MEMBERSHIP OF ITI

INTERNATIONAL THEATRE INSTITUTE (View or download the  ITI CHARTER  )

The INTERNATIONAL THEATRE INSTITUTE, a non-governmental organization entertaining formal associative relations with UNESCO, is an autonomous professional international organization 

1. Its purpose is to promote international exchange of knowledge and practice in theatre arts (Drama, Dance, Music theatre) in order to consolidate peace and friendship between peoples, deepen mutual understanding and increase creative co-operation between all people in the theatre arts. 

2. To achieve this purpose, the Institute shall, inter alia,: 
a)  encourage activities and creation in the field of the live performing arts (Drama, Dance, Music theatre); 
b) aim at widening and increasing existing collaboration between performing arts disciplines and  organizations, both national and international; 
c) establish international offices and foster the establishment of national centres of the ITI in all countries; 
d)  collect documents, disseminate all types of information and issue publications in the realm of the performing arts; 
e)  co-operate actively in the development of the “ Theatre of Nations ” and encourage and co-ordinate the organization of theatrical congresses, workshops and meetings of experts, as well as festivals, exhibitions and competitions, both on regional and interregional levels, in co-operation with its members; 
f)  defend the free development of the performing arts and contribute to the protection of the rights of performing arts  professionals. 

3.  To achieve this within the ITI, the member centres of the organization shall be guided by the principles of mutual respect of the national traditions of each country. 
 
 

The International Theatre Institute is composed of : 

National Centres of the ITI, whose function is to promote the objectives of the Institute in their country in cooperation and in coordination with the Institute. 
-The National Centres are fully-fledged voting members of ITI. 
-There can only be one National ITI Centre in each country. (exceptions : Canada, Belgium) 
-Membership of Centres set up in countries which are members of the UN or UNESCO may be accepted directly by the General Secretary after payment of the first annual contribution. 
(ITI is funded by  its National Centres’ contributions which are generally based on the GNP of the country concerned. - Details may be obtained from the ITI Secretariat.) 
see below Procedure to be followed for creating a National Centre 
Associate Centres of the ITI which may be set up (at the invitation of the ITI Executive Council) in countries facing temporarily insuperable obstacles to full membership. 
-Associate Centres have the same rights as National Centres apart from voting in the General Assembly. 
-Their financial contribution may be waived or fixed or by the Executive Council. 
Cooperating Members of the ITI– which are “ national institutions in the field of the live performing arts which contribute to the realisation of the objectives of the Institute ” (see above) 
- Applicants should send information concerning the aims and objectives of their institution and a letter of application requesting membership of ITI indicating their support and willingness to cooperate with ITI in the pursuit of its objectives. 
- National institutions shall be admitted as Cooperating Members by resolution of the Executive Council with the endorsement of the National Centre (if one exists) in the same country as the institution. 
- The annual contribution of national Cooperating Members is set at 500$US. or 480€ p.a. 
International Organization Members –  International organizations in the field of the live performing arts which commit themselves to respect and promote the objectives of the International Theatre Institute may become members of ITI. 
-Applicants should send information concerning the aims and objectives of their organization accompanied by a letter of application requesting membership of ITI and indicating their support and willingness to cooperate with ITI in the pursuit of its objectives. 
-The annual contribution of International Organization Members shall be set by the Executive Council. 

All enquiries and applications for membership in any of the above categories should be addressed to the General Secretary,  International Theatre Institute, UNESCO, 1 rue Miollis, 75732 PARIS Cedex 15.

N.B. Individuals  become members of ITI by joining their respective National or Associate Centres. In cases where no Centre exists in their country they may temporarily join a Centre in a neighbouring country. 

COMPOSITION AND FUNCTION OF NATIONAL CENTRES
(ITI Charter p. 5) 

Each National Centre  andAssociate Centre should be run by a board, democratically elected by a General Assembly bringing together all branches of the theatre community. 

Following the holding of a general meeting attended by representatives of all sections of the theatre community, a Provisional Board (Steering Committee) of about 10 members should be set up. 

