Ottawa Children’s
Festival de la jeunesse
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2023 Festival Program (4MB pdf)
HEART (CUORE)
MOMOM/Elsinor, Italy
Ages 4+ | English & Italian
Short Description
Heart is a play that talks about emotions. Nina lives with her grownups in a house near the wood. You can’t enter the wood because the Hundred-Eyes Fairy has cast a spell: whoever enters the woods can’t find the way out…
Schedule
Barney Danson Theatre
(Canadian War Museum)
Fri May 12: 9:30am – 10:30am
Fri May 12: 11:15am – 12:15pm
Sat May 13: 10am – 11am (in Italian)
Sat May 13: 12pm – 1pm
Sun May 14: 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Detailed Description
Nina lives with her grownups in a house near the wood. You can’t enter the wood because the Hundred-Eyes Fairy and the Ogre live there. The Fairy has cast a spell on the wood: whoever enters it can’t find the way out. In the wood the Ogre does what Ogres do: if you meet him, he eats your heart.
Sometimes because of bad luck, some others because of distraction, for fun or because she just wants to, Nina enters the wood. She goes in and out more than once.
And every time the wood comes alive and transforms itself. It will be Nina’s heart to free the colours which will give new life to the wood.
Heart is a play that talks about emotions. About the management of emotions. To manage some emotions within your heart, sometimes you need a dictatorship, some other anarchy. The wood is inhabited by the Fairy who sees everything with her hundred eyes and the Ogre who feels everything in his gut. Nina will join them and, young and enterprising, will take the harmony of the colours back into a grey wood.On stage, MOMOM/Elsinor creates new fairy tales with themes that are important to human beings: fear, death, identity, integration, emotions.
*Infants 9 months and younger are admitted for free but must sit on a guardian’s lap.
*Groups of 10 or more receive a discounted ticket rate, for group sales please email contact@ottawachildrensfestival.ca
ÉLAGE DIOUF
Québec
All Ages | French | Music
Short Description
Master percussionist, author, composer and performer of Senegalese origin Élage Diouf’s music is a hybrid of pop, world, blues, folk and asiko…
Schedule
CECCE Tent (Lebreton Flats)
Thu May 11: 10:15am – 11:00am
Thu May 11: 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Fri May 12: 10am – 11:00am
Fri May 12: 1:15pm – 2:15pm
Sat May 13: 11am – 12pm
Sat May 13: 2pm – 3pm
Sun May 14: 11:45am – 12:45pm
Sun May 14: 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Detailed Description
Master percussionist, author, composer and performer of Senegalese origin Élage Diouf moved to Canada in 1996 to pursue a musical career that continues to flourish today.
His music, a hybrid of pop, world, blues, folk and asiko, is at the artistic crossroads of artists such as Carlinhos Brown, Peter Gabriel and Andres Cepeda. Due to the musicality of the language, he sings mainly in Wolof, his mother tongue.
*Infants 9 months and younger are admitted for free but must sit on a guardian’s lap.
*Groups of 10 or more receive a discounted ticket rate, for group sales please email contact@ottawachildrensfestival.ca
ZOOOM
Patch Theatre, Australia
Ages 3-10 | English
Short Description
Using original music, lasers and projections, ZOOOM is inspired by iconic children’s book Harold and The Purple Crayon, about a child who makes sense of their world through art…
Please be aware that this show contains haze and bright lights.
Schedule
Arts Court Theatre
Thu May 11: 10:15am – 11am
Thu May 11: 1:30pm – 2:15pm
Fri May 12: 11:15am – 12pm
Fri May 12: 2:15pm – 3pm
Sat May 13: 11:15am – 12pm
Sat May 13: 2:30pm – 3:15pm
Sun May 14: 11:15am – 12pm
Sun May 14: 2:30pm – 3:15pm
Detailed Description
Unable to sleep, a child goes on an imaginary adventure throughout the universe.
Using original music, lasers and projections, ZOOOM brings the audience on an adventure to help a lost star find its way home. Inspired by iconic children’s book Harold and The Purple Crayon, ZOOOM channels the same philosophy – a child who makes sense of their world through art.
ZOOOM begins at home or in the classroom, as we invite our audience to “bring a piece of dark” to the show. Upon arrival, their dark is exchanged for their own personal light – a little spark that will keep them safe and guide them through the interactive performance.
Captivating and heartfelt, ZOOOM is an immersive performance that explores what dreams are made of.
*Infants 9 months and younger are admitted for free but must sit on a guardian’s lap.
