Ottawa Children’s
Festival de la jeunesse

The 2023 Festival Lineup

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PINOCCHIO
Teater Patrasket, Denmark | Ages 8-12 | English

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.

Tickets

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A SIMPLE SPACE
Gravity & Other Myths, Australia  |  All Ages | Non-Verbal

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.

Tickets

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OLD MAN AND THE RIVER
WeeFestival Productions, Ontario | Ages 3+ | Non-Verbal

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.

Tickets

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CUORE (HEART)
MOMOM/Elsinor, Italy | Ages 4+ | English

Heart is a play about emotions. To manage some emotions within your heart, sometimes you need a dictatorship, sometimes anarchy.

On stage, MOMOM creates new fairy tales with themes that are important to human beings: fear, death, identity, integration, emotions.

Tickets

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A VERY OLD MAN WITH ENORMOUS WINGS
Riverbank Arts Centre, Ireland | Ages 8+ | English

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 sing 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.

Tickets

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ZOOOM
Patch Theatre, Australia | Ages 3-10 | English

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.

Tickets

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TREE: A World in Itself
Motus Marionnettes & Théâtre, Quebec | Ages 4+ | Non-verbal

TREE: A World in Itself, is a multi-sensory, interactive universe enveloped in soft light, music, and silence, where five characters continually adapt to meet the needs of their audience.  It was created for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and adapted for children with intellectual disabilities and/or reduced mobility. 

Tickets

ÉLAGE DIOUF
Québec | All Ages | French

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.

Tickets

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SCHOOLS AND GROUPS
(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

Canada Council for the Arts logo
City of Ottawa logo
The Harry P. Ward Foundation Logo
Ottawa Community Foundation logo
Province of Ontario logo
Canada Logo
Canadian War Museum Logo
CCN logo
WPBS-logo
Ottawa Embassy Logo
Macaroni Kid logo

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

Jessica Ruano, Member at large

Megan Gillis, Member at large

Catherine O’Grady, ex-officio