- World Theatre Day was initiated in 1961 by the International Theatre Institute ITI. It is celebrated annually on the 27th March by ITI Centres and the international theatre community.
- Various national and international theatre events are organized to mark this occasion. One of the most important of these is the circulation of the World Theatre Day International Message which is written by a person who made a significant contribution to performing arts, particularly theater on the theme of Theatre and a Culture of Peace. The first World Theatre Day Message was written by Jean Cocteau, a prominent French playwright and filmmaker in 1962.
- The idea of World Theater Day was first proposed in 1962 by Arvi Kivimaa, director of the Finnish ITI Center. The first World Theater Day was held on March 27, 1962, which is the date of the opening of Theater of Nations season in Paris. World Theatre Day has been celebrated in many and varied ways by ITI Centres- of which there are now more than 90 throughout the world.
- The International theatre institute ITI is the world’s largest performing arts organization established in 1948 by theatre and dance experts and UNESCO. The Institute is dedicated to performing arts. It also promotes UNESCO’s goals of promotion of culture and peace irrespective of age, gender, creed, or ethnicity.
- There are certain Goals of the World Theatre Day, that are:
- To promote theatre in all its forms across the world.
- To make people aware of the value of theatre in all its forms.
- To enable theatre communities to promote their work on a broad scale so that governments and opinion leaders are aware of the value and importance of dance in all its forms and support it.
- To enjoy theatre in all its forms for its own sake.
- To share the joy of theatre with others.
