Noda is a registered charity with Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother as its Royal patron.

Noda was established in 1899 for the express purpose of bringing together members of amateur operatic and dramatic societies for their mutual assistance and combined benefit.

Starting in the North-West, NODA gradually expanded to encompass the whole of the British Isles. It's London Headquarters was purchased outright in the early '50's and NODA employs a professional staff to co-ordinate its national operation.

NODA is governed by a council comprising one elected member from each of the eleven regional areas into which it divides the country, with some 140 elected Regional Representatives forming area Committees and providing immediate local contact.

Area conferences are held annually, as is a National Conference and AGM, when a new President is installed. Membership is open to societies and interested individuals, with annual subscriptions payable on a sliding scale.

A separate trading company NODA Ltd sells new scores, libretti, playscripts, sheet music, acts as an insurance agent, holds the rights to over fifty pantomime scripts, and so on.

Services available to members include the national NODA news, Area news Bulletins and directories. Three annual residential summer schools are held for actors. Singers, producers, musical directors, technicians. NODA also provides advisory and emergency services for members, a computerised mailing list etc.

NODA currently serves over 2,000 affiliated societies and there are 2,500 individual 'friends'. These numbers include every type of amateur group, from large societies staging big-budget shows in major theatres to small drama groups performing in village halls.

This major arts body - probably unique in that it is entirely self-supporting - celebrated its centenary in 1999 with pride, and has a continued commitment to serve amateur theatre at all levels.
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