About The Zich Trust
Patricia Zich: Founder
Patricia (Pat) Zich, born in 1933 in Missouri, Middle America, experienced a joyful childhood during the World War II years. Demonstrating early academic prowess, Pat graduated from high school on a scholarship and pursued a degree in Art.
Life took a turn when Pat became a single mother to her beloved son, Rick. Embracing this challenge, she found her calling in teaching, starting in a small classroom with students from all grades. This experience ignited her passion for teaching and learning.
Pat's journey took her and Rick to a small town in New York, where she began to explore her love for theatre, directing plays and coaching debate teams. This marked the beginning of her lifelong commitment to theatre education.
In 1968, Pat moved to Europe, securing a teaching position at an American school in Germany. After a brief period, Rick rejoined her, completing his high school education in Germany. Pat's career then took her to Tehran in 1970, where she began using theatre as a tool for empowerment and community building. In 1975, foreseeing the Cultural Revolution in Iran, Pat moved to London to teach at the American School of London. Here, she transitioned from an Art teacher to a full-time Theatre educator.
During her tenure in London, Pat co-founded the International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA). As the driving force behind ISTA, Pat championed a non-competitive, collaborative approach to theatre education. Her leadership over three decades transformed ISTA into a global leader in theatre education, impacting countless students and educators.
In 1998, Pat retired and moved to Aberfeldy, in Highland Perthshire, Scotland. She continued her involvement in theatre, notably directing a youth play that achieved national recognition. Pat's personal reflections following the loss of her son, Rick, to AIDS related illnesses in 1994, led to the conceptualisation of The Zich Trust.
The Zich Trust
Established in 1999, The Zich Trust embodies Pat's lifelong belief in the transformative power of theatre and the arts in learning. It supports individuals and theatre projects, fostering creative collaboration and empowering young people globally. The Trust operates on Pat's philosophy, as detailed in her manual "Teaching Ensemble Technique in Theatre," advocating for an organic, unified approach to life and art.
Pat believed in the power of theatre to script life's narratives, with educators and students playing pivotal roles. She envisioned The Zich Trust as a continuation of her life's work, a testament to her belief in the unifying power of the arts.
Pat Zich passed away on September 10, 2007, leaving behind a legacy of passion, empowerment, and creativity in the world of theatre education. Her vision and dedication continue to inspire and guide The Zich Trust.
Our Trustees
The current Trustees of The Zich Trust are as follows.
Frances Menter
Frances Menter has had a life-long passion for music, and specifically for singing. She has sung in various choirs, starting in her school days and has continued to be a part of a choir at every stage and location of her life so far. On taking up a primary school teaching job in Aberfeldy, she joined the Aberfeldy Gaelic Choir. Her teaching progressed to secondary school teaching of Biology and latterly of Guidance, but the choir connection was there throughout. She became the conductor of the Aberfeldy Gaelic Choir, with whom she had success at Royal National Mòds.
She was an active member of the Aberfeldy Drama Club and was musical director of many of its productions, several of which were directed by Patricia Zich. She was involved as musical director with successful productions which were entered into the junior Scottish Community Drama Association (SCDA) one act plays competitions.
A move to Dundee brought about a new opportunity and she was invited to take on conducting the Dundee Gaelic Choir, a position which she still holds.
Mike Pasternak FRSA FCCT
Mike Pasternak was Chairperson of the Performing Arts department on the La Châtaigneraie campus, International School of Geneva, Switzerland until his retirement in 2010. He has taught in the UK, US and Canadian state and international schools systems and was a Research Fellow in Teacher Education at the Centre for Global Education, University of York, UK.
Mike has been actively involved with International Schools Theatre Association (ISTA) since 1978, was elected to the Board of Trustees in 1983, served as Executive Secretary and then as President from 1998-2003 where he collaborated closely in developing the international arts community with Patricia Zich. Mike works with ISTA as an Ensemble leader and teacher workshop leader at HS and MS events throughout the world and been involved in a series of ISTA developments which have included IB TAPS and the ISTA Ensemble approach.
Mike’s first contact with the International Baccalaureate (IB) was as a teacher of Theatre and Theory of Knowledge in the mid-1970s. Since then, he has served as teacher trainer for IB Theatre workshops in Europe, USA and Australia/Pacific. At present Mike is IB Theatre Chief Examiner and sits on the IB Academic Board as Representative for group 6 the Arts.
Since retirement, Mike has been actively involved in the Arts and International Education having published several articles on International Theatre Ed, Human Rights Ed., Global Ed and Interactive Teaching methodologies in professional journals as well as leading practical workshops for students and teachers in these areas.
Dr. Michael Bindon FRSA
Mike is a theatre and film education specialist who has spent the last decade leading the global development of the International Baccalaureate’s (IB) Diploma Programme (DP) arts courses. Being passionate about creative collaboration in education, Mike has spent his career exploring innovative ways to enable young people to access quality arts experiences and to collectively develop essential skills and competencies.
Mike is the Executive Director of ISTA: Global Learning Through Theatre, a UK-based arts charity that provides transformative learning experiences for educators and young people globally.
Mike has an MA in Performing Arts Education from The Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts and a doctorate in International Education from the University of Bath in the UK. In addition to his work in education, Mike is an active filmmaker and artist. He runs a video and creative media production company from his home in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Apply for a grant
To apply for a grant from The Zich Trust, follow the link below.