International Association of Theatre & Performing Arts for Children & Young People

What International Association of Theatre & Performing Arts for Children & Young People does

ASSITEJ International is a non-profit membership association headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark, founded in 1965 to connect theatre and performing arts practitioners serving children and young people (TYA) across more than 75 countries. Its members comprise 74+ National Centres, 6 Professional Networks (including ITYARN, IIAN, Next Generation Network, Young Dance Network, WLPG, and Small Size Network), 7 Regional Networks (IberoAmerican, Nordic-Baltic, Small Countries, Slavic, Asian, etc.), and 12 Affiliates — a federated governance model coordinated through a triennial General Assembly, a 15-member Executive Committee, and a small Secretariat led by Secretary General Louis Valente Sørensen and President Sue Giles AM (elected 2024).

Its core "products" are programs rather than commercial offerings: World Congresses and Artistic Gatherings (the 21st held in Havana 2024, 22nd scheduled for Korea 2027), the Next Generation Programme (residencies and placements), an Awards Programme recognizing Artistic Excellence, Emerging Scholars, Inspirational Playwrights, and Lifetime Achievement, the Babel Project (international exchange), the Building Collective Resilience (TPAYABCR) EU-funded project, ASSITEJ Magazine, a monthly digital newsletter, Regional Workshops, World Day advocacy campaign, the Manifesto (anchored in Articles 13 and 31 of the UN Declaration of the Rights of the Child), the Voices of Children & Teenagers platform, a Global Festivals & Events Directory, and historical Archives maintained in Frankfurt by KJTZ / ASSITEJ Germany. Underlying technology is modest: a multilingual website deployed across 8 languages via AI-assisted translation, an online members' area, a digital newsletter system, and virtual meeting capabilities for global coordination.

Revenue is generated through three principal streams: membership dues from National Centres, Professional Networks, and Affiliates; project-based grants, most notably from the EU Creative Europe programme (EUR 967,560.50 across 2022-2024 tranches for TPAYABCR); and supporting grants from national funders such as the Danish Arts Foundation (EUR 67,235.93 in 2022). Additional programming is co-developed with strategic partners including Culture for Climate Scotland, Vector42, KJTZ, and Erasmus+ on the SHIFT eco-certification initiative. The organization is registered in Denmark (CVR DK45650561) and was previously registered in Italy as an ETS (Ente del Terzo Settore).

Name

International Association of Theatre & Performing Arts for Children & Young People

Legal name

ASSITEJ International - International Association of Theatre & Performing Arts for Children & Young People

Website

https://assitej-international.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ASSITEJ International, founded in 1965 and headquartered in Copenhagen, is a non-profit membership association that connects theatre and performing arts practitioners serving children and young people across 75+ countries through 74+ National Centres, professional and regional networks, triennial World Congresses, professional development, and advocacy for children's cultural rights.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Membership Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADALAB

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Partnerships, Intergovernmental & NGO Programs

SECONDARYBPAGABAE

Education Access & Quality (International Development)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

SECONDARYBPADAGAH

Minority, Indigenous & Disability Rights

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Human Rights, Democracy & Governance

Keywords

• Theatre for young audiences
• Performing arts association
• Children's cultural rights
• International arts network
• Theatre professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Copenhagen

HQ country

Denmark

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Revenue generated from National Centres, Professional Networks, and Affiliates paying membership dues to be part of the global ASSITEJ network.
2. Public Funding & Grants: Significant grant funding from institutional partners. European Union has provided substantial funding for Building Collective Resilience projects (467,560 EUR in 2022, 267,770 EUR in 2023, 231,196 EUR in 2024). Danish Arts Foundation provided 67,235.93 EUR in 2022.
3. Project-Based Funding: Funding for specific initiatives such as the Theatre & Performing Arts for Young Audiences: Building Collective Resilience (TPAYABCR) project co-funded by Creative Europe.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ASSITEJ International is a global non-profit membership association that connects theatre and performing arts practitioners, organizations, and national centres dedicated to children and young people across more than 75 countries. It delivers membership services, advocacy for children's cultural rights, international World Congresses and Performing Arts Festivals, professional development programmes such as the Next Generation Programme, awards, publications, and capacity-building initiatives through its federated network of National Centres, Professional Networks, Regional Networks, and Affiliates.

