CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL SECTION ENTERTAINMENT May 4, 1984 Newsroom 985-2131 Child's play hard work for organizers CHILD’S PLAY — for the child himself — is as natural as breathing. For the performers of the Vancouver Children’s Festival, it is their medium and their art form. And for the organizers of this year’s festival it is their difficult but rewarding job to bring artists and children together for a solid week of magical, musical, child’s play. The seventh annual Children’s Festival runs from Monday, May 7 to Sunday, May 13. Many _ performers from past festivals will be returning, and several new acts are planned. The performers come from all over the world. Festival programmer Marjorie MacLean has travelled all over to view each one, and she and festival organizer Frances Fitzgibbons are wax- ing enthusiastic over this year’s selection. From Italy comes Teatro Detlo Briciole, meaning theatre of small things. They will be presenting two plays, The Mouse and his Son, and Beginnings. Using plasticine, and small objects, this troupe creates worlds in miniature for their viewers, accom- panied by simple stories with limited dialogue. Jozef van den Berg, the Man with the Red Hat, returns to the festival with his umque gift) for involving children willingly and com- pletely in) the tmagmary world he creates. Musicians from = as far away as Georgia and as close as Vancouver will be perfor ming. Doug and Frankte Quinby, the Georgia Island Singers sing traditional southern songs that involve every one and all parts of the body, Cahfornian Peter Alsop) will) offer modern songs about modern By KELLEY JO BURKE children’s problem and con- cerns, Vancouver’s Holly Arntzen Quartet, one of the most popular school acts in B.C., will have children swaying to her jazzy material; and that’s only the beginning. There are in total twenty acts playing in the tents and they compose only half the festival. The other half. is made up of free activities that go on al! day, outside the tents. There will be a story telling tent, flag-making and other crafts, an Imagination Market where everything is free, as long as you create it yourself, playworkers organizing games, a maze, and free face-painting for junior clowns. Parents may be glad to hear that this year the festival has the use of the Vancouver Museum's facilities, during its run in Vanier Park. So in addition to their usual tight security and well-staffed first aid tent, there will be a Mother's Room, and _ full washroom facilities While some of the per- formers’ materials, including plays and songs about crea- won, nuclear war, child molestation, and = dying, might be considered by some to be heavy fare for the Fitzgibbon young, and -when a play about a clown tent on Maclean aren’t worried, ; “Often it’s the adults that can’t handle it, not the kids,’’ Fitzgibbon says, describing an incident some years back and a dying boy was presented, ‘‘I rushed to the door in a panic, to see how the kids would react. But they were just quiet and thoughtful, and said some amazing things. They were really thinking.”’ ‘Children will amaze you time and again,’’ Maclean concurs, ‘they just reach out to new ideas.”’ Both agree that the festival has a responsibility to offer material that is both enter- taining and stimulating. ‘‘We make it very clear in our program what the shows are about,’’ Maclean says, ‘if parents prefer to discuss these things at home, they just don’t take their kids.”’ While everyone involved. thinks that this festival will be the best ever, it has taken some doing to tfaise_ the money to make .it possible. ‘We've grown, but our funding hasn’t,’’ Fitzgibbon sighs, which has forced them to look beyond the many government groups and foundations now funding the festival to alternative revenue The sources. festival now produces its Own records from the yearty shows, and this year will be filming the festival, to be shown on the CBC. These projects are the festival organizers’ ‘‘pride va -_ and joy,’” but other measures . = are needed So this year in a ‘‘tasteful, corner site’” there will be a the grounds where us — Josef van den Berg, is just one of the popular events that returns this year in the Vancouver Children’s kestoval. MAN WITH the Red Hat, See page C3 Wear aite your te qatt ce for bcaoe tion Pdtraser at cur newest docation bxpenBnee Vancouver s finest ethane se cunsdne as Vor tehax in a wart tried Wy atines phere We guarantee youll enpoy the ESrarvcy tee Chas Ccorapoeony ariel feral! PRC Ie One Comphanetitaty Salad Koll on Dessert wher tuo Drier btrees are pour Lcmokineg ho cr get pobre. for a dare Harnquet Calve chased oat the requbar price 1 ‘ as a all With seating for ap te OO and a large dance thor there s bots of toon for a qed: tine Coupon Valid until May 31/84 at N.Van location ONLY 140 Lonsdale 980-5770 We're sure you'll agree the price is right! 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