Written in 1981 by Jean-Marie Pradier, one of the founding members of the International School of Theatre Anthropology, the article offers a report of the first session held in Bonn between 1-31 October 1980. In the report, Pradier highlights the different composition of the groups who took part in the ISTA directed by Eugenio Barba: on one side about 20 masters of Asian performance traditions who gave demonstrations, classes, workshops and performances; and on the other the scholars joined by guests like Jerzy Grotowski and Henri Laborit. Pradier reflects on the several possibilities opened by theatre anthropology as a new transcultural and interdisciplinary field of studies.