ASSITEJ 2008

16th ASSITEJ World Congress & Performing Arts Festival for Young People

ASSITEJ 2008 was the biggest and most significant event for schools, children, teenagers and their families ever held in Australia.

Over 10 days in May 2008, Adelaide hosted a major festival of theatre, dance, circus and puppetry, which drew audiences of over 50,000 young people. The festival program included works from major international and Australia's top youth performing arts companies. In English, ASSITEJ (a French acronym) stands for the International Association of Theatre for Children and Young People. The Association comprises of members from over 80 countries. Every three years it meets for a performing arts festival and congress to showcase the best of theatre for young people from around the globe. Formed in 1965, this was the 16th ASSITEJ World Congress and Festival, but only the second time it has been held in the Southern Hemisphere.

The World Congress attached to the festival provided Australian youth performing arts companies an opportunity to present their work to other Australian and international producers.