Surrey International Children’s Festival will receive $98,000 from the Department of Canadian Heritage's Canadian Arts Presentation Fund over the next two years.
The money, said the government, is meant to support the festival and its goal of “inspiring young hearts and minds” through performing and visual arts experiences for children.
"The Government of Canada is pleased to provide support to the innovative Surrey Children’s Festival,” said Fleetwood-Port Kells MP Nina Grewal. “The festival contributes greatly to Surrey’s quality of life by bringing artists and children and their families together for high-calibre performing arts and cultural programming. I am proud to be part of a government that is committed to providing access to the arts for all Canadians and to live in a community that makes art and culture a priority.”
“As one of the fastest growing and most culturally diverse cities in Canada, we recognize that arts education plays an important role in building healthy communities,” said Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner in a release. “On behalf of the City of Surrey, I’d like to thank the Department of Canadian Heritage for their continued support of the Surrey International Children’s Festival.”
The Surrey International Children’s Festival, the only arts-based international children’s festival south of the Fraser River, invites children and their families to explore and discover their environment and everyday surroundings from a different point of view – through art.
“Exposure to the arts inspires critical thinking and imagination,” said Surrey Coun. Judy Villeneuve. “The Surrey International Children’s Festival gives children from our community the opportunity to experience engaging, fun, high quality performances from all over the world that instil an appreciation for performing arts.”
2015 marks the 11th-annual festival, to be held May 21 to 23 at the Surrey Arts Centre and Bear Creek Park with the theme “Art is Everywhere”. The 2015 line-up ranges from preschool performances for children aged 6 months to 8 years; to intermediate shows for older children, aged 9 and up. National performances include Music with Marnie and The Secret Life of Walter Manny from BC and Manitoba circus performers The Street Circus. Festival goers will also have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience a traditional puppet theatre performance from Vietnam’s Golden Dragon Water Puppet Theatre. This unique performance features ancient music, dance, and song – all on water.
Tickets for schools and groups are on sale now at Surrey Art’s Centre box office. Full programming information is available on the festival website at www.surrey.ca/childrensfestival.