Area of Learning
Exploring Cultural Waves: Celebrating diversity and understanding how cultural shifts shape our world. This festival invites young people to explore how cultures evolve, intersect, and influence identity and creativity. Through collaborative theatre-making, participants will reflect on the dynamic nature of cultural expression and the role the arts play in fostering connection, understanding, and celebration of difference.

Festival Story
The festival story is the central idea that inspires exploration and creative work throughout an ISTA festival. Festival story coming soon.

Cultural Experience
Set in the vibrant and artistic city of Amsterdam, participants will engage with local culture through workshops, gallery visits, and the exploration of public art. These experiences will serve as a springboard for creative inquiry, encouraging students to respond to the city’s diverse stories and evolving cultural landscape. More information coming soon.

ISTA Global Challenge
This event is part of ISTA’s season-wide theme: Waves of Change. The challenge invites young people to explore how change—personal, social, cultural, environmental, and historical—shapes our world. Through theatre, students reflect on their role in creating, responding to, and riding the waves of change in their own communities and beyond.

Booking secures your place at an ISTA festival by providing estimated participant numbers and paying a deposit. Registration finalises all participant details to support accurate planning for workshops, catering, and logistics.‍

Booking

• Opens: 9:00 am (UK time), Monday 5 May 2025
• Before booking, ensure your school can attend by confirming:
  
  • Travel restrictions and visa requirements
  • Parental approval
  • School authorisation
• At the time of booking, you must provide:
  
  • Estimated number of students
  • Estimated number of educators
  • Lead educator contact details

‍Deposit & Confirmation

• Once booked, you’ll receive an invoice for a 50% deposit based on student numbers. The deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable. Booking is only confirmed once the deposit is received (within 30 days). 
• Please only book spaces you are confident you can fill. 

Registration

• Opens: 9:00 am (UK time), Monday 5 May 2025
• Closes: 11:59 pm (UK time), Friday 9 January 2026
• Once registration opens, schools with confirmed places should complete participant registration as soon as possible. You’ll need to provide final student and educator details along with confirmed travel information. 

‍Changes in Student Numbers

• Fewer students than booked? Deposits for those students are forfeited.
• Need more students? Additional spaces may be requested. A 50% deposit per added student will apply.

‍Waitlist

• If the event reaches capacity, it will be marked Waitlist. 
• To be added to the waitlist, email the Event Manager with your requested number of students and educators. Spaces will be offered in the order requests are received.

Arrival & Departure 

• Arrival: at host venue by 8:15 am Friday 27 March 2026
• Departure: Plan to leave host venue after 3:45 pm Sunday 29 March 2026

Transport

• Nearest Airport: Schiphol Airport 
• Nearest Train station: Amsterdam Zuid
• The tram stop closest to the school is A.J. Ernstraat, lines 5 and 25.  The school is a 3-minute walk from the stop
• Participating schools will be responsible for arranging their own local transportation for this event. 

Visas

• It is the responsibility of the schools/participants to ensure they have the appropriate visas, as required.
• Please ensure that you start looking into visa requirements sooner rather than later as the process can take a significant amount of time.
• If you require assistance or additional documentation to support your visa applications please ensure to contact the event manager well in advance.

Accommodation

• Non-local participating schools are responsible for arranging their own accommodation.

ISTA festivals follow a two-step automated payment process:

Step 1: 50% Deposit at Booking

• Upon booking, a 50% deposit is required to secure your place. This deposit is non-refundable and non-transferable.
• Bookings are only confirmed once the deposit has been successfully paid.

Step 2: Final Balance After Registration Closes

• After registration closes, schools will be automatically invoiced for the remaining 50% of fees, based on the final number of students registered, plus any applicable surcharges.

Changes in Student Numbers

• Fewer students than booked: Deposits for non-attending students will be forfeited. (e.g. If 15 students are booked but only 10 attend, the deposit for 5 students is not refunded.)
• Additional students: A 50% deposit per added student will be invoiced at the time of the increase.

Festival Schedule 

• Start: Friday 27th March 2026 8:30AM 
• End: Sunday 29th March 2026 3:45PM

Educator Workshops

• One focused theatre workshop for teacher chaperones
• Collaborative resource-sharing session

E-Programmes containing detailed schedules, artist bios, and key event information will be sent to participating organisations two weeks before the event.

3 lunches, 2 evening meals and daily snacks will be provided by the host school.

Appropriate attire

• All participants must bring clothing that is suitable for physically active workshops during the day (athletic wear, PE kit, performance blacks, etc.) 

Please note

• Participants not dressed appropriately for physically active workshops may be asked to sit out.
• Participants may be asked to remove footwear, jewellery etc. for some workshops.
• Chewing gum is not permitted in any of the workshop spaces.

Materials 

• Pens, pencils, highlighters etc. for notetaking. 
• Refillable water bottle

‍