World Festival of Children’s Theatre Coming to Stratford in June, 2016

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World Festival of Children’s Theatre Coming to Stratford in June, 2016

 

 

 

Official launch Monday, May 26, 10 a.m.

 

 

 

Join World Festival of Children’s Theatre Artistic Director Ron Dodson, General Director Steve Rae, and Festival Advisory Committee members to kick off this exciting event, coming to Stratford in June, 2016.

 

 

 

This prestigious multi-national theatre festival, produced by the International Amateur Theatre Association (AITA), celebrates theatre “for children by children,” and will bring up to 500 young thespians aged 7-15 to Stratford for 10 days of performances, workshops and academic events.

 

 

 

World Festival of Children’s Theatre Festival – History

 

The Festival began in Lingen, Germany in 1990, with a mandate to bring the world’s young people together to share each other’s stories and culture through theatre. In 1990, children from 20 countries (Austria, Cameroon, Czechoslovakia, England, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, USA and Yugoslavia) came to Lingen under the slogan “Children play and dance for Children”.

 

 

 

The Festival has since been held every two years, returning every fourth year to its home base in Lingen. Each country’s festival has reflected its own culture, and allowed its children to show each other how they work in theatre, and to share both their ideas and their views of the world. Previous host countries include:

 

 

 

  • Antalya, Turkey (1992)
  • Copenhagen, Denmark (1996)
  • Toyama, Japan (2000)
  • Havana, Cuba (2004)
  • Moscow, Russia (2008)
  • Stratford, Canada (2016)

 

 

 

 

 

Event budget and sponsors

 

The Festival has a budget of $400,000 to bring this event to town, the vast majority of which will be invested locally.  Remaining funds will be earmarked to bring children from developing countries to the Festival. 

 

 

 

The Stratford Rotary Club has made an early commitment of $40,000. The Stratford Kiwanis Club has come onboard with a donation of $15,000. The Stratford Perth Community Foundation has awarded a $5,000 grant.  Other generous contributors so far include individual donors, the City of Stratford, Stratford City Mazda, and the Council of Drama and Dance in Education. In-kind sponsors include the Stratford Festival and the University of Waterloo Stratford Campus. Many others have expressed their interest and we look forward to welcoming more partners on board in the near future.

 

 

 

The remaining budget will be raised from local sources, including several exciting fundraising events, two of which will be announced at the event launch on May 26.

 

 

 

Launch event details:

 

 

 

Monday, May 26, 2014

 

10 a.m.

 

Remarks at 10:15 a.m.

 

University of Waterloo Stratford Campus

 

125 St. Patrick Street N5A 0C1

 

Media parking at rear of building

 

 

 

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For further information about the 14th World Festival of Children’s Theatre, please contact:

 

 

 

Leanne Perreault

 

[email protected]

http://worldfestivalofchildrenstheatre.com

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