The National Park in Ta’ Qali is to be more of an attraction this Sunday when World Children’s Day is being celebrated as part of the month-long Malta Children’s Festival, being presented by the Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family. Entrance from opposition the Adventure Park is free.

Music, drama, dance, arts, crafts, parades, shows, interactive animation, discussions, awareness campaigns, surprises and lots of complimentary gifts are awaiting children of all ages and their parents from 1.30 to 4.30pm in a celebration of children’s rights.

This year World Children’s Day is not only organised for the children but by the children too since a team of children are being involved in the organisation, including back stage co-ordination, field co-ordination, animation of discussions, and presenting on the main stage.

Among those taking part on the main stage are Tama Tnabar, the University Junior College Orchestra, the Sacro Cuor Children’s Choir, the Astra Folk Group and the Gugga Band, with comperes Mireille, Toni and the Newsbus Kids.

The Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family is holding discussions, led by local personalities, on a number of topics forming part of the draft Children’s Policy which the ministry will soon launch, including children’s well-being, their rights and obligations, inclusion, social protection and creativity.

There will be activity points with the participation of the Office of the Commissioner for Children, the European Commission Representation in Malta, FSWS, the Hamrun Scouts , the Health Promotion Unit, the Kunsill Malti tal-Isport, the School of Art – Malta and MEUSAC (the Malta-EU Steering and Action Committee).

There will be animation by a storyteller, a stilt walker, face painters and balloon modellers, with a bouncy castle, mascot characters and a crafts section, plus the Newsbus on the go.

The second edition of the Malta Children’s Festival started on 4 November and ends on 3 December. Other activities as part of the festival include free workshops that reach out to the individual schools, which have been fully booked by state, Church and independent schools.

The objective of the workshops is to expose the children to various media at a young age, including sports, music, film and stage performances.

Other activities on or around the weekends may be attended by children and their families. The Manoel Theatre is staging a performance of Britten’s delightful operas Noah’s Art and The little Sweep on Friday and Saturday at 7.30 p.m., with a cast of 40 adults and children under the direction of Lorraine Aquilina and Gillian Zammit, led conductor Philip Walsh and the National Philharmonic Orchestra. Booking is open from the theatre, at bookings@teatrumanoel.com.mt and on tel: 2124-6389.

The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and St James Cavalier, Centre for Creativity, are presenting Music and storytelling with Winnie the Pooh on Saturday at 4 p.m. at Robert Samut Hall, Floriana. Booking is open from St James Cavalier, at www.sjcav.org or on tel: 2122-3200.

The Music Section within the Directorate for Quality and Standards in the Education Curriculum Management and eLearning Department is presenting Anansi u s-Serp at the Guardian Angel School, Hamrun, every day from Monday to Friday, 22-26 November, at 10am., 11.15 and 12.30pm. This one-hour musical production relates a story about animals through sounds. The children interact by creating the sounds and special effects through several percussion instruments and other methods.

Finally, a series of film education workshops by Emma Bull, film education specialist from the UK, including group work and animated discussions, is being held in schools. How does a picture tell more than words? is being presented in collaboration with KRS Film Distributors and the Directorate for Lifelong Learning from Wednesday to Friday, 1-3 December.

For more information visit www.maltachildrensfestival.com, e-mail info@maltachildrensfestival.com or phone 7900-1551.

Permalink: Malta Children’s Festival to mark World Children’s Day