Product overview

ASSITEJ International is a global non-profit association, not a technology company. Its 'products' are programmes, services, and advocacy initiatives rather than commercial software products. The organization's offerings include World Congresses and Artistic Gatherings (major international events), the Next Generation Programme (residencies and placements for emerging practitioners), an Awards Programme (recognizing artistic excellence, emerging scholars, playwrights, and lifetime achievement), the Babel Project, the Building Collective Resilience EU-funded project, ASSITEJ Magazine and Newsletters (publications), World Day and Manifesto (advocacy initiatives), Regional Workshops, Archives (historical documentation), Voices Of Children & Teenagers (youth engagement), and a Global Festivals & Events Directory. The website serves as the primary digital platform for member services, news, governance, and organizational information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• TPAYABCR: Theatre & Performing Arts for Young Audiences: Building Collective Resilience - a project funded by European Union

Products and services

• ASSITEJ National Centre Membership Country-level membership for national theatre associations and centres representing ASSITEJ within their territory; provides international connectivity, advocacy support, and access to the global TYA community.
• ASSITEJ Professional Network Membership

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Culture for Climate ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental specialist partner facilitating the SHIFT eco-certification programme, working with 15 international cultural networks to develop sustainability guidelines and practices.
• Vector42coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental specialist partner co-facilitating the SHIFT eco-certification programme, providing expertise in sustainability measurement and certification.
• SHIFT (Cultural Networks Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEco-certification initiative with 15 international cultural networks, co-funded by Erasmus+, focused on achieving environmental sustainability in cultural work.
• KJTZ (Children's and Youth Theatre Centre, Germany)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerGerman partner maintaining the ASSITEJ Archives in Frankfurt, providing archival services and historical documentation of the organization's history since 1965.
• Sunstone PressminorOthersPublisher of ASSITEJ International history books documenting the organization's development from 1965 to present.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IETM (International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts): Direct international peer — a Europe-rooted but globally active membership network for contemporary performing-arts professionals. Comparable federated structure, EU grant reliance, and member-services orientation; one of ASSITEJ's executive committee members sits as an IETM Global Connector.
• AITA/IATA (International Amateur Theatre Association): Direct international peer — a UNESCO-affiliated global network for amateur theatre practitioners, sharing ASSITEJ's membership-based, multi-continental federation model and cross-border cultural-rights mandate (and explicitly referenced on ASSITEJ's own news feeds).
• ITI (International Theatre Institute): Direct international peer — UNESCO's worldwide performing-arts network. Comparable in scope (global membership association serving theatre professionals), multilingual operations, and advocacy-driven mission, though ITI focuses on the broader performing arts rather than the TYA niche.

Emerging players

• Small Size Network: Emerging/niche peer — an international network focused on performing arts for early years (0–6). One of ASSITEJ's own six Professional Networks, but operates with independent identity and overlaps directly with ASSITEJ's youngest-audience segment.

Broad incumbents

• International Music Council (UNESCO): Adjacent UNESCO-affiliated membership network for music rather than theatre. Comparable institutional mandate, UNESCO/UN advocacy positioning, and global membership-federation architecture, providing a relevant cross-arts benchmark.
• Culture Action Europe: Broader cultural-sector advocacy network at the European level. Comparable EU-policy advocacy function and membership-association funding model, though it spans all cultural domains rather than TYA specifically.
• European Theatre Convention (ETC): Broader incumbent in the same theatre-network space — a European network of public theatres. Comparable multi-country membership model and EU-funding pathway, though it focuses on institutional theatres rather than the children's/young-audience niche ASSITEJ owns.

Regional players

• Theatre for Young Audiences USA (TYA/USA): Regional peer — the US national affiliate serving the same TYA constituency within the United States. Structurally analogous to ASSITEJ's National Centres but confined to a single national market.
• Theatre Network Australia (TNA): Regional peer — Australia's national theatre service organisation. ASSITEJ Australia's national centre; directly comparable service-delivery and advocacy role, just scoped to Australia and led by Sue Giles AM in her prior capacity.
• ASSITEJ Korea / Korean Association of Performing Arts for Young Audiences: Regional peer — ASSITEJ Korea hosts the upcoming 22nd World Congress in 2027. Directly comparable mission and structure, but operates only within the Korean market, illustrating the national-centre layer of the broader ASSITEJ ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/ASSITEJ.International
• Instagraminstagram.com/assitejinternational
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCxreNhLydhbH2kJr4iYjzag
• Xx.com/assitej

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Association of Theatre & Performing Arts for Children & Young People