Professional Organizations

American College Dance Association

(excerpt from https://www.acda.dance)

The American College Dance Festival Association's primary focus is to support and promote the wealth of talent and creativity that is prominent throughout college and university dance departments. ACDA's sponsorship of regional and national dance festivals provides the venue for students to engage in three days of workshops, lecture/demonstrations and master classes taught by instructors from around the region and country. The festivals also provide the unique opportunity for students and faculty to have their dance works adjudicated by a panel of nationally-recognized dance professionals in an open and constructive forum. Culminating with the presentation of pieces selected for their exemplary artistic quality, the festivals are the primary means for college and university dance programs to perform outside their own academic setting and be exposed to the diversity of the national college dance world.

Association of Arts Administration Educators

(excerpt from https://artsadministration.org)

The Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE) is an international organization incorporated as a nonprofit institution within the United States. Its mission is to represent college and university graduate and undergraduate programs in arts administration, encompassing training in the management of visual, performing, literary, media, cultural and arts service organizations. Founded in 1975, the AAAE was created to provide a forum for communication among its members and advocate formal training and high standards of education for arts administrators. The Association, moreover, encourages its members to pursue, publish, present and disseminate research in arts management and administration to strengthen the understanding of arts management issues in the academic and professional fields. 

Association of Theatre in Higher Education 

(excerpt from https://www.athe.org)

The Association for Theatre in Higher Education is an organization of individuals and institutions that provides vision and leadership for the profession and promotes excellence in theatre education. ATHE actively supports scholarship through teaching, research and practice and serves as a collective voice for its mission through its publications, conferences, advocacy, projects, and through collaborative efforts with other organizations.

International Theatre Institute

(excerpt from www.iti-worldwide.org) 

The ITI/UNESCO Network for Higher Education in the Performing Arts is a joint initiative of UNESCO and ITI together with more than 40 higher education and research institutions. It was built in alignment with the guidelines and procedures of the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chair and Network Programme. The Network´s main focus is higher education in the performing arts – drama, theatre, dance, music theatre, playwriting and all related performing arts disciplines.

The goals of the Network for Higher Education in the Performing Arts are:

• To make education in the performing arts accessible to all populations of students regardless of socio-economic condition, race, religion, ethnicity, gender, culture or nationality.
• To promote the professional education in the performing arts worldwide for the enhancement of the skills of professionals in the field.
• To exchange knowledge and best practices on different methodologies for education in the performing arts.
• To develop and share innovative models for higher education in the performing arts.
• To support higher education in the performing arts all over the world, including developed and developing countries – with a special focus on Africa, in alignment with the UNESCO global priority “Africa”.
• To initiate collaboration between the members of the Network.
• To protect and promote unique manifestations of “cultural identity” as observed and demonstrated by members of the network from their cultures – in alignment with the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and the Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.
• To create a project to designate and preserve Intangible Heritage in the Performing Arts globally – in alignment with UNESCO and ITI.
• To advocate for peace, mutual understanding and respect through education in the performing arts – in alignment with the goals of UNESCO and ITI.
• To bring together students and educators in the performing arts and professionals of the performing arts for the benefit of the profession.

Musical Theatre Educators' Alliance

(excerpt from www.musicaltheatreeducators.org)

Musical Theatre Educators' Alliance (MTEA) creates a bridge from education to profession—raising the standards on musical theatre training and forever changing the artform. 

Texas Educational Theatre Association 

(excerpt from https://www.txeta.com) 

The Mission of the Association is the support, promotion, and expansion of educational theatre by providing quality educational opportunities, a network for resources, support and expansion, a base for advocacy, and a forum for establishing standards, programs, and projects in order to celebrate the importance of theatre arts in human experience.

Texas Nonprofit Theatre Association

(excerpt from https://texastheatres.org/)

Founded in 1971, TNTA's purposes are:

• to promote high management and artistic standards in the theatre and other dramatic arts.
• to improve the teaching of theatre and other dramatic arts.
• to stimulate the development of educational theatre in the form of theatrical presentations made and instructional programs offered in school at all levels and nonprofit organizations specifically as theatres.
• to provide a forum for the exchange of information and ideas by persons engaged in educational and nonprofit theatres. 
  to aid and encourage the formation of new theatre groups.
• to increase public awareness of theatre as a viable art form.
• to increase support for theatre in Texas.

United States Institute for Theatre Technology

(excerpt from https://www.usitt.org)

United States Institute for Theatre Technology, Inc. (USITT) is the association of design, production, and technology professionals in the performing arts and entertainment industry. The mission of USITT is to actively promote the advancement of the knowledge and skills of its members by:

• Promoting research, innovation, and creativity by sponsoring projects, programs, and symposia;
• Disseminating information about aesthetic and technological developments;
• Providing opportunities for professional contacts and networking;
• Producing the USITT Annual Conference & Stage Expo;
• Participating in the development of industry standards;
• Promoting and sponsoring international alliances and activities;
• Advocating safe, efficient, and ethical practices;
• Sponsoring exhibits of scenery, costumes, lighting, sound, stage technology and architectural designs;
• Recognizing excellence and significant contributions in the performing arts and entertainment industry.

USITT is dedicated to the professional development of men and women who are an integral part of the performing arts community.