LAKESIDE International Children’s Theatre & Dance Festival
ANOTHER HUGE SUCCESS

5 - 21 JUNE 2009

This year's International Children's Theatre and Dance Festival attracted over 2,000 children and their families to theatre performances and outdoor activities over 3 weekends in June. Four International companies performed to children as young as 2. Activities in Highfileds Park included the Black Eagles, Artizani, Heron Island and the return of Architects of Air's Luminarium, Amococo. Children and families took part in workshops and activities including Heron Island, where visitors could create their own work of art on a flat pack pyramid which was then displayed amongst a sea of other pyramids to form Heron Island. See images below for a taste of the festival.

The Lakeside International Children's Theatre and Dance Festival has become a key event in the regional arts calendar looked forward to by children, their families, artists and promoters. It has built upon the huge groundswell of interest which Lakeside's year-round provision has developed through the regular Sunday Best live theatre programme which now performs to some 11,000 people annually.

Since our first International Festival in 2005, over 27,000 children and families have enjoyed performances by top companies from Spain, Italy, Germany, Scotland and Québec. In addition to early evening and weekend performances, families can look forward to a weekend of free activities in the beautiful surroundings of Highfields Park.

Excerpts from Seen and Unseen by Aracaladanza.

FESTIVAL PERFORMANCES 2009

In addition to welcoming back festival favourites Aracaladanza (Nada Nada and Pequeños Paraisos) and Cas Public (If You Go Down to the Woods … and Bluebeard), we were delighted to introduce you to the work of Danish company Teater Refleksion and Hungarian Company Ciroka for the first time.

ARACALADANZA (SPAIN) PRESENTS

VISTO LO VISTO
SEEN AND UNSEEN

Photos: Eduardo García González

Sleep-suits that take on lives of their own; stripey tights that take on truly fantastic shapes; jackets and ties that seem to fly across the stage. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE

DESIGN A CUT-OUT DOLL COSTUME
Children could design a costume for a cut-out doll and win a prize. Here are the winning entries, congratulations to you all!

CAS PUBLIC (CANADA) PRESENTS

LE CABARET DANSÉ DES VILAINS PETITS CANARDS
THE UGLY DUCKLINGS’ DANCING CABARET

Two well-loved stories peppered with specially composed songs introduce Cas Public’s cabaret-style versions of The Ugly Duckling and Swan Lake to young (and not so young) audiences. VISIT THEIR WEBSITE

DOWNLOAD the Schools Education Pack

CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO EXCERPTS OF THIS PIECE

CIROKA PUPPET THEATRE (HUNGARY) PRESENTS

A KÉKRUHÁS KISLÁNY TÖRTÉNETE
THE STORY OF THE GIRL IN BLUE

Taking inspiration from the famous Picasso painting of the Girl with a Dove, this is an ingenious and playful piece of visual theatre where artwork comes to life with clever puppetry and performance.VISIT THEIR WEBSITE

TEATER REFLEKSION AND TEATER MY (DENMARK) PRESENT

HIMMELSANGE
SONGS FROM ABOVE

Totally entrancing performance from one of Denmark’s most highly acclaimed performers. A tour-de-force of dramatic storytelling, where she introduces some very special little characters in a magical story world.