The following documents should be sent to ITI General Secretariat : 
 

• Minutes of the meeting setting up this Steering committee
• Brief CVs (Résumés) of members of this committee
• Draft constitution – stating aims of the organization etc.. (in conformity with the ITI Charter).
• Commitment to organize a General Assembly by a stated date which would approve the constitution and designate the Board of the new Centre.

The Centre’s board - President, Vice-president, Secretary General, etc...) should include, as far as possible, representatives of all the various branches of the live performing arts   (playwrights, composers, singers, choreographers, actors, dancers, producers, set designers, theatre managers, etc.) It may have individual (persons) and collective (institutional) members from each of these branches. 

All the performing arts professionals in the country concerned should be informed of the existence of the Centre and of its composition, 

National ITI Centresand Associate ITI Centres should have both national and as far as possible, international activity. 

National Activities of ITI Centres
- First and foremost, it is the ITI Centre’s task to help visiting foreign performing arts professionals by providing contacts with their counterparts and supplying them with all non-financial help likely to facilitate their artistic visit 
This is imperative, along with supplying information to other Centres or members of other Centres who may request it. 

- The ITI Centre should also wherever possible, take the initiative in organising cultural events such as seminars or colloquiums, festivals, workshops for young professionals, exhibitions etc.. 

 - According to national needs, it may form study committees charged with examining the most important problems, apart from commercial and union problems which would normally be dealt with by other organizations e.g FIA 
 

Regional and International Activities of ITI Centres

- ITI National Centres and Associate Centres may also organise regional or international events  e.g. meetings, seminars, festivals, workshops for young professionals) to which they may invite representatives of other Centres. 

- ITI National Centres and Associate Centres are invited to send a delegation to each biennial ITI World Congress and are often also invited to send a representative to other major or regional international ITI events organized by other ITI Centres and bodies (e.g the ITI/UNESCO Chair of Theatre and Culture of Civilizations.) 
Cooperating Members andInternational Organization Members shall also be invited to send a representative. 
In some cases local hospitality or special conditions may be offered to certain delegates or ITI Committee members (e.g such as has been the case recently in Bangladesh, Cyprus, Austria, Mexico, Korea. 
(For certain events it is  possible to cover travel costs  for certain delegates) 
 

Liaison with International Committees of ITI :

• Theatre Education and ITI/UNESCO Chair of Theatre, 
• Dance
• Music Theatre, 
• Cultural Identity and Development, 
• Playwrights Forum, 
• Dramatic Theatre
• Communication

Centres' Participation in ITI Publications

-Every ITI National Centre and Associate Centre should contribute an article to  “The World of Theatre”.  a biennial panorama of theatre through out the world. This book is published on the occasion of each ITI World Congress and contains information on the contemporary theatre scene and on recent theatre seasons  in each  country. 

-Every ITI Centre also should make use of its opportunity to insert and maintain an up-to-date entry in the “World Theatre Directory” http://www.iti-worldwide.org/amt  on Internet where it can display information on its activities and on theatre in its country – theatres, festivals, schools, resources, publications etc. This is a service provided by the General Secretariat and the Communication Committee. 
 -The “  World Theatre Directory ” is published every two years on paper but may be updated continuously on Internet. It provides a window on the national theatre scene in all member countries of ITI.  Centres can  enter their own data  and use their pages to make their countries’ performing arts known all over the world. 

(- Cooperating Members and International Organization Members shall also, on request, be provided with a space within the World Theatre Directory  to communicate their information and activity.. 

National Centres, Associate Centres, Cooperating Membersand International Organization Membersshall receive complimentary copies of ITI major public and publications documents (Reports, News, the World of Theatre, World Theatre Directory) as well as certain publications sent by other organizations to members of ITI . 
The National Centres, Associate Centres, Cooperating Members and International Organization Members shall in turn circulate their newsletters and certain publications to each other and to the General Secretariat. 

Minimum equipment would include telephone and fax, computer, email and Internet facilities (or regular use of  these). 

As far as office staff goes - a coordinator/secretary familiar with  one of the ITI working languages (English or French) employed at least half time would be the minimum advisable. 

Further information may be obtained on request from the ITI General Secretariat.