WHAT IDEA DOES:

IDEA is committed to actively support its members in the development of projects, curricula, the exchange of ideas and resources, and the protection and affirmation of its members’ cultural and educational human rights.

Beside being a global association of members, serving as a platform for exchange and meeting, IDEA has long advocated for drama, theatre and education through meetings, congresses, publications and interchanges of people. IDEA knows no boundaries and encourages the development and support of drama and theatre as being integral to a full education, spanning all ages.

IDEA’s current activities include the development of Congresses, its online festivals and events, Young IDEA labs and projects, IDEA Endorsed members events, advocacy work on events like International Arts Education week as well as IDEA Day celebrations, and from 2026, active honoring of distinguished IDEA members through the IDEA Awards.

IDEA World Congress are held every three years in different parts of the world. These congresses are major international gatherings that bring together educators, practitioners, researchers, and students for: performances and workshops, academic presentations and research exchanges, collaborative artistic labs and roundtable dialogues, networking and strategic planning for the future of the field, discussions and dialogue in the Special Interest Groups (SIG) that are part of every Congress. Each congress is locally rooted and globally focused, offering participants an immersive experience in intercultural learning and artistic collaboration.

IDEA’s past World Congresses have been held in Porto, Portugal in 1992, Brisbane, Australia in 1995, Kisumu, Kenya in 1998, Bergen, Norway in 2001, Ottawa, Canada in 2004, Hong Kong (SAR) in 2007, Belém, Brazil in 2010 and Paris, France in 2013, Reykjavik, Iceland 2022, Beijing, China 2024.

TOGETHER WE GO ON Festival is a biannual festival that travels around the world, and presents the work of the drama/theatre community in a streamed online event, that takes place for 10-36 hours in one go.

IDEA Online working group works with dedication to provide for members monthly online events, such are IDEA Webinars, Forums and online workshops and presentations as an exchange of knowhow and knowledge in our fields, presenting the examples of most the recent research and methodologies.

Young IDEA creates opportunities for the younger generation of drama practitioners, researchers and students to meet and creatively exchange their experiences and knowledge, often as part of projects and also performances that are presented on IDEA events.

IDEA projects are a place for members to develop work together, that crosses borders.

IDEA Awards are initiated as an opportunity for our association to honor and recognize important work and individuals in our field.