Rules & Regulations

ITF attendees shall abide by the EdTA Code of Conduct and the following rules and regulations.

Registration Policies

Discount Codes

Use of a discount code is only valid at the time of the initial purchase/registration. Refunds will not be authorized for existing registrations where the special offer was received after the initial purchase. Limit one (1) special offer/discount code per registration. When discount codes are applied to a registration, the code will be added to the most recent registrant, not the entire group.

Payment

International Thespian Festival attendees and/or parents/legal guardians of minor attendees understand that payment in full must be received no later than June 11, 2025.

Confirmation

The Primary Adult Leader (PAL) for each group will receive an email confirmation of their registration from events@schooltheatre.org. (Be sure to add the address to your safe senders list!) If you have not received a confirmation within 5 business days of registering, please contact events@schooltheatre.org.

View Substitution and Cancelation Policies

Housing and Travel Policies

Event Housing

ITF attendees must stay either in on-campus housing or off-campus in one of the host hotels in the ITF group block to keep registration fees affordable. Attendees staying on campus must submit their housing assignments and adult chaperone agreements no later than May 14, 2025. Attendees and exhibitors staying in a host hotel must book their reservations before the May 14, 2025 housing cut-off date.

Adult Leaders

ITF requires an adult-to-student ratio of 1:8. Adult chaperones must be at least 21 years of age at the time of registration. Adult chaperones are expected to supervise and discipline minors attending with their group.

Parental Consent

Parental/guardian consent is required for all students attending ITF. Forms will be sent after May 7, 2025 and must be completed by June 11, 2025.

Curfew

All attendees (students and adults) must be in their assigned dorm rooms by 11:30 p.m. Quiet hours, with lights out, begin at 12 a.m. and end at 6:30 a.m.

Students missing curfew will be reported to the event safety team and may face disciplinary action.

For safety reasons, IU’s dorms have measures in place to track access and movements within the buildings. Students found to have left their floors after curfew will risk being sent home at their own expense.

Privacy

Adult attendees must respect the privacy of minor attendees in situations such as changing clothes, taking showers, and using restrooms and should intrude only to the extent that health and safety require. Adults must protect their own privacy in similar situations. In campus housing:

Adults are not permitted in any student’s room with the door closed for any reason.
Students are not permitted on a floor or in a room dedicated to a different gender than their own for any reason.
- IU's housing policy requires separation of students based on a gender binary, and students are not allowed on floors or in rooms that house students of genders other than their own.

Property Damage and Loss

Attendees are responsible to Indiana University for any damage to their room or campus property. Do not remove, alter, or damage any campus property. This includes posting messages on dorm windows.

Prior to checkout, attendees are expected to tidy their rooms and dorm lounges to the condition they were found at check-in. EdTA will bill the attendee, parents, or school for damage fees not collected at checkout.

To prevent fires and furniture damage, burning incense and candles is not permitted. Fireworks are also prohibited on campus.

To prevent theft, keep your dorm room locked.

Attendees may inquire about lost and found items at Registration and Information. Any items reported to lost and found will be held until Registration and Information closes on Friday, after which time any unclaimed items will be discarded. Indiana University and EdTA are not responsible for any lost, stolen, or damaged items.

University Regulations

While attending ITF, you are a guest of the university. Behave graciously and respect your fellow attendees, university staff and students, and local citizens. Follow all posted rules in campus buildings — for example, no outside food or drink in the theatres, and no audio, video, or camera recording of performances (except for the official event photographers).

Transportation

Chaperones might be asked to provide transportation to and from an event. Therefore, it is highly encouraged and a best practice for two adults to be in a vehicle while transporting students to events. If it is not possible to provide two adults for each vehicle, the minimum required is one adult and two or more minors. Staff and volunteers should use all safety precautions including only transporting the number of passengers the vehicle is recommended to carry. Minors must only ride in seats with safety belts.

Dietary Restrictions

All requests must be indicated at registration. Attendees with dietary restrictions who are staying on-campus will have access to Free From IX concept in dining halls where food is prepared with allergen-free ingredients. Attendees who indicate any dietary restriction will receive a dietary restriction ticket with registration materials on site. This ticket is required for special meals at any plated meal function (not including dining halls); special meals cannot be requested at meal functions without a dietary restrictions ticket. We work directly with on-campus dining and food and beverage vendors to accommodate requests; however, no area will be completely allergy-free.

Safety and Security Policies

Programs Involving Children

ITF is considered a Program Involving Children (PIC) at Indiana University Bloomington. Under IU’s PIC policy, EdTA is considered an external organization, and as such, additional safety procedures are required. Review the PIC policy.

