Institute for Theatre Journalism and Advocacy (ITJA)
ITJA challenges writers to embrace the technology and social media areas that are rapidly changing the field by writing blogs, previews, and reviews, as well as responding orally in the form of interviews, vlogs, and podcasts. Students interested in writing, criticism, or literary management are encouraged to register for this program. Whether you hope to become a professional arts journalist or just love talking and writing about theater, ITJA is a fantastic Festival opportunity.
All students from the region are eligible to participate in ITJA. A student does not need to be nominated by a respondent or faculty member. The most important attributes participants share are a love of theatre, the ability to communicate, and a desire to use their skills to help contribute to the development of strong theatre. Students must be enrolled at an institution at the time of the program or have graduated within the last year.
How to Participate:
In 2024, students can participate in ITJA during the Region 5 Festival, January 16-21. The programming will consist of workshops, master classes, discussions, and assignments.
Region 5 will name an ITJA Fellow. To be considered for the national program, students must complete the three ITJA assignments and submit them for consideration. The assignments are the same across regions.
The National ITJA consultant and interim director is Billy McEntee, Theatre Editor of the Brooklyn Rail and freelance Arts Journalist. As regional ITJA Fellows are named, Billy will meet with each Fellow virtually, and if warranted, a group virtual meeting with the students will be scheduled close to the conclusion of the eight regional festivals. National Festival determinations will be made at this time. It is projected that the top four student ITJA Fellows will be invited to the Kennedy Center in April for professional development. The subsequent national scholarship to attend the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center will be awarded then.
Session One
An introduction to arts journalism, outlining the wider importance and potential impact of producing stories that accurately respond to a piece of theater while holistically advocating for the industry and the art form. An ITJA guest artist will present an accessible method for brainstorming story ideas that would be enjoyable for a young journalist to explore and engaging for others to read.
Assignment: Watch one production and email two pitches for feature stories based on the work. Each pitch should span a few sentences and clearly state the topic, angle, and format of the story. Students can imagine these stories would be for whichever publications, whether niche websites or major newspapers.
Session Two
In this session, students discuss what goes into a review and what qualifies as a fair one. Whether you research writers, actors, or topics before seeing a show will be up for debate, and instructors will share what they look for during a performance, how to take notes, and what measurements should be put in place for penning a fair review (punching up but not punching down).
Assignment: Watch one production and email a 400–500-word review. It should include the show's premise, the names of its major players, and the critic's evaluations. Students can imagine these stories would be for whichever publications, whether niche websites or major newspapers.
Session Three
A workshop all about interviewing, the crucial skill that creates the basis for all kinds of arts journalism stories. The guest artist will go through the do's and don'ts of such timed chats with high-profile subjects and reveal surefire strategies for encouraging someone to open up about even the toughest topics one can discuss.
Assignment: Students will select a production seen at the festival or one from a list of Broadway shows and put together a pitch for why a certain involved individual should be interviewed along with five strong interview questions for them.
All students from the region are eligible to participate in ITJA. A student does not need to be nominated by a respondent or faculty member. The most important attributes participants share are a love of theatre, the ability to communicate, and a desire to use their skills to help contribute to the development of strong theatre. Students must be enrolled at an institution at the time of the program or have graduated within the last year.
How to Participate:
In 2024, students can participate in ITJA during the Region 5 Festival, January 16-21. The programming will consist of workshops, master classes, discussions, and assignments.
Region 5 will name an ITJA Fellow. To be considered for the national program, students must complete the three ITJA assignments and submit them for consideration. The assignments are the same across regions.
The National ITJA consultant and interim director is Billy McEntee, Theatre Editor of the Brooklyn Rail and freelance Arts Journalist. As regional ITJA Fellows are named, Billy will meet with each Fellow virtually, and if warranted, a group virtual meeting with the students will be scheduled close to the conclusion of the eight regional festivals. National Festival determinations will be made at this time. It is projected that the top four student ITJA Fellows will be invited to the Kennedy Center in April for professional development. The subsequent national scholarship to attend the National Critics Institute at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center will be awarded then.
Session One
An introduction to arts journalism, outlining the wider importance and potential impact of producing stories that accurately respond to a piece of theater while holistically advocating for the industry and the art form. An ITJA guest artist will present an accessible method for brainstorming story ideas that would be enjoyable for a young journalist to explore and engaging for others to read.
Assignment: Watch one production and email two pitches for feature stories based on the work. Each pitch should span a few sentences and clearly state the topic, angle, and format of the story. Students can imagine these stories would be for whichever publications, whether niche websites or major newspapers.
Session Two
In this session, students discuss what goes into a review and what qualifies as a fair one. Whether you research writers, actors, or topics before seeing a show will be up for debate, and instructors will share what they look for during a performance, how to take notes, and what measurements should be put in place for penning a fair review (punching up but not punching down).
Assignment: Watch one production and email a 400–500-word review. It should include the show's premise, the names of its major players, and the critic's evaluations. Students can imagine these stories would be for whichever publications, whether niche websites or major newspapers.
Session Three
A workshop all about interviewing, the crucial skill that creates the basis for all kinds of arts journalism stories. The guest artist will go through the do's and don'ts of such timed chats with high-profile subjects and reveal surefire strategies for encouraging someone to open up about even the toughest topics one can discuss.
Assignment: Students will select a production seen at the festival or one from a list of Broadway shows and put together a pitch for why a certain involved individual should be interviewed along with five strong interview questions for them.
Active Participation
We want you to help bring the festival to life! Participants are encouraged to be the connectors and communicators that this evolving field requires by actively seeking out opportunities for collaboration at the Festival, interacting with a large variety of disciplines, interviewing, observing, and actively responding to the work of their fellow artists.
As a member of the ITJA team, you will interpret/critique events for the KCACTF audience at large in the format you choose (blog, podcast, review, photo essay, etc., shared on the KCACTF website). ITJA participants can use the entire festival as their canvas, upon which they write, comment, and critique, all as theatre advocates.
What do I need to bring to the Festival for ITJA?
You will need a laptop computer or tablet with wireless capability for the sessions. If you are podcasting, a phone with video and voice recorder capabilities that you are comfortable with and, if you so desire, you will need to know how to edit and post photographs to various social media platforms. Much of the writing or editing occurs at night, in your rooms, after you have seen a show or conducted interviews.
If providing equipment presents a problem, notify ITJA Regional Coordinator, Susan V. Hansen, Susan.Hansen@riverland.edu in advance and an attempt will be made to assist you. Depending on the policies of the conference host, we may be able to borrow equipment from a school library, technology support office, or academic department.
As a member of the ITJA team, you will interpret/critique events for the KCACTF audience at large in the format you choose (blog, podcast, review, photo essay, etc., shared on the KCACTF website). ITJA participants can use the entire festival as their canvas, upon which they write, comment, and critique, all as theatre advocates.
What do I need to bring to the Festival for ITJA?
You will need a laptop computer or tablet with wireless capability for the sessions. If you are podcasting, a phone with video and voice recorder capabilities that you are comfortable with and, if you so desire, you will need to know how to edit and post photographs to various social media platforms. Much of the writing or editing occurs at night, in your rooms, after you have seen a show or conducted interviews.
If providing equipment presents a problem, notify ITJA Regional Coordinator, Susan V. Hansen, Susan.Hansen@riverland.edu in advance and an attempt will be made to assist you. Depending on the policies of the conference host, we may be able to borrow equipment from a school library, technology support office, or academic department.
Deadline for entry is January 6, 2024 at 5 pm
Please remember, in order to participate in this event you must register for the festival