World Theatre was created by the ITI and was celebrated for the first time on 27 March 1962, the date of the opening of the “Theatre of Nations” season in Paris. Ever since, each year on that date, World Theatre Day is celebrated on a global scale.

The goals of World Theatre Day, as with International Dance Day are
• To promote the art form accross the world.
• To make people aware of the value of the art form.
• To enable the dance and theatre communities to promote their work on a broad scale so that opinion leaders are aware of the value of these forms and support them.
• To enjoy the art form for its own sake.

One of the most important actions for the WTD is the circulation of the World Theatre Day International Message through which, at the invitation of the ITI, a figure of world stature shares her or his reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace. The first World Theatre Day International Message was written by Jean Cocteau. The message is translated into different languages and distributed widely. See www.world-theatre-day.org for more information and ideas about how to mark World Theatre Day.

World Theatre Day 2024, 27th March
Every year the Executive Council of ITI choses an outstanding theatre personality to write the message for World Theatre Day, which has been celebrated internationally every March 27th since 1962.

The author of the Message of World Theatre Day 2024 is:


Norwegian writer, playwright
The 2023 Nobel Laureate in Literature

Link to the Website for World Theatre Day
www.world-theatre-day.org