International Young Critics Seminars

(March 4 — ALTHOUGH IT IS NOW TOO LATE TO APPLY for St. Petersburg — taking into account the time it takes to secure a visa — the following also explains the process to go through for future IATC Young Critics Seminars.)

St. Petersburg in April, 2010

Jan. 16, 2011 — Applications are being taken from professional theatre critics, ages 18-35 (with some flexibility at the upper limit), for a Young Critics Seminar (YCS) attached to the 14th Europe Theatre Prize in St. Petersburg, Russia, April 12-17, 2011. Go to ATCA International, the separate site of our International Committee, for details — click here for the specific Jan. 16 announcement. But here are the guidelines:

As it says on the webpage of the International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) and again on its “applications” page, applications for a YCS must include “a brief (one page) CV, two or three examples of your writing as a professional critic and a letter of recommendation from your national section of IATC.” In the USA, that national section is ATCA, whose leadership (chair and executive committee) customarily delegate these recomendations (while retaining oversight) to its International Committee chair, currently Jeffrey Eric Jenkins. Applications for a YCS should go through him. ATCA members are preferred — but a non-member interested in an international seminar can join ATCA expeditiously, in time to be considered.

Note that for YCS seminars, as with other IATC meetings, housing and meals (“hospitalty,” they call it) are normally provided by the host organization, leaving only the costs of international travel to be born by the participant. Foundation ATCA sometimes provides subsidies for that travel, but here, too, ATCA members are preferred.

ATCA’s International Committee chair keeps a cumulative list of ATCA members interested in attending a YCS, of which there are generally two or three each year.

Proposed new Code of Practice of the International Association of Theatre Critics

As a member of the International Association of Theater Critics, ATCA was asked to vote on a proposed new IATC Code of Practice, with a deadline of March 10. The ATCA membership vote was 65-0 in favor; the new Code will be formerly acted on at the 25th World Congress in Armenia, June 15-20. For the English and French texts of the proposed code and the recommendation by ATCA International Chair Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, please read more.

International Committee

ATCA is the official American section of the International Association of Theatre Critics/Association internationale des critiques de théâtre (IATC/AICT). The IATC is a worldwide organization of which all ATCA members are default members. Founded in Paris in 1956, the IATC is a non-profit, Non-Governmental Organization under statute B of UNESCO. IATC holds world congresses every two years and seminars for new critics twice a year. It also conducts symposia and contributes to professional juries. English and French are the association’s official languages, and its place of incorporation is Paris.

Current members of ATCA are eligible for an IATC membership card, which may ease press access to foreign theaters (as well as museums) — although normal American press credentials will certainly do as much. IATC cards are usually distributed as part of the ATCA renewal process, but since the IATC and ATCA membership years differ, that may leave a gap. Any ATCA member anticipating the need may request an IATC card from the ATCA administrator.

To read recent news from the American section of the IATC, see the ATCA International Committee Blog.

Of particular interest now is the call for papers for the 25th IATC World Congress, to take place in Yerevan, Armenia, 15-20 June, 2010. The theme is “Redefining Femininity in Today’s Theater.” Read more on that same ATCA International Committee Blog.

 

Seminars for new and experienced critics

The seminars for new critics (formerly “young critics”; still aimed primarily at those 35 and under) and symposia for more experienced critics can both be transforming experiences, as many ATCA members will testify. They are generally five days to a week long and are conducted in both English and French, although knowledge of one language or the other is sufficient. Local expenses (registration, housing, theater tickets, transportation and most meals) are born by the organizers, but participants have to pay for their own travel to and from the host city.

Seminars and symposia are often announced with only a few months leeway, so those interested should keep checking the IATC website at http://www.aict-iatc.org. The IATC application (available there) requires a short CV, several examples of work published (or otherwise) and the recommendation of your “national section,” i.e. ATCA. Membership in ATCA is not a prerequisite to apply, though it is helpful. For the necessary recommendation, contact the ATCA International Committee chair or ATCA chair, available on the Leadership & Committees page.

If you would like to be considered for a Foundation of the American Theatre Critics Association travel grant in conjunction with your IATC seminar application, fill out a Grant Request form. Grant requests are considered twice annually by the Foundation board. Subsidy is not guaranteed. Applications must be received one month prior to each meeting, which are generally held in February and May. Grant recipients will be notified of their acceptance and the terms of grant. For more current information, contact Jeffrey Eric Jenkins at 718-789-5553 or editor@bestplays.org.

More info:

• International Committee blog
• Official IATC website
• International Committee blog archive (May 2006-Oct. 2008)

ATCA International Committee Contact

Jeffrey Eric Jenkins, Chair, 718-789-5553, editor@bestplays.org