OISTAT was founded in Prague in 1968. It stands for “Organisation Internationale des Scénographes, Techniciens et Architectes de Théâtre” in French, and “International Organisation of Scenographers, Theatre Architects and Technicians” in English. OISTAT is a global network for theatre practitioners celebrating design, technology and architecture in live performances.
By definition of the Statutes, the directing body of OISTAT is the Congress, which is formed when the delegates of the OISTAT Centres, Individual Members and representatives of Associate Members, are assembled in plenary session. Every four years, the delegates of the Congress elect the President and the members of the Executive Committee. They also decide on changes of the Statutes and other important issues of the organization.
At the 2011 Congress, the Secretariat was renamed as the Headquarters. The Headquarters
is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the organization. It is composed by an
Executive Director and the staff. It was originally founded in Prague, then moved to
Amsterdam. The Headquarters is now located in Taipei, Taiwan.
Current Team of the Headquarters
The administration and priorities of OISTAT are established by the Executive Committee (EC)
with advice from the Governing Board (GB).
The Executive Committee consists of eight members including the President elected at the
Congress. The Governing Board is composed of the Chairs of all commissions and sub-commissions.
The Executive Committee normally meets twice per year. One of these meetings is coupled
with Governing Board. This serves to coordinate the activities of the commissions, sub-commissions
and of the projects of OISTAT.
Current Executive Committee
Current Governing Board
The essential activities of the organization are undertaken by the commissions and subcommissions
(former “working groups,” which were changed into “sub-commissions” in July
2017). They work in the following fields:
The commissions and sub-commissions meet once each year often by invitations extended from OISTAT Centres around the world. The meetings focus on organizational activities and projects to enable ongoing exchange of knowledge and culture. The host country usually arranges side programs such as seminars, workshops, theatre tours, and cultural activities to promote mutual benefit. Every four years, the commissions and sub-commissions elect Chairs to organize meetings as well as the activities between meetings, propose themes and coordinate with projects.
