South African Association for Drama and Youth Theatre

(Acronym: SAADYT and its Afrikaans name: Suid-Afrikaanse Assosiasie vir Drama en Jeugteater)

Origins and aims

Formed by Esther Van Ryswyk in 1979 with the aim of bringing together people involved in youth drama and theatre and to improve and extend current practices. To this end the society held annual conferences, brought out numerous international experts - including ** Brian **, Gavin Bolton, John Norman, John O'Toole, Dorothy Heathcote, and sought and obtained affiliation to the international association ASSITEJ.

At the first meeting in Stellenbosch/Durban?*, Van Ryswyk was elected chair of the association, and remained in the position till ***. *** In a resolution adopted in 1987, to work through educational drama and theatre towards a just and democratic society. This caused a split in membership, with a number of more conservative members and individuals who felt that the educational focus was being lost to a political agenda , withdrew. By the 1990s the association had become a loose federation of regional groups.

SAADYT Newsletter

Initally the association published a Newsletter,

SAADYT Journal

The association originally published a Newsletter, later renamed the SAADYT Journal by Temple Hauptfleisch when he began and edited it for the association. It was later taken over by Paddy Terry and others.

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