GEORGE TOWN – Little Door Festival (LDF) will be hosting ‘Family Together’, the inaugural pilot of a festival that aims to help parents and children to connect, interact and understand one another.
To protect participants and adhere to SOP guidelines, the festival will be in a hybrid format. Selected activities happening online and in the Hin Bus Depot throughout January.
The main event of the festival will be held on January 15 and 16, 2022. Recognising that children’s opinions are often overlooked or dismissed by grown-ups, LDF is working to create spaces and activities where children are empowered to be themselves, where their aesthetics are appreciated, their opinions respected and their voices heard.
To open up little eyes to big worlds of wonder, the festival offers a curated selection of activities designed to help family members better respect and understand one another, and to draw them closer together.
• Drawn Together [Multidisciplinary Performance]
When: January 15-16, 2022 | Where: Virtual Event
Set your compass, lift your anchor and set sail into adventure on the fantasea in this high sea adventure that combines storytelling and shadow puppetry to tell a thrilling tale about the magic that happens when we take playing seriously.
• When We Were Young [Photography Exhibition]
When: December 29, 2021 – January 2, 2022 | Where: Hin Bus Depot
A workshop and photography exhibition that aims to bridge the gap between parent and child, allowing both to share their stories and open up to each other.
• Do We Really Need Another Children’s Festival? - Why Children’s Festivals Matter [Online Symposium]
When: January 8, 2022 | Where: Virtual Event
Join us for a hard talk with International TYA festival organisers and experts on WHY children’s festivals matter and the value it brings to children and their communities.
• Family Jam [Online Body Percussion Workshop]
When: January 15-16, 2022 | Where: Virtual Event A collaboration with Hands Percussion group. This music workshop is an opportunity for parents and children to enjoy a valuable experience learning to make music together.
• Hand-In-Hand [Craft Workshop]
When: January 15-16, 2022 | Where: Virtual Event
Craft activity for parents and children to get hands-on with handicrafts and work together to create a touching keepsake of their time growing up as a family.
• Into The Book [Online Interactive Storytelling Activity]
When: January 15-16, 2022 | Where: Virtual Event
A fun and engaging storytelling session in collaboration with Sophia's Book Cafe that invites children and their parents to interact and become part of the story.
• Say It In Mime (Online Mime Workshop)
When: January 15-16, 2022 | Where: Virtual Event
A miming workshop with Thailand’s acclaimed Babymime Group who’ll show us how to let actions speak louder than words.
• Giant Conteng Corner [Children’s Drawing Activity]
When: December 29, 2021 – January 2, 2022 | Where: Hin Bus Depot
We welcome children to unleash their pent-up creativity and draw to their heart’s content on the wall!
• The Book Nook [Book Market]
When: January 2, 2022 | Where: Hin Bus Depot
A curated shopping experience that offers a selection of books just for kids with a special focus on Malaysian stories and authors.
LDF began as the brainchild of Liew Kung Yu, the festival’s artistic director. No stranger to George Town’s festival scene, Liew had previously served as the artistic director for George Town Heritage Celebrations for three years until 2015 where he had been working with local communities to celebrate the city’s intangible cultural heritage.
"I have always admired the carefree creativity and aesthetics of children, and have long cherished a dream to create a space where children can just be children, to explore their creativity and experience things that I wish I could have known when I was a child," said Liew.
“Our goal is to raise the standards of TYA which is something that’s often overlooked and dismissed. We believe, however, that children are very much aware and sensitive about the things happening around them, and that theatre and the arts play a valuable role to further develop their minds and ability to understand the world.”
“In Malaysia, it’s unfortunate that most activities targeted at children tend to belittle young minds with shallow entertainment. We (LDF) believe that children should be treated with more respect. And we intend to set a better example by offering children invigorating experiences that not only serve to nurture young minds, but also help to cultivate a deeper understanding and appreciation for the arts from a young age.
“We were fortunate to have people who believed in our vision for this children’s festival. And we’re grateful to be working in partnership with Cultural Economy Development Agency (Cendana) and George Town Festival who helped make it a reality; as well as to Hin Bus Depot who generously sponsored the use of their venue.”
On the Festival’s theme of ‘Family Together’, Liew had this to say: “Among the parents we’ve spoken to, many find it very challenging to communicate with their children, especially now.
"As the social veils and safety nets that our society used to rely on have been taken away, many families have begun to realise that they lack the ability to engage physically and mentally with their children.
"With that in mind, we developed our programme for Little Door Festival 2022 as a platform where parents and children can have a chance to engage and learn about each other through shared fun and creative experiences.” – The Vibes, December 30, 2021
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