Area of Learning
Learning from the Waves of the Past: How historical changes have shaped the present and can inform the future. This festival invites students to explore how history continues to shape our identities, communities, and the world around us. Through collaborative theatre-making, participants will examine pivotal moments from the past and reflect on the lessons they offer for building more inclusive, thoughtful, and resilient futures.

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
As part of the cultural experience, participants will travel to Plymouth for a site visit and museum-based workshop titled “13 Moons and 12,000 Years.” at the Plimoth Patuxet open air Museums. This immersive session invites students to explore Indigenous history, culture, and land-based knowledge, offering a powerful and reflective lens through which to connect past and present—and to inspire their creative responses during the festival.

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: 09:00 am (UK time), Monday 5 May 2025
• Closes: 11:59 pm (UK time), Thursday 29 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.

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: Thursday 9 April  2026 4:00 PM
• End: Sunday, 12 April 2026 1:30 PM

Educator Workshops

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

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

🍏 3 evening meals, 2 lunches and daily snacks will be provided by the host school. Breakfasts should be booked at the hotel.

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