Adult Background Checks

All adults participating at ITF in any capacity (attendees, volunteers, chaperones, contractors, teaching artists) must consent to a background check that includes the following per Indiana University’s Programs Involving Children (PIC) Policy:

A minimum of 7 years of name and address history
County criminal history
A national criminal database
A check of the Indiana state sex offender registry
A check of the national sex offender registry

Invitations to complete background checks will be sent via email and text after May 7, 2025.

Note: This is not a credit check, and your credit report will not be impacted. Background checks must be completed no later than June 11, 2025; any adults and students aged 18+ without completed background checks will not be allowed entry to ITF.

Alcohol, Drugs, and Tobacco Policy

EdTA has a “zero tolerance” policy on illegal and inappropriate alcohol and drug use: Violations will result in dismissal from ITF.

EdTA prohibits any use of alcohol, on or off ITF-managed premises, that adversely affects staff or adult work performance or the safety of others.

Illegal possession, use, or distribution of alcohol, drugs, or drug paraphernalia by ITF attendees, staff, or guests is a violation of local, state, and federal laws. Possession of drug paraphernalia will be treated the same as possession of illicit drugs, even if never used.

Indiana University is a tobacco-free campus, including all indoor and outdoor areas. Use of any tobacco product is prohibited, including vaping and Juuling.

Weapons Policy

To foster a safe and welcoming environment for all attendees, ITF has a no weapons policy. This policy includes possession and use of actual weapons in any event activity or venue, as well as restrictions on prop weapons in performances.

Any possible weapon that could physically or psychologically harm ITF attendees is prohibited. Such items include but are not limited to knives, nunchaku, firearms, shotguns, rifles, air rifles, B.B. guns, pellet guns, or any pistol version thereof, tasers, explosives or fireworks, brass knuckles, whips, swords, or any other instrument capable of inflicting serious bodily injury.

Realistic prop weapons that could reasonably be mistaken for an actual weapon are also prohibited on campus and in performances. This includes use of weapons for sound effects. The risk of potential trauma and disruption, and the required safety processes, including police department involvement, outweigh any theatrical benefit.

Prop weapons that clearly cannot be mistaken for real weapons may be permitted with advance permission from EdTA. Examples include props made of foam or cardboard and marked with orange tips or caps, or nerf guns without cartridges. Directors must note the item in their performance application to be considered.

EdTA reserves the right to disallow any prop weapon within the spirit of this policy.

Attendees bringing any type of weapon onto campus will be sent home immediately at their own expense.

First Aid

Students seeking medical assistance should report to the first aid station with an adult chaperone. Emergency medical consent must be submitted for a medical provider to treat any ITF attendees (students or adults). Medical providers may refer attendees to the IU Student Health Center, urgent care, or emergency room depending on treatment required.

Emergencies

If there is an emergency or a crime in progress:

Call 911
Notify the ITF Safety & Security Team

Once all parties are safe:

Report the incident using IU’s incident report form
Report the incident using ITF Safety and Security Incident Form

Student Behavior Rules

For the enjoyment of everyone, attendees are expected to adhere to the Code of Conduct, follow all event rules, and behave responsibly and respectfully at all times. Students who engage in disruptive or destructive behavior of any kind may face disciplinary action.

For reported or witnessed incidents, EdTA will determine consequences and reserves the right to expel any participant from ITF should their actions disrupt the event or put other attendees at risk. Actions that will result in immediate dismissal from ITF:

Use or possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia
Use or possession of tobacco, vaping, or Juuling products
Use or possession of alcohol, firearms, or weapons
Any adult in any student’s room with door closed — for any reason

Should a student need to leave ITF for any reason, EdTA will contact a parent or guardian to make arrangements to pick up their child at their own expense.

If three or more students under the supervision of the same chaperone are required to meet with the safety and security team, the adult might not be permitted to participate the following year.

Attendee Conduct Policies

EdTA Code of Conduct

EdTA is committed to providing a safe, productive, and welcoming environment for all event participants. All participants, including but not limited to attendees, speakers, volunteers, exhibitors, EdTA staff, service providers, and all others, are expected to abide by EdTA’s Code of Conduct. This policy applies to all EdTA meeting-related events, including those sponsored by organizations other than EdTA but held in conjunction with EdTA events, on public or private platforms, in-person or online.

Anti-Discrimination and Harassment

EdTA has zero tolerance for any form of discrimination or harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment by participants or our staff at our meetings. If you experience harassment or hear of any incidents of unacceptable behavior, EdTA asks that you inform Sheri Coker, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer, so that we can take the appropriate action.

