Theatre for Youth and Community Collection

Who are we?

Mission, vision, and values

ASU Library’s Theatre for Youth and Community Collection has a primary mission to acquire, preserve and make available materials that document the international history
of professional theatre for young audiences, youth theatre, theatre education
and community-engaged theatre practices. The Theatre for Youth and Community (TFYC)
collection includes over 2,600 linear feet of archival papers, over 3,000 books, 300 journal
titles and over 400 audiovisual media from the 16th century to present day. 
We work to leverage the power and potential of collections that reflect the diversity of our community. We seek to provide robust research support and creative teaching
and learning opportunities, and to strengthen regional
connections with institutional partners.

Our vision is to build a more inclusive collection that acknowledges the past while also documenting the present.
Our values include:
» Care. ASU Library operates from a care-based approach in the ways we work with researchers and collections. We seek to build trust in our stewardship of our collections
and provide quality service to our users.
» Collaboration. We strive to engage with our partners in support of faculty, students and our community by providing creative and innovative leadership in education, collection management, and outreach. We believe that everyone, including youth has much to contribute and share.
» Community. We foster a culture of respect and accountability while recentering historically marginalized narratives. We also value accessibility, inclusivity and
equity in the partnerships we seek to sustain on campus and in the community.
 

What do we collect?

We collect nationally in scope with a regional focus on the Phoenix metropolitan area, centering on four main areas: youth theatre, education, community and theatre for young audiences. This includes manuscripts, scripts, educational and curricular materials, design materials and theatre company records. The collection provides insight into the history and development of the field of theatre for young audiences, the implementation of drama in education programs, theatre in education and the performing arts for young audiences
worldwide. Materials in this collection document the history of the field and the
educational work of its practitioners, and helps to form its memory. We are in an
exciting time for disruptive, innovative work that actively works towards anti-racist and
anti-oppressive futures. We aim to center the experiences, perspectives and needs
of BIPOC creators with an intersectional approach. We amplify identities that are
historically marginalized based on gender, ability and belonging to the LGBTQIA+
community. It is a time to reimagine producing, touring and funding models,
cross-cultural community partnerships, environmental and eco-theatre, and Theatre
for the Very Young (TVY).
We embrace the exciting new directions of the field and its evolving path forward.

Want to view this collection?

Materials in the Theatre for Youth and Community Collection can be viewed by appointment in the Wurzburger Reading Room at Hayden Library (rm. 138). Please make an appointment at least five business days prior to your visit by contacting Ask an Archivist or call 480-965-4932 for more information.

Questions?

Ask an Archivist

Work we're passionate about