International network for Contemporary Performing Arts - IETM

IETM is a network and membership organisation which exists to stimulate the quality, development and contexts of contemporary performing arts in a global environment, by initiating and facilitating professional networking and communication, the dynamic exchange of information, know-how transfer and presentations of examples of good practice.

IETM aims to

• Anticipate: new artistic tendencies and evolutions in the environment of the contemporary performing arts in Europe and around the world
• Connect: diverse organisations who share common interests in a cross-sector network

   

• Catalyse: international partnerships, exchanges, collaborations and knowledge transfer

   

• Strengthen: the contemporary performing arts sector by providing new arguments for the arts and by supporting professionals via informal learning experiences

   

• Influence: public policy through active participation in cultural policy debates, policy for and through direct advocacy

   

• Federate: different actors in the sector through IETM’s neutral and international nature

   

IETM’s legal statute is an international non-profit association under Belgian law (aisbl). IETM is governed by the membership who elects a voluntary Board of Directors (around 25 representatives from the membership) to meet at least twice a year. The Board is delegated to make decisions on behalf of the membership but major developments and legalities (e.g. approving audited accounts/electing the Board, etc.) are presented to the Annual General Meeting of the membership. The “Full Board” then elects the Daily Board (around 6 representatives of the Full Board) who meet around 6 times a year and who are therefore much more involved in the day-to-day business of the Secretariat.

Reports are that IETM was ‘spontaneously declared’ in July 1981, at the 5th Festival of Polverigi (Ancona, Italy). Since then, IETM has organised two plenary meetings per year, always in different cities, with a growing number of professional participants, but always taking the format of discussions during the day and performances in the evening.