January 10
Background A huge part of ISTA’s overall programme is made up of festivals for young people at primary school, middle school and high school level. These events are usually three days in length and involve participating young people from a range...
December 12
After a successful set of professional development and learning events in 2019 we are delighted to share some of our favourite Studio celebrations. Hungry for more this year? If you are close by and in a position to do more PD...
December 2
Why a book now? We have recently celebrated our 40th birthday and wanted to mark this milestone with an invaluable resource for international Theatre teachers. Much has changed in the landscape of theatre education since 1986 when our founder,...
November 5
The 2020-2021 TaPS calendar ISTA is delighted to announce our calendar for next year’s TaPS. Booking opens on Monday, 13th January 2020 (9:00am UK time). Each event will have its own webpage with important information enabling you to make your...
October 31
What is a Global Challenge and how does it work? We’re excited to announce an initiative that we believe will enhance our festivals as an international learning experience through theatre. The Global Challenge (GC) will unite all festivals,...
September 24
Part of the ISTA school member experience is the opportunity to share in the creative and exciting world of hosting your very own event. Watch the video of some of our ISTA hosts explaining the value that the ISTA experience has brought to...
June 13
Social media can have both positive and negative effects on our lives but there are some times when it can prove very useful indeed. ISTA artist and teacher, Debbie Kidd (@DebraKidd) turned to her twitter following to gather 40 pieces of advice (as...
June 13
By Sophie Galton No, not the new song title from Ed Sheeran but rather a leading thought in most people’s minds these days as we find ourselves ever tangled in the world of digital delights. Have we gone too far? Have we tipped over into the...
April 4
Powerful, intense, emotional, inspiring...these four words can probably be used to describe every ISTA Festival yet they are particularly fitting for the Connect Festival that took place in Atlanta at the start of March. Hosted by Atlanta...
April 3
And so the 40th celebrations continue! This list contains 40 theatre books picked by our community as essential reading. We hope you find something to inspire you and if there's something we've missed please let us know. Act One by Moss...
April 3
by Janet Schorer It’s 3:00am Amsterdam time and I haven’t slept a wink. I have my first ever ‘Skype with Sal’ and I’m a total ball of nerves. I don’t know why I’m so nervous – it’s like stage-fright! She seems terribly nice and...
March 15
Before you carry on reading, take a moment to pause and answer these questions - what makes you feel free? And what does freedom mean to you? It’s these questions that have been posed to school children, politicians, and celebrities across the...
March 6
Festivals are where ISTA began 40 years ago and while we’ve branched out into other types of events over the years, festivals remain our raison d’etre. I’m hugely excited and proud to announce and share with you the 2019-2020 festival...
March 4
By Tom Scott I always come away from ISTA events with a warming sense of awe and wonder. Four hours by car, 15 hours by plane (with a cheeky stop in Brunei) and then another 20 minutes by car that seemed to take a lifetime. Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh...
March 4
As part of ISTA’s 40th birthday celebrations we are putting together lists of resources and things we love – and here you’ll find 40 songs, soundtracks and musical numbers loved by different people from the ISTA community. Enjoy! And if you...
February 10
I’m delighted to both announce and launch the forthcoming season of TaPS events for students of DP Theatre. Not to mention next year’s IB workshops (but more of those later). Each year ISTA: - Produces TaPS events in the Americas (New...
February 10
We are delighted to announce the appointment of Sheila Healy as ISTA’s new chair of the board. For the first time in ISTA history we embarked on a process of advertising internationally, shortlisting and interviewing for this post. The board...
January 16
By Keriann O'Rourke Lost? Lonely? Drama department of one? I can relate. A common issue that drama teachers face is feeling isolated within their own school. We hear this sentiment often in discussions with teachers at ISTA events. These drama...
December 13
As part of ISTA’s 40th birthday celebrations we are putting together lists of resources and things we love – and here you’ll find 40 novels loved by different people from the ISTA community. Enjoy! The Secret History by Donna Tartt I...
December 10
By Sally Robertson, Executive Director of ISTA Story [noun] An account of imaginary or real people and events told for entertainment. Anyone you speak to who tells you about ISTA will have a different story. A story that is dependent on their...