OCF Virtual Festival
June 2–7, 2021
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Watch Party Instructions
Experience
The Ottawa Children’s Festival de la jeunesse has missed you! We can’t wait until the day we can welcome you to our Festival again! Your safety, however, is of the utmost importance to us so, for June 2021, we decided to meet virtually. OCF chose three productions from nationally and internationally renowned artists for your family to view and enjoy from the comfort of your home. The response to our FREE virtual series was amazing and we would like to thank you for participating.
We are planning our next in-person Festival so save these dates:
May 18-22, 2022!
Virtual Shows
55 MINS | AGE: 4+ | English
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
The Snail and the Whale © Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
2003 –Macmillan Children’s Books
A play with music inspired by the book by:
Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
Director: Toby Mitchell
Creative Producer: Olivia Jacobs
Designer: Isla Shaw
Lighting Designer: James Whiteside
Composer: Richard Heacock
Production Manager: Beth Hoare-Barnes
Associate Director: Natalia Scorer
THE SNAIL AND THE WHALE
TALL STORIES THEATRE COMPANY, LONDON, UK
Join an intrepid young adventurer and her seafaring father as they reimagine the story of a tiny snail’s trip around the world, inspired by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s much-loved picture book. Longing to see the world, a tiny sea snail hitches a lift on the tail of a great big, grey-blue humpback whale. But when the whale gets beached, how will the snail save him? Together the two friends journey through music, storytelling and lots of laughs. A heart-warming adventure for everyone aged four and up, from Tall Stories, the Olivier Award-nominated company that brought you “The Gruffalo” and “Room on the Broom” live on stage.
Visit Tall Stories Theatre Company’s website here for more information about the show.
“Faultless family fare… One of the best examples of children’s theatre“
— WhatsOnStage ★★★★★
CYCLO
CO-PRODUCTION COMPAÑÍA ARANWA
AND COMEDIA KÖLN THEATER, CHILE AND GERMANY
The cycles of life, like the cycles of nature are celebrated in this festive production that combines music and dance from Mexico, Guatemala, Panama, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and Chile to create a captivating performance for young children. Cyclo also features instruments from these regions including zampoña, Colombian bagpipe, charango, marimba, maracas, accordion, and guitar.
Visit the Compañía Aranwa’s website here for more information
about the show.
EDUCATORS NOTE!
43 MINS | AGE: 3+(Pre-K–G2) | Non-verbal
(songs performed in Spanish with English subtitles)
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Director: Layla Raña Kanacri
Director Assistant: Alvaro Pizarro
Cast: Cherie Sanhueza, Ema Pinto, Alvaro Pizarro, Andrés Zará
Music: Emilio Mansilla, Ignacio Andrade,
José Monrreal, Andrés Zará, Ema Pinto
Vocal coach: Andrés Zará, Ema Pinto
Choreographers: Alvaro Pizarro, Layla Raña, Aranwa
Recording and Editing: Enríque Farías
Costume and props design: Catalina Espinoza
Stage design: Martín Montaner y Catalina Espinoza
Lighting design: Julio Escobar
Production: Felipe Vasquez and Mirta Traslaviña
30 MINS | AGE: 3+ | Non-verbal
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
A WeeFestival Production
Created by Lynda Hill and Thomas Morgan Jones
Inspired by a story by Thomas Morgan Jones
Concept, Dramaturgy and Direction: Lynda Hill
Original Production Design: Kelly Wolf
Original Music: Nicky Phillips
Original Lighting Design: Jennifer Lennon
Original puppetry: Mike Petersen and Eric Woolfe
OLD MAN AND THE RIVER
WEEFESTIVAL PRODUCTIONS, CANADA
This beautifully designed puppetry work, performed without words to an enchanting musical score, reveals a storybook world where rivers sing, trees laugh, and curious dragonflies come to visit. It tells the tale of a grumpy old man, living in a little house in the woods, whose life is forever changed when a magical creature leaps into his world. With its themes of friendship, communication, play, adjustment to change, Old Man and the River is perfect for the youngest theatregoer.
Visit WeeFestival Productions Canada’s website here for more information about the show.
AGE: 4-8 | English
PRE-FESTIVAL KICK-OFF WITH BIG JUMP ENTERTAINMENT!
Storytelling with Judith Henderson, Big Words, Small Stories
Thank you to all who jumped into our Festival in a fun way on Friday, May 28 and took part in our Pre-Festival kick-off performance with BIG JUMP Entertainment! Beloved Canadian author, Judith Henderson, read to us from her popular book series Big Words, Small Stories. Big Words, Small Stories will soon be an animated TV series, brought to you by BIG JUMP Entertainment, on TVOKids June 7, 2021! Use THIS LINK to see the video of our May 28 Facebook Event.
Big Words, Small Stories is a fun and smart early-reader series. Each book is a collection of five quirky, bite-sized stories. They feature humorous and endearing characters, including The Sprinkle Fairy and her helpers, who place a multisyllabic and fun-to-say BIG WORD into each story, along with its pronunciation and definition. Along with hilarious illustrations by T.L. McBeth, Big Words, Small Stories is a series that will help kids want to try using BIG WORDS in no time!
Visit Big Jump’s website here for more information about the show.
AGE: 3+ | English
FUN WITH WPBS!
WPBS shared some family fun with us Thursday, June 3 – a special presentation of the new PBS Kids show Donkey Hodie! Donkey Hodie is the spunky young granddaughter of a character from the Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood series. With her spiky pink mohawk, Donkey and her friends discover important lessons about how to approach some of the challenges we all experience in life. Supervising Producer for the series Kristin DiQuollo was also on hand to answer questions from the audience Here are some details about the episode:
DONKEY HODIE 106: Flying Flap Jacks/Pickle Penguin Problem
Donkey wants to make a surprise breakfast for Grampy all by herself, but none of her flapjacks will fly. Maybe she does need a little help. Then, Panda’s toy Pickle Pet gets stuck between two rocks. How will he and Donkey rescue it? Curriculum themes: It’s okay to ask for help if I need it./ I can turn a problem into a fun challenge.
Visit this website here for more information about Donkey Hodie and WPBS.
Contest time
Find the answers to our Digital Scavenger Hunt by watching all 3 Festival productions (Snail and the Whale, Cyclo and Old Man and The River). Contest begins June 2 and will end on June 8. Several prizes of Family 4-Packs to a performance at the May 2022 Ottawa Children’s Festival are available to be won! Keep visiting our website and tune into our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) for updated contest information! Only one entry per email address. Winners will be announced the week of June 21st.
New Website Re-Launch Fall 2021
If you would like more information please e-mail us at contact@ottawachildrensfestival.ca. We are in the process of redesigning our website. It will be up and running by September 2021. Fill out our “Keep In Touch” form below to be the first to know about the re-launch and all other OCF news!
Thank You to Our Partners
Thank you to our Board of Directors
Nick Masciantonio, President
Dan Dixon, Treasurer
Laurie Koensgen, Member at large
Janine Debanne, Member at large
Stephanie Gilman, Member at large
Michelle Richardson, Member at large
Catherine O’Grady, Ex officio
