About
ASSITEJ (International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People) runs an ongoing, global campaign called "Take a Child to the Theatre Today", which has found particular resonance in South Africa, given that the majority of children in our country do not have access to theatre. We are currently focusing our campaign towards the Cradle of Creativity festival to take place in Gauteng from 20-27 August 2023. Find out more about this festival here: www.cradleofcreativity.com
Centred around the World Day of Theatre for Children and Young People (20th March), the #Takeachildtothetheatre campaign invites artists, companies, theatre houses, education and the general public to join together in giving children and young people access to the theatre on this day, or at any point during the year. The campaign aims to combat the poverty of imagination that is so evident in our society by recognizing the potentially transformative role of the arts in the lives of children and young people.
ASSITEJ SA contributes to the campaign through the Arts/Theatre4Youth programme connecting schools to theatres and theatres to schools, and mentoring companies touring their work into creches, schools and communities. This programme is supported through the Social Employment Fund which assists us to employ part-time arts facilitators to work with/for children and young people across the country.
ASSITEJ SA representatives in all provinces help us to identify opportunities for engagement so that children everywhere are able to access theatre. We also utilise existing showcases such as our own Cradle of Creativity Festival, the Vrygrond Family Festival, the National Arts Festival, the Hilton Arts Festival, Naledi Showcases and pop-up festivals in communities across the country.
We invite all our members and partners to join the campaign, by:
- Donating to this campaign so that we can sponsor children to see theatre.
- Donating free performances to children and young people.
- Offering reduced rates or transport to performances to children and young people.
- Offering a workshop or a series of workshops for children and young people.
- Taking children and young people to the theatre.
We need your ongoing support to ensure that children and young people have access to the transformative power of theatre in South Africa. Please join us!
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