Area of Learning: Celebrating Artistic Waves: How art and theatre can act as catalysts for social and personal transformation 

Festival Story: Coming Soon

A festival story is the central idea that inspires exploration and creative work throughout an ISTA festival.

Cultural Experience: At this festival, the cultural experience will be a combination of performance and workshop led by an aerial artist. A cultural experience at an ISTA festival is an opportunity for participants to connect with the local culture, people, or place, inspiring creative exploration 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:   Registration window to be confirmed

• Opens: 9:00 am (UK time), Monday 5 May 2025 
• Closes:  11:59 pm (UK time), Thursday 17 July 2025
• 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

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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.

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Festival Schedule:

• Start: 8:30 am Thursday 25 September 2025
• End: 3:45 pm Saturday 27 September 2025

Participants are expected to attend all sessions of the festival.

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Educator Workshops

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

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

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

Non-local schools will make their own arrangements for the evening meal on Wednesday evening.

• The ISTA Young Creative Leadership Programme (IYCLP) offers high school students aged 16+ a chance to develop as creative leaders. Through reflective tasks, mentorship, and leading at a middle school festival, students gain practical experience and create a plan to apply their leadership skills in their own communities. This valuable service-learning opportunity can also support other leadership initiatives.
• You can apply for IYCLP places during the festival booking process.

Appropriate attire

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

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

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