Organizational Statutes

The International Association of Theatre Critics first adopted its organizational statutes on 21 March 1994 during an Extraordinary General Assembly at the World Congress in Montevideo, Uruguay. The governing document was subsequently amended during Extraordinary General Assemblies at World Congresses in Turin, Italy (10 March 2006), Belgrade, Serbia (29 September 2016), and St. Petersburg, Russia (15 November 2018).

Following the 15 May 2021 online General Assembly, the Executive Committee appointed a working group charged with thoroughly reviewing and revising the statutes in order to enhance democratic procedures, update language, and account for developments since past revisions. The working group was chaired by Honorary President Margareta Sörenson, included three members of the Executive Committee, which was later expanded to four members, and three senior members of the association. The working group met regularly with the Executive Committee during monthly meetings to consider input from any and all members of the association from throughout the globe. In total, there were 18 participants, representing 16 countries on five continents. The process took approximately 15 months to complete, and the result was unanimously passed by the Executive Committee in September 2022.

In accordance with the statutes, the proposed revisions were distributed more than sixty days in advance of the Extraordinary General Assembly, which was held 23 May 2024 in Brno, Czechia. Honorary President Sörenson presented the revisions to the assembly, numerous questions were asked and answered. A vote was taken and the revisions passed unanimously.

23 May 2024

1. Identity and Aims of the Association

1. The International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC) is a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO), which operates as a partner organization of International Theatre Institute – UNESCO (ITI – UNESCO).
2. Its purpose is to promote international understanding, through discussion and debate, by bringing together critics, scholars, and practitioners who communicate about all of the performing arts including theatre, dance, opera, musical theatre and other performative forms, hereafter referred to collectively as “theatre”.
3. The IATC seeks to foster critical and scholarly writing about the theatre; to promote and protect intellectual freedom as well as freedom of speech and the freedom to publish. The IATC seeks to support the ethical and professional interests of its members as well as to contribute to reciprocal awareness and understanding between cultures by encouraging international meetings and exchanges in the field.
4. The IATC cooperates with other organizations having essentially similar aims.
5. The IATC is established for an unlimited period of time with its initial place of incorporation Paris, France. Administrative offices will be designated from time to time by the President and General Secretary.
6. The official languages of the IATC are French and English.

2. Activities

1. The IATC hosts a regularly updated bilingual website where the activities of the association as a whole including information about its Executive Committee, officers and member centers are reported. The website, normally operated by the General Secretary, also includes the organization’s archives.
2. The IATC will normally hold a General Assembly every two years. Each General Assembly may include an international conference or seminar connected to the subject of theatre criticism.
3. The IATC publishes a journal, Critical Stages as presented in these statutes under Article 3.The IATC will present an award every two years to a person whose writings on theatre have helped to bring new insights and understanding to theatre generally.
4. The Executive Committee will request member associations to nominate candidates prior to each award and may augment nominations with its own candidates. The Executive Committee will make the final decision on which nominee receives the award. The award will normally be presented within the framework of an IATC congress.
5. The IATC will normally propose and organize on its own or in association with other organizations, congresses, symposia, seminars, research projects, publications or other activities having as their object the study of a theme or the development of understanding relevant to theatre criticism and/or theatre in general. As a priority among these will be regularly organized workshops for both young as well as experienced professional critics. At least one of the two official languages of IATC will be used as a working language of such events along with the language of the host, or other relevant language.
6. The General Assembly and/or IATC Executive Committee will have the authority to create study groups on a temporary or permanent basis. It may also participate in research at the request of other national or international organizations.

3. Critical Stages

1. The IATC’s journal — Critical Stages/Scènes critiques — was created in 2009 and continues to publish at least twice a year with articles in the two languages of the association. It is and shall continue to be peer reviewed, indexed, and fully committed to the Open Access initiative. It is and shall continue to offer itself as a platform of quality writing for critics, practitioners, theorists, and researchers from both within and without the IATC to debate and explore a range of theatre activities and ideas from around the world.
2. The IATC has been and shall continue to be responsible for financing the journal’s publication from its own budget and may undertake specific fundraising for it.
3. The President of the IATC or the President’s designate from the Executive Committee shall serve as Publisher.
4. The journal will be managed by an Editor-in-Chief (Editor), who is appointed by the Executive Committee for an initial period of three years. The appointment may be renewed for additional three-year terms by the Executive Committee. The Editor will normally appoint an Executive Editor and an Associate Editor to work closely with the Editor. The Editor may also appoint additional distinguished critics and scholars from around the world to serve as an International Editorial Advisory Board. Two additional persons may be appointed by the Editor specifically as Language Editors, one for French articles and one for English articles. The Language Editors will serve as part of the Editorial Advisory Board on an adjunct basis. If necessary, the Language Editors may be paid an honorarium for their work.