*Groups of 10 or more receive a discounted ticket rate, for group sales please email contact@ottawachildrensfestival.ca
IMAGINELAND access is FREE with a ticket to any show!
Join us on the Festival grounds at Lebreton Flats (near the War Museum) before and after performances for a variety of fun and interactive extra features that will let you unleash your creative side! Featuring Puppet Workshop, Circus Factory, InTents Mini shows, a Pieced Together StoryWalk and more!
PINOCCHIO
Teater Patrasket, Denmark
Ages 8-12 | English
Short Description
A wild, visual and musical show based on the classic story about a puppet who has to learn to become human and his dangerous journey in a world full of odd characters, wondrous events, temptations and deceptions…
Schedule
Barney Danson Theatre
(Canadian War Museum)
Thu May 11: 1:45pm – 2:45pm
Fri May 12: 2:45pm – 3:45pm
Fri May 12: 7pm – 8pm
Sat May 13: 4pm – 5pm
Sat May 13: 7pm – 8pm
Sun May 14: 10am – 11am
Detailed Description
What is the definition of being human?
What is the difference between right and wrong?
What is the meaning of love?
A new version of Carlo Collodis classic story about a puppet who has to learn to become human and his dangerous journey in a world full of odd characters, wondrous events, temptations and deceptions.
A wild, visual and musical show, directed by Alex Byrne, with magical puppetry, ensemble play and grim humor.
*Infants 9 months and younger are admitted for free but must sit on a guardian’s lap.
*Groups of 10 or more receive a discounted ticket rate, for group sales please email contact@ottawachildrensfestival.ca
KATTAM and his TAM-TAMS
Kattam Tam Productions, Québec
All Ages | French | Music
Short Description
To the sound of the n’goni, balafon, djembe, naffar, derbouka and dhol, percussionist Kattam invites you to discover West Africa, the Maghreb, the Middle East and India through rhythm, song and dance!
Schedule
CECCE Tent (Lebreton Flats)
Thu May 11: 12pm – 1pm
Fri May 12: 11:30am – 12:30pm
Sat May 13: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Sat May 13: 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Sun May 14: 10am – 11am
Sun May 14: 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Detailed Description
To the sound of the n’goni, balafon, djembe, naffar, derbouka and dhol, percussionist Kattam invites you to discover West Africa, the Maghreb, the Middle East and India through rhythm, song and dance! From African rap and desert dance to trance sufi rhythm and Bollywood dance. Accompanied by his monkey, Takoum, Kattam never fails to enrol his audience! An incredible multicultural adventure!
*Infants 9 months and younger are admitted for free but must sit on a guardian’s lap.
*Groups of 10 or more receive a discounted ticket rate, for group sales please email contact@ottawachildrensfestival.ca
OLD MAN AND THE RIVER
WeeFestival Productions, Ontario
Ages 3+ | Non-Verbal
Short Description
This beautifully designed puppetry work, performed without words to an enchanting musical score, reveals a storybook 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.
Schedule
Atelier B
(Canadian War Museum)
Thu May 11: 11:30am – 12:10pm
Thu May 11: 2:30pm – 3:10pm
Fri May 12: 10:15am – 10:55am
Fri May 12: 12:30pm – 1:10pm
Sat May 13: 11am – 11:40am
Sat May 13: 1:45pm – 2:25pm
Sun May 14: 11am – 11:40am
Sun May 14: 2pm – 2:40pm
Detailed Description
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.
*Infants 9 months and younger are admitted for free but must sit on a guardian’s lap.
*Groups of 10 or more receive a discounted ticket rate, for group sales please email contact@ottawachildrensfestival.ca
TREE: A World in Itself
Motus Marionnettes & Théâtre, Quebec
0-2 years old / autistic children 4+
Non-verbal
Short Description
TREE: A World in Itself, is a multi-sensory, interactive universe enveloped in soft light, music, and silence, created for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and adapted for children with intellectual disabilities and/or reduced mobility.
Saturday performances are tailored for babies and parents.
Schedule
Atelier C/D
(Canadian War Museum)
Thu May 11: 10am – 11am (ASD)
Thu May 11: 1pm – 2pm (ASD)
Fri May 12: 11:15am – 12:15pm (ASD)
Sat May 13: 10am – 10:30am (for babies)
Sat May 13: 12:45pm – 1:15pm (for babies)
Detailed Description
Would you like to experience the magical world of trees and feel the cool morning mist? Settle into mama bird’s cozy nest while she warms her luminous clutch of eggs. Plants, insects, and animals visit, accompanied by gentle melodies and rhythmic music. As evening falls, you’ll rest under a rising moon, stars, and shimmering Milky Way, gathering strength to spread your wings like a fledgling bird of light.
