Overview

IDEA Projects are international collaborations that bring together drama educators, artists, and researchers to explore global and local issues through the art of theatre and drama. Rooted in IDEA’s values of creativity, dialogue, inclusion, and sustainability, these projects provide a platform for shared inquiry, intercultural exchange, and professional growth.

Each project begins with a unifying theme or question, inviting participants from diverse contexts to respond artistically and educationally in their own ways. Through performances, workshops, and community engagement, members create new understandings of how drama can address social, cultural, and environmental challenges.

IDEA Projects embody the spirit and purpose of the association. Each project is:

• Collaborative – connecting educators and artists across borders and disciplines.
• Responsive – addressing contemporary social, cultural, and environmental challenges.
• Educational – advancing professional learning and research in drama and theatre education.
• Artistic – using theatre as a language of dialogue, expression, and transformation.

What Is an IDEA Project?

An IDEA Project is a collaborative initiative of IDEA members that unites drama and theatre educators, artists, and researchers from around the world to explore significant educational, cultural, and social themes through theatre. Each project reflects IDEA’s belief that drama and theatre are powerful tools for learning, for building empathy, and for inspiring change.

IDEA Projects emphasize international collaboration and shared inquiry. Participants engage with a common question or artistic stimulus while interpreting it through their own local and cultural contexts. Through creative processes such as devising, performance, research, and workshops, they foster intercultural understanding and strengthen the professional field of drama education
worldwide.

Examples of IDEA Projects

IDEA Training Program for Drama Teachers (Ongoing)
Responding to the worldwide demand for qualified drama educators, this program combines online and in-person training. It connects IDEA members with experienced tutors through workshops, lectures, and summer schools, supporting continuous professional development and
strengthening the global network of drama teachers.

The Red Tree Project (2021–2022)
Led by Dr. Peter Duffy, this project connected theatre educators from Australia, Taiwan, Uganda, Turkey, Singapore, and the United States. Using Shaun Tan’s *The Red Tree* as a shared text, participants devised performances with their students to express local experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic. The project demonstrated how theatre can reveal shared human emotions—loss, hope, and renewal—through both global dialogue and local creation.

Land and Home Project (2013–2016)
Initiated by former Director of Projects Sonya Baehr, this three-year initiative invited IDEA members from multiple continents to explore the relationship between people and the land they inhabit. Through performances, teacher training, and community partnerships, the project addressed issues such as ecology, sustainability, and cultural identity, uniting artists and educators in reflection on belonging and environmental justice.