4. Membership

1. The IATC consists of Member Associations each with its own respective members as well as Individual Members, Associate Members and Honorary Members.
2. Member Associations are specifically established as National or Regional Associations of performing arts critics and scholars. To be eligible, a Member Association must have at least ten members (five members in countries with populations of less than one million). Member Associations will have their own regulations in accordance with laws and customs of their own respective countries or regions. Such regulations must essentially be in accord with IATC statutes.
   1. If a nation has more than one distinct association of theatre critics wishing to join the IATC, each association may make application, and each may be accepted should IATC believe that a single association does not truly represent all national groups for linguistic or other significant reasons. For purposes of dues payment and voting, however, any country granted multiple associations will have only a single vote on IATC matters. That is, all National Associations accepted to membership will be designated part of a single “National Section” of the IATC. Each approved association will be responsible for sharing the national dues payments based on total membership.
   2. A Regional Association will normally be comprised of theatre critics from two or more nations which have no national associations of their own. Nations with at least five theatre critics should try to form their own National Associations rather than applying as part of a Regional Association.
3. Individual Members of IATC will normally be critics from countries with no National Association.
   1. All applicants for such status must explain their particular reasons and must prove they have been theatre writers and/or scholars in the field for at least three years with a proven record of media publication.
   2. The IATC may, at its discretion, admit members of other international theatre organizations as Associate Members. Associate members will not have the right to hold any IATC-issued press credentials.
4. The IATC Executive Committee is the approving body for all new Member Associations, Regional Associations, and Individual Members. Each Member Association, Regional Association or Individual Member is required to pay annual dues at a rate set by the General Assembly. Membership in IATC will cease on receipt of written resignation to the President and/or General Secretary, non-payment of dues after 60 days written notification of such by the IATC Treasurer, or of expulsion for grave cause as determined by a majority vote of the General Assembly.
5. Persons of eminence who have given the IATC international assistance or who have distinguished themselves in service to the theatre may be elected Honorary Members by the General Assembly on proposal of the Executive Committee.

5. General Assembly

1. The General Assembly is composed of delegates from the Member Associations. At least one delegate from one-half the qualifying officially nominated Member Associations must be present to form a quorum. Each Member Association is allowed a maximum of two delegates. A Member Association also serving on the Executive Committee may have one additional delegate. The choice of individual delegates is left to each Member Association. IATC officers shall be non-voting delegates while Individual Members, Honorary Members and non-delegate members of Member Associations may also attend but not vote.
2. The General Assembly will normally meet every two years on a date and in a place specified by the Executive Committee. Such meetings may take place electronically in the case of extraordinary circumstances. On request by a majority of Member Associations, the General Assembly may be convened in extraordinary session. A minimum of three months’ notice is required for the call to any such General Assembly.
3. The General Assembly will elect a President and General Secretary. The President and General Secretary must belong to a Member Association. The President’s Member Association may not hold a seat on the Executive Committee during the President’s term of office.
4. At each General Assembly, a new Executive Committee composed of ten National Member Associations will be elected. Candidacies for the new Executive Committee must be received in writing by the General Secretary no later than three months before a General Assembly. Statements of candidacy should indicate the name of the individual from each Member Association who will stand for election to the next Executive Committee. The statement should include reasons for the Member Association’s candidacy and why the individual representative is a suitable candidate. The statement should be less than a single page and written in one or both of the official languages of the Association.
5. A Nominating Committee of three persons, honorary or former members of the Executive Committee or persons of note from the general membership, will be elected by each General Assembly to collate the next Assembly’s candidacy statements into a common form. Such nominations will be sent to the Member Associations at least two months prior to the next General Assembly. The Nominating Committee will report to the Executive Committee at the last meeting prior to a General Assembly to confirm that there are suitable candidates available for all positions.
6. The General Assembly will receive written reports from the President, General Secretary and General Treasurer on the status, administration, and financial management of the IATC. It will also hear from financial auditors, consider for approval financial statements for the preceding period, consider for approval a budget for the ensuing period, appoint auditors, elect Honorary Members, and discuss questions put before it by the Executive Committee. An agenda must be submitted to the Member Associations two months before each General Assembly.
7. Only official delegates of Member Associations that have paid their dues may vote. Each Member Association will have one vote. Questions will be decided by majority vote with abstentions counting as votes against the question under discussion. Elections will normally be by secret ballot. If a General Assembly is in extraordinary session, any amendments to the Articles of Association will require a two-thirds affirmative vote.
8. The official languages of the General Assembly will be French, English and that of the host country.

