SYDNEY CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL

This September – October school holidays (26 September – 8 October 2011) the SYDNEY CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL reclaims Sydney for the kids!

Sydney Children’s Festival will burst into the city and wider Sydney, filling five Sydney premier venues.  The 2011 program is the festival’s biggest program to date, covering every aspect of creativity and learning including live theatre, art, music, science, and circus play for kids aged 3 – 12 and their families.

Taking place across two weeks, the 2011 festival features six theatre productions, over 50 workshops, over 60 free events and is expected to reach over 50,000 children.

www.sydneychildrensfestival.com     

I, Bunyip

Do you know what a Bunyip is? Have you ever seen one?  What about other secret spirits and creatures that live in Australia? Would you like to meet them? 


This year at Sydney Children’s Festival, Erth Visual and Physical Inc present I, Bunyip: a unique performance of puppets, visual effects and multi-media that takes audiences deep inside the mysterious heart of Australian imaginings. Long known for their magical, life-like puppetry and performances, Erth’s shows have transfixed children across the globe. I, Bunyip promises to be equally mesmerising, with an inimitable cast of unique Australian characters brought to life on stage.

Children and adults will be introduced to authentic stories, passed down in Indigenous communities for hundreds of years. Developed in consultation with five different Aboriginal communities around the country, I, Bunyip is a rare chance to meet very real characters from Australia’s oldest stories with one of the country’s most exciting performing arts companies. 

From the makers of The Nargun and the the Stars comes a new dreamtime story and incredible new life like puppets. Prepare to be amazed!

I, Bunyip runs daily throughout the Festival at 10:30am or 12noon from 28 September – 08 October 2011

The Man the Sea Saw

Physical theatre artist Wolfe Bowart brings his latest production The Man the Sea Saw to the 2011 Sydney Children’s Festival; on stage at the Seymour Centre from Tuesday 27 September – Saturday 01 October 2011, daily at 10:00am and 2:00pm.

A man sets up a picnic on an icy outcrop. A slightly unfortunate chain of events … a creak, a crunch … and suddenly the man is cast adrift. So begins a rollicking adventure at sea on a teetering, tottering iceberg. Combining hilarious moments with poignant themes of family and loss and love, Bowart plays out the story on a huge icicle-clad iceberg amid an enchanting set reminiscent of a surreal pop-up book.

Wolfe Bowart brings to the stage a profound sense of childlike wonder that resonates with audiences of all ages. His inventive and fantastical productions weave together comedy and pathos, stage illusion, puppetry, film and a touch of circus in a theatrical experience for everyone aged from 4 to 104. 

Polyglot Theatre’s City of Riddles

City of Riddles, the latest work from children’s theatre company Polyglot Theatre, is a 360-degree interactive touchable theatre experience. Children become ‘hands-on’ leaders and town planners of tiny cities, setting their own rules against a world of authoritarian order and control.

CarriageWorks, 4 – 8 Oct

The Book of Everything

Produced by Belvoir and Kim Carpenter's Theatre of Image. Presented in association with Seymour Centre and Sydney Children's Festival

When Thomas Klopper grows up he wants to be happy. Thomas is no ordinary boy, he sees extraordinary things everywhere and he draws them in his Book of Everything.

Following rave reviews and a sold out season in 2010, The Book of Everything returns to Sydney to weave it's magic again.

Seymour Centre, 27 Sept – 1 Oct

The Chaos Fairy

Presented by Sydney Children’s Festival, Riverside Parramatta and Chaos Fairy Productions. Composed and created by Nicholas Flanagan

The Chaos Fairy is a family musical about a young boy named Aloysius who asks a chaotic fairy and an eccentric wizard help him to sing in front of an audience.

Riverside Theatres, Parramatta, Tues 27 Sept - Sat 1 Oct

Big Drums for Small People

Presented by Sydney Children’s Festival and Q Theatre Company in collaboration with artists from Taikoz

TaikOz is Australia’s leading force in taiko drumming. In Big Drums for Small People four TaikOz artists collaborate with young musicians from Penrith to create a high-octane performance especially for children. Clap, jump and bounce your way through this energetic show for children of all ages and their families.

Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre, Penrith 7 – 8 Oct

Win Tickets to either I, Bunyip and The Man the Sea Saw

We have 3 double passes each to I, Bunyip andThe Man the Sea Saw for NEXT WEEK.

The Challenge: In 10 words or less, tell us – What elements of a kids theatre performance make it a winner in your eyes?

To enter, visit our contact form http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/contact and type Children’s Festival in the subject field. Then type your answer as a message and nominate your choice of show. Our favourite entries win.

Entries close: 2pm, friday September 23, 2011.

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