Greetings from the #NADTA2020 Conference Co-Chairs

Dearest Friends and Colleagues, 

Sheesh! 2020?!!!!?… Are we right?  

Welcome to what has to be one of the most unique conference experiences in the 41 year history of the NADTA! We sincerely invite you to enjoy, embrace, and embody the North American Drama Therapy Association’s 41st annual (first-ever virtual) conference, Riding the Wave: The Next Act for Drama Therapy. 

At the close of 2019, when the conference committee first began pondering the theme for this year, we had no idea that this concept of the “Next Act” would take on such ironic meaning. In this planning process we have laughed, cried, cringed and overall let the momentum of this new wave gently (and sometimes forcefully) guide us into this new virtual realm where the possibilities are endless.  

As we “Zoom” towards the end of this tumultuous year, we are thrilled to offer this oasis of creativity and connection, never skipping a beat and creating a virtual experience that will connect friends and colleagues from around the world. We have all been experiencing the longing for that in-person energy, but as we log on from desks and beds and couches and floors, we are suddenly invited into a personal space that we have been used to hiding away. We are being invited into each other’s lives on a whole new level, and with that, we are closer than ever. 

We are so grateful to have a community that reflects flexibility and a true desire to step into this new void as a united front, leading the way for creative arts therapies with spirit! It is our wish that we continue to make efforts to collaborate and connect across borders, oceans, fences and walls and truly continue to look forward towards what’s next for Drama Therapy and all healing modalities. 

As the conference nears and brainstorming continues, we encourage you to look for the silver lining in this year, both personally and professionally. How have you stretched and what creativity have you accessed? What new ideology will you be bringing with you to the conference, and what might you be ready to leave behind? Are you just now experiencing 20/20 vision? 

If you’ve ever had the chance to be in the ocean and to feel the push and pull and energy behind the waves, then you can relate to the experience of being a part of this conference this year. We are all in this great salty wash together, and riding the momentum that is propelling us into the exciting future of Drama Therapy. So, grab your sense of adventure and meet us in cyber land, as we step onto the shore of the future. 

With warmth, spirit and gratitude,

Rachel Brousseau, 2020 Conference Co-Chair                  Alexis Maron, 2020 Conference Co-Chair