TCG and Georgetown's the Lab Launch Global Theater Initiative

Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, and the Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics (the Lab), based in Washington, DC at Georgetown University, are pleased to announce their partnership in launching the Global Theater Initiative (GTI).

By combining the unique reach of TCG's international programming with the Lab's distinctive experience in humanizing global politics through the power of performance, GTI will strengthen, nurture, and promote global citizenship and international collaboration in the U.S. professional and educational theatre fields.

Through the alignment of their programming and resources, the GTI partners will serve as a hub of global exchange with three core areas of focus: connecting practitioners with resources, knowledge, and partnerships to strengthen their work; promoting cultural collaboration as essential for international peace and mutual understanding; and innovating new strategies to maximize the global theatre field's opportunities and impact. GTI will also take on the collaborative leadership of the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute (ITI/U.S.), a role previously held by TCG alone.

"Global exchange thrives through relationships built on shared goals, values, and trust, and that's exactly why I'm so optimistic about the future of the Lab," said Teresa Eyring, executive director, TCG. "GTI will empower both organizations to expand our reach and deepen our impact at a time when alternative models of cross-border exchange are urgently needed."

"As the world we live in becomes more and more polarized and fraught with misunderstanding and distrust, the humanizing work that theatre does becomes more and more essential," says Derek Goldman, co-founding director of the Lab. "The promise of GTI is to strengthen and amplify this important work by making it more visible and to foster new opportunities for collaborative exchange."

The programs of GTI will consist of all current international programming conducted by TCG and the Lab, as well as a range of new activities that will be collaboratively created. The first will be a Global Pre-Conference with performances at the 2016 TCG National Conference in Washington DC. Held on Wednesday, June 22 at the Davis Performing Arts Center at Georgetown University, the Pre-Conference will launch a stream of programs around global citizenship and exchange throughout the conference, curated by GTI. In their joint stewardship of ITI/U.S., both organizations will share administration of and representation on the ITI Worldwide Executive Board.

The Global Theater Initiative was originally conceived and will be coordinated by: Teresa Eyring, executive director, TCG; Derek Goldman, co-founding director, the Lab; Kevin Bitterman, associate director of artistic & international programs, TCG; Emilya Cachapero, director of artistic & international programs, TCG; Kevin E. Moore, managing director, TCG; and Jojo Ruf, managing director, the Lab.

The Laboratory for Global Performance and Politics (the Lab) harnesses the power of performance to humanize global politics. We create and present innovative high quality work from around the world that is at the intersection of politics and performance. The Lab's signature approach raises voices rarely heard in Washington DC through compelling, authentic narratives, and engages policymakers, as well as artists, students, and wider audiences in forums that cast critical issues in a new light. The Lab uses technology and live encounters to create a global community of artists, activists and policy makers, fostering new understandings and innovative collaborations. We are committed to relationship building beyond the lifespan of individual projects. We create substantive dynamic partnerships with individuals and with a diverse range of cultural and policy organizations. We are passionate about helping to train the next generation of innovators to use their artistry and voices to shape new understandings and to humanize others in pursuit of a better, more just world. Visit globallab.georgetown.edu for more information.

For over 50 years, Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for theatre, has existed to strengthen, nurture and promote the professional not-for-profit theatre. TCG's constituency has grown from a handful of groundbreaking theatres to nearly 700 member theatres and affiliate organizations and more than 12,000 individuals nationwide. TCG offers its members networking and knowledge-building opportunities through conferences, events, research and communications; awards grants, approximately $2 million per year, to theatre companies and individual artists; advocates on the federal level; and serves as the U.S. Center of the International Theatre Institute, connecting its constituents to the global theatre community. TCG is North America's largest independent publisher of dramatic literature, with 14 Pulitzer Prizes for Best Play on the TCG booklist. It also publishes the award-winning American Theatre magazine and ARTSEARCH, the essential source for a career in the arts. In all of its endeavors, TCG seeks to increase the organizational efficiency of its member theatres, cultivate and celebrate the artistic talent and achievements of the field and promote a larger public understanding of, and appreciation for, the theatre. For more, go to www.tcg.org.

To post a comment, you must register and login.