has evolved into a multi-racial, multi-generational troupe that has performed in both eastern and western hemispheres. Liz’s take on dance is tribal, not tied to skill, education or age but to spirit, and her opening remarks to conference attendees clearly reflected this. “I think there was a time when people danced and the crops grew. I think they danced and that is how they healed their children. There was a time when people used dance to understand what it was impossible to understand any other way." In keeping with this philosophy, The Dance Exchange works communally in a completely non-threatening and spiritually uplifting environment. Using all of themselves, and charging us to do so as well, they integrate the use of voice and text, which makes for some stunning innovation.
     With workshop titles like “Artmaking in the Community,” and “What I Stand for and Will Not Compromise – Clarifying Core Values,” it is not surprising that the conference ended with everyone in attendance sharing their personal dreams for the future of theatre for young audiences. “A home for my company.” “The creation of a National Center for Children’s Art.” “That my successors will make a bigger impact than me.” “That one day we will be paid what we are worth.” “The creation of a National Theatre Day.” And my personal favorite, “That one day the government will fund us as Weapons of Mass Instruction.”

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