Troupes from six continents hit the stage in Stratford for the 14th World Festival of Children's Theatre (June 5-14, 2016)

“All the world’s a stage…”– As You Like It (Act II,  Scene VII ), William Shakespeare 

The best of the world’s children’s theatre arrives in Stratford as Canada’s theatre mecca plays host to the prestigious World Festival of Children’s Theatre. For 10 days in June, 2016, 300 young thespians between the ages of 7 and 15 will participate in performances, workshops and academic events that explore the festival theme “My World, Our Planet”. The festival is “for children, by children”, with productions for children and those who are young at heart.

Today, the Festival’s Board of Directors announced that the 2016 Festival will welcome 22 troupes from 6 continents and 20 countries, offering audiences an illuminating array of artistic expression and theatre traditions. In September, a 12-person jury assessed applications and viewed sample videos before making final selections.

The 2016 Festival will welcome theatre troupes from six continents:

Africa

·         Uganda - Wakayima Stories, Ushindi Children

·         Zimbabwe - Children’s Dreams and Fears, Chipawo - Harare Junior Theatre

Asia

·         Bangladesh - The Scarecrow, Kids Cultural Institute

·         China - Seven Coloured Flower, Guangzhou Happy Man Cultural Arts Education Company Limited

·         Indonesia - Spectacle ZERO - A Visual Theater Performance, Teater Tanah Air

·         Indonesia - Cindelaras – JACCO, Jakarta Children Community

·         Palestine - Forget the Border, Diyar Dance Theatre

Australia/Oceania

·         Australia - A Kid Like Me, True North Youth Theatre Ensemble

Europe

·         Czech Republic - Jednou v Chelmu - Once in Chelm, Divadlo Vydýcháno

·         Estonia - Exploring the World, Eksperiment 

·         Germany - Pinocchio, Theatre Group of the TPZ Lingen/Germany

·         Greece - Homer's Odyssey, Theatrical Cultural Artistic Center "Poupoulo"

·         Russia - Survival Lessons, Theatre studio 'Peremena'

·         Slovakia - Behind the Fence - Children´s Theatre Prvosienka

·         Slovenia- Children’s Eyes See It All, Race Primary School

Special Guests:

Russia - Wings for Clowns, Piano Theatre

PIANO Theatre (Theatre of Silence) consists of children who are deaf. Their work has been seen in more than 40 international festivals. Their director, Vladimir Chikishev, is an Honored Worker of Culture of the Russian Federation.

North & Central America

·         Canada - The Legend of Parvana Lake, Once Upon a Kingdom Theatre (Ontario)

·         The United States - As You Like It, The Children’s Shakespeare Theatre

Special Guests:

El Salvador - Labour Intensive, EsArtes Teatro

EsArtes Teatro is committed to economic stability through the arts in El Salvador. It is supported by the city of Suchitoto, the city of Stratford, The Stratford Festival and CUSO.

South America

·         Colombia - Volver…Volver, Laboratorio Teatral lLa Caja Negra de Sibate

·         Cuba - Para ser Mejores (To be better), Fragua (Forge)

·         Paraguay - Todo Vive, Axioma Teatro

In 2012, Stratford was selected by the International Amateur Theatre Association (www.aitaiata.org) as the 2016 host for the 14^th edition for the renowned children’s theatre festival previously held in countries as diverse as Turkey, Denmark, Japan, Russia and Cuba. This is the first time the festival will be hosted in North America.

The festival’s 10-day run will involve various venues across the city. Information about tickets, venues and schedules will be available soon on the Festival website (www.wfct.ca).

About the World Festival of Children’s Theatre

The World Festival of Children’s Theatre 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. It has since been held every two years, returning every fourth year to its home base in Lingen.

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

www.wfct.ca

 ~ My World, Our Planet~

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Background information about the selection jury is available on the WFCT website.

Stratford Festival
55 Queen Street | PO Box 520 | Stratford ON | N5A 6V2

Box Office: Toll Free 1.800.567.1600 | Local 519.273.1600

stratfordfestival.ca

2016 Season|April to October

Macbeth | As You Like It | Breath of Kings: Rebellion| Breath of Kings: Redemption
A Chorus Line | A Little Night Music | Shakespeare in Love| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

All My Sons|John Gabriel Borkman|Bunny |The Aeneid| The Hypochondriac