From today, Cape Town plays host to the Cradle of Creativity: The 19th ASSITEJ World Congress and International Theatre Festival for Children and Young Audiences.
The festival will feature some of the most exciting international and local theatre for young audiences and is organised in partnership with the South African National Arts Council until May 27.
Alongside the festival and congress, there will also be a conference.
The event takes place at the Artscape, the Baxter and the Cape Town City Hall.
Productions on offer at the festival (May 17-27) include works for babies, toddlers, children, tweens and teens.
In addition, Magnet Theatre: Early Years Fringe will offer three days of work dedicated to theatre for children up to the age of from May 24-26.
Cradle of Creativity will also take place at the Cultural Hubs in Atlantis, Gugulethu, Langa and Philippi over the weekend of May 20-21.
The conversation at Cradle of Creativity is made up of an intensive 2-day academic conference taking place today and tomorrow, organised by the International Theatre
for Young Audiences Research Network (ITYARN) in association with UCT’s Drama Department and University of the Witwatersrand’s Drama for Life.
This is followed by a series of focus days from May 18-27, themed around aspects of theatre for youth such as Theatre as Education, Theatre for Social Change, Theatre for Healing, Theatre for the Early Years and Dance Theatre for Young Audiences.
The Congress of ASSITEJ International will be a
4-day meeting of ASSITEJ representatives from different countries.
Under the leadership of president Yvette Hardie, the strategy for the next three
years will be decided by the members of the 52-year-old organisation.
Visitors can expect a celebration of inter-cultural exchange at the Cradle of Creativity
with works from in and around the city and others showcasing the following countries:
Australia, Brazil, Cameroon, Canada, China, Denmark,Zambia, Zimbabwe, Germany, Korea, Lebanon, Mexico and Spain.
Bookings can be made through Computicket.
For more information visit http://www.assitej.org.za