2nd Macao International Children’s Arts Festival offers previews of performances and summer workshops

MACAU, June 5 - The 2^nd Macao International Children’s Arts Festival, a performing arts festival dedicated to children, under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region and organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym), will be held from July to August in Macao, aiming at brightening up children in their childhood with culture and arts, encouraging families and children to get close to the arts and from diverse perspectives using all their senses. The members of the public may now know first-hand, several performances, Art Camps, film festival and summer workshops of the Festival. Tickets for the performances and Art Camps will be available from 10am on 11 June (Wednesday) through the “Enjoy Macao Ticketing”; while tickets for the Macao International Children’s Film Festival will also be available through the Cinematheque・Passion from 10am on 11 June (Wednesday). They may also know the summer workshops suitable for all ages, from babies to seniors. Registration for the workshops will be available from 10am on 6 June through the “Activity Applications” of the Macao One Account.

In order to create an inspiring summer with cultural ambience, this edition of the Festival will present a rich variety of performances: the ballet Cinderella by the Ballet of the National Theatre Brno from the Czech Republic features Sergei Prokofiev’s imaginative score and choreography by Markéta Habalová, resurrecting the wonderful journey of Cinderella; returning triumphally to Macao, the widely acclaimed Slava’s Snowshow created by master clown and founder of the Clown Theatre Academy, Slava Polunin, features the combination of classical music, exquisite physical artistry and elements of tragicomedy to unleash boundless creativity through numerous props such as giant colourful balloons, falling snow and a massive white net. The theatre play for babies Bebeethoven by the Full Moon Theatre from Portugal, will take babies on a musical journey through the gentle hum of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata to reach a magical world of notes and light.

This edition of the Festival will also offer special programmes in consonance with the theme “East-West Encounter, Asia in Harmony” of the programme “Culture City of East Asia 2025 – Macao, China”. In the multimedia theatre play Poli Pop by the Brush Theatre from South Korea, a kids’ bedroom is transformed into a magical playground through animated projections, a live band and shifting sets, an exciting adventure for children after the lights go out at bedtime. The theatre play An Astronaut’s Day brings a “space station” to the stage, offering an immersive and interactive orbital adventure with a cosmic environment, solar panels, moving robotic arms, as well as multimedia effects, allowing the audience to feel as if they were amidst the vastness of the universe.

In addition, selected projects from the “Commissioning Performing Arts Productions 2024-2026” will also be staged at the Festival. One of the highlights, the puppetry theatre play Chong Chong’s Hamsters, produced by Rolling Puppet Alternative Theatre from Macao and co-created by the award-winning playwright Nick Yu from Mainland China and his son Godot Yu, combines puppetry theatre, cinematic imagery, immersive sound effects and music to create a vibrant stage experience. It tells the story of life and death in gentle artistic language and presents showing how fantastic life is and beauty of life in a bustle of emotions.

Other programmes include: the Musical Magic Wand IV – Percussion vs. the Bull Demon King by the Macao Chinese Orchestra and the vocal a cappella group Water Singers, combines Chinese music, a cappella singing and theatre in a lively and interesting way, leading the audience to know the percussion family of the Orchestra and experience the charm of Chinese music from the iconic classical scenes of the battle against the Bull Demon King in the legendary Journey to the West. The family choir musical theatre Whispering Zodiac: The Chinese Zodiac Choral Concert will be presented by the three schools of the Macao Conservatory of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, shares stories about the “twelve small astro-animals,” focusing on the twelve Chinese zodiac signs, combining music, dance and theatrical elements.

Following the well-received Art Camps which were held last year, the organiser will offer various sessions of the “Children’s Creative Camp” and the “Family Art Camp” this year. Participants can camp at the Macao Cultural Centre, where they will join the interactive workshops and make a night visit to the Macao Museum to enjoy the fun of art. The Macao International Children’s Film Festival features five sessions, namely the “Open-air Screenings”, “Book to Film, Abracadabra!”, “Classics for Every Child”, “Children’s Film Festival Annual Hand-picked” and “Community Screenings”, showcasing a selection of outstanding films, including the film Where the Wild Things Are, the global bestseller with over 19 million copies sold, and the classic animations Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as well as the outdoor screenings. This year’s Film Festival also spread its festive atmosphere to the community for the first time, featuring screenings in the libraries, museums and other places other than the theatres, as well as various post-screening outreach activities, allowing adults and children to explore the fun of the cinematic world.

Furthermore, the Festival features over 35 workshops in a total of 100 classes, covering music, theatre, painting and dance, suitable for all ages. In the children’s workshops “Chinese Opera is FUN,” “Adventurous Drama Creation,” and “Body is FUN” will feature sharing sessions for participants to showcase the results of their learning. In the Workshop “Star Magic House,”, designed for children with special educational needs, the instructors will inspire the children to develop their imagination and body movements. The family music workshop “Colourful Fun for Babies” allows both parents and babies to engage in small games that stimulate the curiosity of the little ones; in the Workshop “Musical Newbies” young participants will learn about the classics and practice basic singing and dancing techniques, in order to have a better understanding of musical theatre. The workshops “Golden Voices for Seniors” and “Happy Seniors Rhythm” will allow seniors to showcase their musical and dancing talents in an interactive and relaxed way.

Tickets for all the performances and Art Camps will be available through the Enjoy Macao Ticketing outlets, telephone (2840 0555) and online booking at ticketing.enjoymacao.mo (local and overseas) from 10am on 11 June (Wednesday). Tickets for the Macao International Children’s Film Festival will be available simultaneously through the ticket office of the Cinematheque・Passion and online booking from 10am on 11 June (Wednesday). Registration for the workshops will be available from 10am on 6 June (Friday) through the “Activity Applications” of the Macao One Account (activity.mo.gov.mo/activity-h5/activity-list-web). The number of places is limited, and admission is charged for some activities. The 2^nd Macao International Children’s Arts Festival is supported by the Macao Government Tourism Office and the Municipal Affairs Bureau, with the Bank of China (Macau), Air Macau Company Limited, Macau Fisherman’s Wharf International Investment Limited and Macau Coca-Cola Beverage Co., Ltd. as promotion partners.

More information about the Macao International Children’s Arts Festival will be announced in due course. For more information about the activities and discounts, please visit www.icm.gov.mo/micaf.