6. Executive Committee and Officers

1. Between General Assemblies the IATC will be administered by an Executive Committee, which will deal with all matters concerning the organization, its management, and conduct. It has the right to admit Member Associations, Individual Members, and Associate Members. It may appoint additional individuals without the right to vote.
   1. Member Associations will choose their own representatives to stand for election to the Executive Committee, according to the Member Associations’ own internal rules. Although consistency of representation to meetings is valuable, a delegated person may be sent when necessary, so that each Executive Committee seat is filled. A delegated person must be a member of the Section represented at a meeting. IATC honorary officers are entitled to attend Executive Committee meetings in a non- voting capacity.
   2. To be elected to the Executive Committee an association must have been a member of the IATC for at least one previous General Assembly. If a Member Association is deemed by the Executive Committee to have abandoned its Executive Committee seat, or if it declares its inability to serve, or it leaves the IATC, the Executive Committee may choose another Member Association to replace it, taking into account the ranked voting at the previous General Assembly. The two official languages of the IATC should be represented on the Executive Committee.
   3. The Executive Committee will meet at least twice each year electronically and/or in person. Meetings are normally convened by the President or, in unusual circumstances, upon request of one-half of the Executive Committee’s members.
   4. Proxy votes are not permitted at Executive Committee meetings. A quorum of the Executive Committee shall consist of one half of its voting members. Decisions will be made by a simple majority of any votes cast. The President may vote only to resolve ties.
   5. The Executive Committee will elect Vice Presidents from among its own members. It will also elect a General Treasurer. It may also appoint non-voting assistants or associates to any position it chooses. All may participate in Executive Committee meetings to provide counsel, as necessary. Only elected Executive Committee members have a vote, except as noted in 6.1.d., above.
2. The President is elected by the General Assembly and may be re-elected for a total of no more than three consecutive terms of two years each. The President represents the IATC in all legal and civil matters and has responsibility for the expenditures of the IATC. The President convenes and presides over the meetings of the General Assembly and Executive Committee but may designate one of the Vice Presidents to assume any duties temporarily.
   1. As Vice Presidents are not elected by the General Assembly, they are not specifically classified as Officers unless designated and delegated by the President. Should the President be unable to make such designation, it will fall to the General Secretary and Executive Committee to delegate such responsibilities.
   2. If the President is unable to fulfill any duties, the General Secretary may replace the President until the next meeting of the Executive Committee. At that meeting, if the President’s continuing incapacity is affirmed by a two-thirds vote, the Executive Committee will elect one of the Vice-Presidents to serve as President until the next General Assembly.
3. A General Secretary will be elected by the General Assembly for a four-year term. The General Secretary may be re-elected for no more than two consecutive terms, eight years in total.
   1. The General Secretary administers decisions made by the General Assembly and Executive Committee. The General Secretary reports to each General Assembly on the affairs of the IATC. If necessary, the General Secretary may assume the President’s duties in legal and civil matters.
   2. The General Secretary does not vote in the Executive Committee.
   3. The General Secretary maintains minutes of the meetings of the General Assembly and Executive Committee, submits them for Executive Committee approval, and distributes them as appropriate.
   4. If the General Secretary is unable to fulfill their duties, they may be replaced by vote of the Executive Committee until the next General Assembly.
4. A General Treasurer is elected by the Executive Committee for a four-year term, which may be renewed once. The General Treasurer administers the financial assets of the IATC and maintains appropriate accounts and records. At each General Assembly, the General Treasurer will present a financial statement for the preceding period and a prospective budget for the ensuing period.
5. The financial accounts of the IATC will be examined by two Auditors appointed by each General Assembly. The Auditors will inspect the accounts and justifying documents before submitting their reports to the General Assembly. The Auditors may make proposals, which they judge to be in the best interests of the IATC.
6. After consultation with the Executive Committee, the President has the right to commission members and officers within the Executive Committee to assume responsibilities for special tasks. The President may also, with the consent of the Executive Committee, commission study groups for temporary and/or limited tasks of importance to the Association.
7. Officers and Executive Committee members will receive no remuneration from the IATC for their services.

7. Financial Resources

1. The financial resources of the IATC consist of:
   1. Membership dues, which are determined by the General Assembly. The Executive Committee may adjust dues for members in unusual circumstances.
   2. Funds that the IATC raises through special activities must be approved by the President. These must be accounted for to the Executive Committee.
   3. Subsidies are subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

8. Powers Not Assigned

1. Details of management and all matters not specified in these Articles are the responsibility of the Executive Committee.

9. Articles of Association

1. These Articles shall be in force as soon as they are adopted by a two-thirds vote of the General Assembly.
2. These Articles may be amended on a motion proposed by either the General Assembly or Executive Committee, circulated to the Member Associations two months in advance of a General Assembly at the latest, and require a two-thirds vote of that General Assembly in a session called for this purpose.

10. Dissolution of the Association

1. The dissolution of the IATC may be decided by a three-fourths vote of the Member Associations. Any cash or funds in its accounts at dissolution shall be disbursed according to original gift conditions, remitted to UNESCO or another agreed charitable institution with similar aims of the IATC.