ASSITEJ Czechia

Photo: Barbora Slaběňáková

ASSITEJ Czechia

ASSITEJ (Association Internationale du Théâtre pour l’Enfance et la Jeunesse) was founded in 1965 as an international network supporting theatre for children and young audiences. The Czechoslovak centre was among its founding members, and following the establishment of the independent Czech Republic, ASSITEJ Czechia was officially registered as the Czech national centre.

For more than fifty years, ASSITEJ Czechia has been actively supporting and developing theatre for children and young people in the Czech Republic. It brings together professional theatres, independent companies, festivals, dramaturgs, directors, educators, cultural managers and other professionals committed to creating high-quality and accessible arts experiences for young audiences.

ASSITEJ Czechia promotes the belief that high-quality arts for children and young people are an essential part of society and a fundamental cultural right of every child.

Members of ASSITEJ Czechia:

ASSITEJ Czechia is governed by a ten-member Executive Committee:

Barbora Kalinová (President), Štěpán Gajdoš, Luděk Horký, Tomáš Jarkovský, Barbora Látalová, Jakub Philipp, Zuzana Sikačová, Hana Strejčková, Natálie Strýčková Preslová and Karola Štěpánová.

The organisation currently has 21 organisational members and 15 individual members.

Activities

ASSITEJ Czechia organises professional programmes, mentoring, international networking, Visitors Programmes for international professionals, discussions, seminars and advocacy activities. Its annual activities also include the ASSITEJ Czechia Award.

ASSITEJ Czechia connects Czech artists and organisations with the international performing arts community, encourages the exchange of experience and expertise, and supports the development of new partnerships. Through its active involvement in ASSITEJ International, it contributes to increasing the visibility of Czech theatre for children and young people within both the European and global context.

ASSITEJ Czechia Patronage

The ASSITEJ Czechia Patronage supports festivals that contribute to the long-term development of theatre and performing arts for children and young people and share the core values of ASSITEJ: access to culture, high-quality programming, international dialogue and respect for young audiences.

The Patronage is awarded through an open call and serves as a platform for professional support and collaboration. In selecting festivals, ASSITEJ Czechia considers their artistic and programming concept, approach to young audiences, professional programme, international dimension, language accessibility and commitment to developing professional dialogue.

ASSITEJ Czechia can offer festivals and organisers:

• collaboration on the concept and delivery of professional programmes,
• connections with international guests, promoters and professional networks,
• support for international networking,
• organisation of discussions, workshops and professional meetings,
• promotional support through the international ASSITEJ network,
• the opportunity to host a Visitors Programme as part of the festival.

The Patronage is conceived as an open, long-term and rotating model of collaboration, gradually connecting different festivals, regions and organisations across the Czech Republic.

Visitors Programmes

The Visitors Programme is an intensive multi-day platform for international theatre professionals interested in exploring Czech performing arts through performances, lectures, workshops and discussions.

ASSITEJ Czechia Award

Since 2002, the Executive Committee of ASSITEJ Czechia has presented the ASSITEJ Czechia Award in recognition of an outstanding artistic achievement or a significant contribution by an individual in the field of theatre for children and young people.

Cooperation with ASSITEJ International

ASSITEJ Czechia has a long history of active involvement in ASSITEJ International, the global network that has connected organisations, theatres and professionals working in the performing arts for children and young people since 1965. The Czechoslovak centre was one of the founding members of ASSITEJ and participated in the organisation’s earliest international congresses. The first ASSITEJ World Congress was held in Prague in 1966, bringing together delegates from 29 countries.

Today, ASSITEJ Czechia works closely with ASSITEJ International on the development of international projects, professional networks and programmes.

An important milestone in this cooperation was the meeting of the ASSITEJ International Executive Committee in the Czech Republic in 2024, held as part of the annual ASSITEJ Showcase. This was followed in May 2026 by another major international gathering of ASSITEJ International professional networks in Prague and České Budějovice, organised as part of the ASSITEJ Czechia Showcase and Visitors Programme.