2005 Sydney International Children’s Cultural & Arts Festival
Dates: 22nd - 26th July 2005 Venue: Sydney Opera House, Sydney Town Hall, Sydney Olympic Park
Hosted by: Australian Chinese Performing Artists' Association (ACPAA)
Supported by: Shanghai Soong Ching Ling Foundation Video Trailler
Title sponsor: ABC Tissue Pty Ltd + Bussiness Sponsor:Air China、Australia International Properties Holdings、Qantas 、International Sydney Group Pty Ltd、China Chamber of Commerce in Australia、Sydney Morning Herald、Sydney’s Child、Community Relations Commission NSW、City of Sydney、La Fiamma、El Espanol、Thai Oz News、Do360.com Dream Overseas、Coir Star International Pty Ltd
Description: The festival follows in the footsteps of four international children’s cultural and art festivals that have successfully been held in Shanghai, China, in 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2004, with thousands of participants hailing from China, USA, Australia, Italy, Germany, Canada, Denmark, Switzerland, Hungary, the Philippines, the Congo, Ecuador, Egypt, Puerto Rico, Japan, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, the Republic of Korea and Russia. The most recent festival attracted an in-person audience approaching 10,000 persons and extensive television coverage in the host nation. As the event has gained momentum, profile and associated media attention, the organizers have elected to take it onto the international stage. Following a competitive bidding process conducted during the course of the 2004 Shanghai festival, the Sydney bid team led by Mr. William Yu was successful in winning the honors of being the first International Children’s Cultural & Arts Festival held outside China.
The festival this year will take as its theme ‘Peace, Friendship and Future’. There will be a range of performances including musical, choral, dance and theatrical items, brought to the stage by a blend of 400 overseas & 650 locally based children from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds, accompanied by close to four hundred support staff & parents. On top of this a further 7,500 unique visits by audience members are expected and an additional 10,000 persons are expected to attend the closing barbeque at Sydney Olympic Park The opening ceremony will be broadcast on domestic & international television. In addition to the performances, international troupes will also be given the opportunity to interact with local children at school visits, workshops and BBQs