USITT > Activities

What does USITT do? The Institute is involved with many activities that are of interest to its members throughout the year and during the Annual Conference & Stage Expo when a majority of them meet together. Providing opportunities for creating and sharing information with the membership is a focus ? and is accomplished through:

• support for publications in print and electronically,
• exhibitions in the United States and abroad,
• a program of grants and fellowships,
• and by conferring awards.

USITT and its members are actively involved with creating and disseminating standards within the entertainment industry, and providing education and training through Professional Development Workshops, symposia, and sessions at the Annual Conference.

USITT has several Special Interest Groups. The Commissions, groups of USITT members having similar interests, are at the center of much of the Institute activity and programming. In addition, the many committees, the geographically-based Regional Sections, and the Student Chapters located in a variety of educational institutions all contribute to the wide range of things occurring within USITT.

USITT also works closely with other organizations that share similar interests. Among them are ESTA (www.esta.org), CITT (www.citt.org), and OISTAT(www.oistat.org). Additional organizations are listed on USITT's Related Sites page.

Annual Conference & Stage Expo: Held in a different North American city each year, the conference attracts an estimated 3,500 attendees from all over the world who share their knowledge and expertise with one another. The conference offers over 175 sessions focusing on design, technology, costume, sound, architecture, management, engineering, and production. The Conference includes Professional Development Workshops, design exhibitions and competitions, tours of performance facilities, Stage Expo, and an Awards Banquet. Stage Expo showcases businesses, products, services, and educational opportunities in the performing arts and entertainment industry, and is the setting for special technical and design exhibitions, and craft demonstrations.

Awards: USITT recognizes excellence and significant contributions in the performing arts and entertainment industry in the areas of design and technology through a variety of awards. Awards are presented to individuals and organizations, authors, and architects, as well as to Young Designers & Technicians in the Performing Arts.

Certification: The Entertainment Technician Certification Program (ETCP) is a new industry-wide program of ESTA that is being developed with CITT, IATSE, IAAM, TEA, and USITT. Personnel certification is the voluntary process that grants recognition to an individual who has demonstrated certain abilities, skills, and knowledge. The program will include the creation of exams, conducting them, awarding initial certifications, and re-certifying individuals. Electrical skills and rigging skills are the first two areas being developed.

Costume Symposium: Sponsored by the USITT Costume Commission, this yearly symposium offers an in-depth focus on selected topics. Typically a three-day event, the symposium offers specialized hands-on opportunities for those who attend.

Grants & Fellowships: A unique program of grants and fellowships offered to actively promote the advancement of the knowledge and skills of our members. Project support grants are awarded up to $10,000 and fellowships up to $15,000. Grants and fellowships are funded from The Edward F. Kook Endowment Fund.

International Tours: Tours are arranged, through the International Committee of USITT, by its' tour coordinator, Dick Durst.

• USITT hosts a tour to the Prague Quadrennial every four years. The 2007 tour, through Central Europe: Croatia, Serbia, Montenegro, and the Czech Republic, was led by Dick Durst and hosted by Miodrag Tabacki from May 30 to June 19, 2007.
• Information about the 2009 Egypt & Jordan Study tour is available here.

A variety of Online Resources provide USITT an important mechanism for sharing information with the membership. These include a Calendar that lists all USITT deadlines and events. USITT's newsletter, Sightlines, contains short announcements and features about Institute members and their many activities, and is available electronically as are the archives. JobsUSITT provides members with job listings, and the Online Bookstore makes many useful publications available to members at a substantial discount.

Prague Quadrennial (PQ): Held in Prague every four years, PQ is one of the world's most prestigious competitive theatre art exhibitions. USITT produces the United States exhibit as a showcase for achievement in American design. The 2003 U.S. entry in the National competition received a special honorary diploma recognizing the exhibit's “inclusivity and internationalism.” The U.S. also had exhibits in the Architecture and Student competitions.

Standards Development: USITT supports, develops, and promotes a wide variety of standards for the theatrical and entertainment industry including DMX512 and NEC. USITT works closely with the Technical Standards Program of ESTA (the Entertainment Services and Technology Association).

TD&T: USITT's quarterly journal features articles on the latest trends in design and technology, as well as historical perspectives. Costume, scenery, lighting, architecture, and stage technology are just some of the topics that are featured. TD&T also includes book reviews, product evaluations, and two regular columns -- one is about Institute affairs and the other, by Beeb Salzer, contains his observations about life in the theatre.

USITT at 50: USITT was founded in 1960 and will celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2010. The theme is Honoring Our Past/Securing Our Future. Plans are being made for a year-long celebration to honor USITT's past. A fund-raising campaign with the goal of securing the future has been launched.