Educational Theatre Association
Encyclopedia
The Educational Theatre Association (abbreviated as EdTA), founded in 1929, is the professional association for theatre
education
. EdTA’s mission is to make theatre a part of lifelong learning. The Association’s major areas of effort—educational development, teacher training, and advocacy—serve to accomplish this mission by helping to improve the learning environment in the theatre arts.
As the professional association for theatre educators, EdTA provides leadership for the International Thespian Society
, an honorary organization for high school
and middle school
theatre students. The ITS offers everything from varied performance venues to college audition opportunities to formal awards and scholarships.
EdTA publications include Dramatics and Teaching Theatre. Meetings include an annual conference for theatre teachers and a massive week-long International Thespian Festival. Currently the event is held at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln
. This celebration of theatre hosts over 2500 students and their teachers from theatre programs throughout the world.
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
. EdTA’s mission is to make theatre a part of lifelong learning. The Association’s major areas of effort—educational development, teacher training, and advocacy—serve to accomplish this mission by helping to improve the learning environment in the theatre arts.
As the professional association for theatre educators, EdTA provides leadership for the International Thespian Society
International Thespian Society
The International Thespian Society is an honorary organization for high-school and middle-school theatre students located at more than 3,600 affiliated secondary schools across the United States, Canada, and abroad. The International Thespian Society was founded in Fairmont, West Virginia...
, an honorary organization for high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
and middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
theatre students. The ITS offers everything from varied performance venues to college audition opportunities to formal awards and scholarships.
EdTA publications include Dramatics and Teaching Theatre. Meetings include an annual conference for theatre teachers and a massive week-long International Thespian Festival. Currently the event is held at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln
Lincoln, Nebraska
The City of Lincoln is the capital and the second-most populous city of the US state of Nebraska. Lincoln is also the county seat of Lancaster County and the home of the University of Nebraska. Lincoln's 2010 Census population was 258,379....
. This celebration of theatre hosts over 2500 students and their teachers from theatre programs throughout the world.