The ITI’s international committee for artists rights (ACAR) publicly advocates for the rights and protection of theatre artists. ACAR mobilises the worldwide network of the ITI in all cases when action must be taken against censorship and the restriction of the diversity of artistic expression. Founded in 2011 at the 33rd ITI World Congress in Xiamen, China, ACAR has since been coordinated by the German Centre of the ITI. 

ACAR works in cooperation with international networks, documents and publishes – in consultation with all parties concerned – individual incidents and political statements, composes open letters and petitions as well as inquiries to governments and diplomatic missions. At international conferences, ACAR provides information on political exile, political and economic censorship, and promotes dialogue with state institutions on visa policy.

ACAR is a member of the European network Artists Rights Justice and through it connected to 20 renowned organisations for artists’ rights and artistic freedom. 

Politically, ACAR is based on the UNESCO Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions, the UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.