Come experience TREE: A World in Itself, a show created for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and adapted for children with intellectual disabilities and/or reduced mobility (duration 60min, very limited capacity). The show will be offered as well in a brand new version for the youngest of audiences (0-2 years old, duration: 30min).
In an intimate and welcoming atmosphere, the version for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) offers a ratio of one performing artist per child to facilitate numerous personalized interactions with audience members. Please note that children must be accompanied by an adult; a friend or a sibling is also permitted to attend.
The version of the show for babies is a wonderful opportunity for the little ones to experience live theatre created just for them.
*Infants 9 months and younger are admitted for free but must sit on a guardian’s lap.
*Groups of 10 or more receive a discounted ticket rate, for group sales please email contact@ottawachildrensfestival.ca
A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings
Riverbank Arts Centre, Ireland
Ages 8+ | English
Short Description
Using a combination of music, puppetry, & live video projection, it’s the story of a young couple find an injured old man outside their house, an old man who just happens to have a pair of enormous wings. The wise neighbour woman tells them he’s an angel. She warns them to keep their distance…
Schedule
Arts Court Studio
Thu May 11: 12pm – 12:40pm
Fri May 12: 10am – 10:40am
Fri May 12: 1:15pm – 1:55pm
Sat May 13: 10am – 10:45am
Sat May 13: 1:15pm – 2pm
Sun May 14: 10am – 10:40am
Sun May 14: 1pm – 1:40pm
Detailed Description
In a kitchen, in a theatre, two storytellers and their audience find something remarkable; a very old man with enormous wings. Starting from Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s short story ‘A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings’, this classic piece of magic-realism is brought to life on stage.
A young couple find an injured old man outside their house, an old man who just happens to have a pair of enormous wings. The wise neighbour woman tells them he’s an angel. She warns them to keep their distance. The priest says he’s an imposter. He warns them not to be tricked. The doctor examines him. He thinks more men should have wings. As pilgrims flock to see him, hoping to be healed by him, wanting to gawk, they leave with something different than what they expected.
Using a combination of storytelling tools including music, puppetry, live video projection and the willingness of the audience, this story is brought to the stage with beautiful, strange, emotional richness.
*Infants 9 months and younger are admitted for free but must sit on a guardian’s lap.
*Groups of 10 or more receive a discounted ticket rate, for group sales please email contact@ottawachildrensfestival.ca
A SIMPLE SPACE
Gravity & Other Myths, Australia
All Ages | Non-Verbal
Short Description
Presented by CECCE
Seven acrobats push their physical limits without reserve in a performance that is simultaneously raw, frantic, and delicate, presented so intimately that audiences can feel the heat, hear every breath, and are immersed in every moment…
Schedule
Tent 1 (Lebreton Flats)
Thu May 11: 12pm – 1pm
Thu May 11: 6pm – 7pm
Fri May 12: 10:15am – 11:15am
Fri May 12: 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Sat May 13: 10:30am – 11:30am
Sat May 13: 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Sun May 14: 10:30am – 11:30am
Sun May 14: 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Detailed Description
Supported by driving live percussion, seven acrobats push their physical limits without reserve in A Simple Space. This performance is simultaneously raw, frantic, and delicate. The acrobats present this performance so intimately that audiences can feel the heat, hear every breath, and are immersed in every moment.
Instead of fine-tuning the performance with makeup, lighting and contrived theatrical overlay, the cast have deliberately gone the opposite way. The audience is brought in close, surrounding the stripped-back stage. ln this space, the acrobats are breaking down their usual guards and introducing the reality of failure and weakness.
*Infants 9 months and younger are admitted for free but must sit on a guardian’s lap.
*Groups of 10 or more receive a discounted ticket rate, for group sales please email contact@ottawachildrensfestival.ca
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SCHOOL AND GROUP DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE
Schools, daycares and groups of 10 or more can get ticket discounts, free on-site extras, and more! Let us help you plan an unforgettable day!
Thank You to Our Partners
Thank you to our Board of Directors
Stephanie Gilman, President
Sarah Jane Estabrooks, Vice-President
Nick Masciantonio, Past-President
Laurie Koensgen, Member at large
Janine Debanne, Member at large
Megan Gillis, Member at large
Catherine O’Grady, ex-officio