Unacceptable behavior includes:

Harassment, intimidation, or discrimination in any form.
Verbal abuse of any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, EdTA staff, service provider, or other event guest. Examples of verbal abuse include but are not limited to verbal comments related to gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, religion, and/or national origin; inappropriate use of nudity and/or sexual images in public spaces or in presentations; or threatening or stalking any attendee, speaker, volunteer, exhibitor, EdTA staff, service provider, or other event guest.
Disruption of presentations during sessions, in the exhibit hall, or at other activities organized by EdTA throughout the event. All participants must comply with the instructions of the moderator and any EdTA event staff.
Presentations, postings, and messages should not contain promotional materials, special offers, job offers, product announcements, or solicitation for services. EdTA reserves the right to remove such messages and potentially ban sources of those solicitations.
Participants should not copy or take screenshots of written Q&A or any chat room/mobile app activity that takes place during the event.

Inclusion and Belonging

EdTA requires that all participants acknowledge and agree to adhere to our anti-racism statement and inclusion pledge.

Anti-Bullying

ITF attendees and/or parents/legal guardians of minor attendees declare that they hereby acknowledge that bullying of any attendees, presenters, volunteers, exhibitors, EdTA staff, service providers, and all others is strictly prohibited and should not be tolerated. Definition of Bullying is a pattern of aggressive, intentional, or deliberately hostile behavior that occurs repeatedly and over time. Bullying behaviors normally fall into three categories: physical, emotional, and verbal, and may include, but are not limited to, intimidation; assault; extortion; verbal or written threats; teasing; name-calling; threatening looks, gestures, or actions; rumors; false accusations; social isolation; and cyber-bullying.

EdTA reserves the right to take any action deemed necessary and appropriate, including immediate removal from the activity, event, or meeting without warning or refund, in response to any incident of unacceptable behavior, and EdTA reserves the right to prohibit attendance at any future online or in-person activity, event, or meeting.

Marketing Policies

Photo/Video Release

Registration and attendance at, or participation in, EdTA meetings, events, and/or other activities constitutes an agreement by the attendees and/or parents/legal guardians of minor attendees to the use and distribution of the registrant or attendee's image or voice in photographs, video and audio recordings, and electronic reproductions of such events and activities by EdTA. This includes the right to broadcast, exhibit, market, sell, and otherwise distribute the photos and recordings, either in whole or in parts, and use the registrant or attendee’s name in connection with such uses, in any media whatsoever, and either alone or with other products, for commercial or non-commercial purposes that EdTA or its designees in their sole discretion may determine. This grant includes the right to use the photos and recordings for promoting or publicizing any of the above stated uses. Registrants and attendees acknowledge that they will not receive compensation, now or in the future, in connection with any such uses. This release and the rights granted hereunder may be assigned, licensed, sublicensed, and transferred as EdTA may see fit. Registrants and attendees acknowledge that they have completely read and fully understand the above release and agree to be bound thereby, and release any and all claims against EdTA and its assignees and licensees utilizing this material for the above purposes.

Performance Venue Photography

In all performance venues, the taking of photographs and video recordings is strictly prohibited except for approved representatives of the festival's producing organizations (Indiana University Bloomington and the Educational Theatre Association).

Intellectual Property

ITF attendees and/or parents/legal guardians of minor attendees hereby assign to EdTA all copyrights and other intellectual property rights in artwork, text, music, software, video, choreography, and other types of work (“Works”) created by attendees specifically for their participation in the events or activities of Organizers. Attendees waive all rights in such Works under the Visual Artists Rights Act of 1990 and agree to sign all further documents or instruments necessary to vest in EdTA all rights, title and interest in the aforementioned Works and intellectual property. The intellectual property rights hereby assigned to EdTA and waived by ITF attendees and/or parents/legal guardians of minor attendees do not include rights of ITF attendees and/or parents/legal guardians of minor attendees in works that pre-exist ITF attendees and/or parents/legal guardians of minor attendee’s participation in the events or activities of EdTA.

Release & Indemnification

ITF attendees and/or parents/legal guardians of minor attendees release and agree to indemnify, save and hold harmless the Educational Theatre Association (EdTA), its programs, Chapter and other Group Affiliates, and all respective officers, employees, agents and representatives of the aforementioned entities (each an “Organizer” and collectively the “Organizers”) from and against any and all claims, demands, causes of actions, losses, liabilities, judgments, damages, costs and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) resulting from participating in International Thespian Festival. Attendees shall give each Organizer prompt written notice of any claim or facts or circumstances that might give rise to any claim for indemnification.