What is a Special Interest Groups (SIG)?

The Special Interest Groups (SIGs) consist of a team of coordinators and a group of international teachers, researchers and artists that gather in a dialogue and exchange around an area of interest or research about relevant topics, challenges, aims, methods and approaches in drama/theatre and education. They are a way to structure the Congress Academic and Pedagogical Program to guarantee the continuity of IDEA’s policy, research and project development between world congresses.

Where do the SIGs take place?

The SIGs during the congress are ideally Live Circles of conversations. However, it is possible to create an Online Circle or even a hybrid one. Some groups could begin before the congress and even continue after the congress.

The coordinators will have a group of 10 to 20 researchers and artists in a classroom. The main goal of the coordinator is to rouse a conversation inviting the group to exchange their ideas that are being nurtured by the other activities during the congress. 

How are they conformed?

The number of SIGs will vary from congress to congress, as the SIGs are also related to the specific Congress theme.

Moderators should propose dynamics and methodologies that help create connections between each participant's knowledge as the group bound around the subject of study. By the end of the congress each SIG presents some conclusions and highlights of potential areas for further exploration. The purpose of these calls to action is to inspire follow-up initiatives and collaborative projects among participants, fostering a continuous exchange of ideas beyond the congress itself.

When do the SIGs take place?

SIGs have been a part of each IDEA world congress to date, offering participants the chance to meet three to four times during the Congress program. Some of them take place before, during and after a Congress. 

Dates:

Submissions for SIGs Coordinator and themes: March 23rd, 2024.

Notification of acceptance: March 8th, 2024. 

 

Who participates in the SIGs?

The Congresses offer an opportunity for researchers and educators working in universities, schools, communities, NGOs and social movements in the hosting country and elsewhere to exchange information and experience, and to develop new collaborative activities or projects.

As criteria for selection for the Special Interest groups coordinator and subjects, the Congress Organizing Committee considers balancing diversity of topics, geography, gender, working areas in education, art education and contemporary research.

Why are SIGs an essential part of IDEA?

SIGs are working groups whose spirit is bringing together people that are moved by a similar interest; their goal is to inspire each other as participants or give new ideas to teachers, researchers and artists and also create networks connected with subjects that will contribute to the empowerment of drama education. 

 What is the difference between workshops and lectures and SIGs?

Workshops and lectures are experiences condensed in a certain and specific amount of time, SIG are expected to remind live for a while, even though by the end of the congress the participants have some conclusions, these are not final.

SIGs are meetings of experts from all over the world, who want to exchange their experiences and knowledge and expectations and methods according to a specific theme/topic/question. Therefore, the SIG-leaders are not "presenters"/"speakers"/"Workshop-facilitators", but only initiators and moderators.