ASTR advocates for various issues related to theatre and dance education around the globe.

ASTR was a signatory on a statement from the American Historical Association “deplor[ing] recent decisions among college and university administrators to draw on local and state police forces to evict peaceful demonstrators.” (May 2024)

ASTR was signatory to a Letter from Scholarly Societies regarding SUNY Potsdam's financial sustainability plan which calls for the elimination of 14 academic programs, including theatre.

ASTR was signatory to a Statement Opposing Exclusion of LGBTQ+ History education in Florida.

ASTR was signatory to a Statement on Threats to Academic Conferences.

ASTR was signatory to a Statement on Threats to Historical Integrity in Texas.

ASTR was signatory to a Joint Statement on Legislative Efforts to Restrict Education about Racism in American History.

ASTR was signatory to a statement opposing a proposed Florida law to allow recording in the classroom. The statement recognizes the chilling effect the law would have on academic freedom.

ASTR was signatory to a letter to the editor of The Times, London about the threat of redudancies of archival and collections staff at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

ASTR was signatory to a letter to the director of the Victoria and Albert Museum urging reconsideration of a reorganisation proposal that would impact the research and curatorial staff.

ASTR was signatory to the American Council of Learned Societies statement condeming anti-Asian violence.

ASTR was signatory to a letter from the American Council of Learned Societies to Iowa lawmakers opposing legislation to end tenure at public universities.

ASTR was signatory to a statement from a broad coalition of groups calling on leaders in higher education to uphold the central importance fo the humanities and social sciences as decisions regarding the future are made in response to the pandemic.

ASTR urged the chancellor of the University of Kansas to decline to exercise the new regents policy that would suspend the procedures of shared governance. ASTR also signed on to the American Council of Learned Societies' statement regarding the same issue.

ASTR reaffirmed its commitment to oppposting racism in every facet of our organization and in the field.

ASTR signed a statement with a coalition of other dance and performance associations in response to plannedbudget cuts to the program at the University of Roehampton, UK.

ASTR responded to Indiana University of Pennsylvania’s proposed cuts to five of nine positions in the Department of Theatre, Dance, and Performance and to eliminate the Musical Theatre track of the BA degree in theatre. 

ASTR issued a statement supporting the students of the University of Theatre and Film Arts in Budapest, Hungary, as they demand the autonomy of their education and institution.

ASTR joined other organizations condemning violence perpetrated on staff and students of universities in India.