World Theatre Day
World Theatre Day was created in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute (ITI). An international non-governmental organization, ITI was founded in 1948 by UNESCO and the international theatre community. World Theatre Day is celebrated annually on the 27th of March. Various national and international theatre events are organized to mark the occasion, but many events are local with the purpose of drawing attention to theatre and international harmony.
The International Amateur Theatre Association embraces and urges celebration of World Theatre Day. Your celebration can be simple or complex. Here are a few ideas.
- Go see a play and take a friend
- Offer backstage tours of your theatre to the community
- Collaborate with other theatres to offer free tickets
- Host a World Theatre Day reception after a show
- Gather a group to write and stage a play in 24 or 48 hours
- Pay tribute to a playwright
- Organize a theatre festival
- Write, videotape, record, or blog why you love theatre
- Announce World Theatre Day on Facebook
Learn more about how countries around the world have celebrated World Theatre Day at www.world-theatre-day.org/celebrating.html.
Each year, a World Theatre Day International Message is circulated, through which, at the invitation of International Theatre Institute (ITI), a figure of world stature shares his or her reflections on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace. The first World Theatre Day International Message was written by Jean Cocteau (France) in 1962. You can read the 2010 message written by Dame Judi Dench at www.world-theatre-day.org/messages.html.
