By Madalena Parreira As I lifted the 1948 Ford Deluxe convertible, it hit me — the car wouldn’t fit through the door. I was going to have to chop it up. I dropped the life-size automobile I built for Grease in the middle of a freezing school patio and went...
By Neha Choksy and Saket Raje Nautanki is a vibrant folk theatre tradition from North India, deeply rooted in rural entertainment. Combining storytelling, music, dance, and humour, Nautanki captivates audiences with tales of love, bravery, and social change. Its enduring appeal lies in its ability to reflect both cultural heritage...
By Tristan Tull (UK) As any film graduate will tell you, the leap from second year to the final-year project stretches the tendons. Students will enter their concluding year having worked on a number of productions and will be finding their feet as film-makers. What happens with the ‘grad film’...
By Lauren Cullimore (Australia) Creativity is vital, and dance is its purest expression. For me, teaching dance is about shaping critical thinkers, creators, and principled citizens, who will make a positive impact on the future. Teaching is an opportunity to educate and inspire the next generation of dance artists — individuals...
By Claron McFadden (The Netherlands) I am a vocalist, and singing helps me make sense of the world in which I live. There is something quite profound about this simple act: inhaling, feeling the lungs expand and then feeling the vibration of sound riding on the gently exhaled air. For...
By Ramesh Meyyappan (Scotland) My career in theatre has spanned almost 30 years — as performer, teacher, actor, and director. For many years I have focused on developing my own visual theatrical vocabulary. This is an important aspect of my work — making it accessible to deaf and hearing while attempting to...
Mark Your Calendar: ISTA Event Launch & Booking Dates UPDATE: Booking for TAPS Ignite and FRAME opens on Monday 13 April 2026 at 1:00pm (UK time). The time has come to start planning for the next ISTA season. Whether you’re mapping student experiences, scheduling your professional development, or...
Anyone who has ever worked in theatre knows the quiet power of a great stage manager. They don't appear under the lights, but they hold everything together — coordinating moving parts, anticipating issues, keeping people informed, and creating the conditions for creativity to thrive. Behind every ISTA festival, TAPS,...
2025 has been a year of change and transition at ISTA. Many of you have experienced the introduction of new platforms, new processes and new ways of working. I am deeply grateful for your patience, flexibility and goodwill as we have navigated these shifts together. Change is rarely seamless, and...
