World Children's Festival: celebrating 10 years of children's creativity and imagination

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The World Children's Festival took place in Washington, DC in June 2007. The five-day festival started with a private event for the Arts Olympiad finalists on June 22 and ended with an awards banquet for them on June 26.

The interim three days were a public celebration, free and open to all, held on the National Mall across from the U.S. Capitol. Nearly 10,000 people participated in the festival, which marked the tenth anniversary of the International Child Art Foundation.

The ICAF produced its first festival in 1998, which was the first-ever national children's art and creativity celebration held in the United States. In June 1999, the ICAF produced the first international festival to celebrate the First Arts Olympiad (1997-2000). Four years later, the Second Arts Olympiad (2001-2004) led to a global celebration in Washington, DC in September of 2003. The Third Arts Olympiad (2005-2008) became the world's largest global program for children, in which about three million 8 to 12 year-olds participated by producing paintings and digital art on the theme, My Favorite Sport. The ICAF organized the first-ever European Children's Festival, at The Olympia Park in Munich in June 2006. The 2007 World Children's Festival was the largest international celebration for children ever held.

The ICAF festival model can be replicated around the world by organizations interested in guiding children on how to lead us into a more just, prosperous and nonviolent world. The model is unique and different from traditional children's festivals in which adults lead and entertain the children. At the World Children's Festival, from the onset the children understood that this was their World Festival. The adults were around to help and guide them but not to lead. For example, workshop leaders were aided by the children, but some even led their own workshops. At this event, the kids were the innovators and the artists.

The ICAF Youth Board Members (alumni who had participated in previous Arts Olympiads and festivals, and now 16 to 20 years old) became the Masters of Ceremonies. They made the introductions, served as spokespersons, and guided the Arts Olympiad finalists (ages 8 to 13). The youth performance groups (ages 6 to 16) took control of the World Stage. No adult performers or entertainers were invited.

Teachers and parents and other festival attendees were amazed that they had come to a truly children's celebration. Every activity in all the nine pavilions on the National Mall was oriented towards the children. The World Stage--the largest pavilion and the one closest to the U.S. Capitol--was for young performers to showcase their talents. The Arts & Crafts Atelier featured various creative arts that gave the necessary tools and inspiration to children to become lifelong creative learners. In the Festival Classroom international educators discussed children's mental and emotional development. In the Health & Environment Arena children learned about leading healthy lives and protecting our environment. The Art Therapy Studio instructed the children in the power of employing the arts for healing and recovery. The Peace through Art Workshops demonstrated how the children could develop empathy for others in order to create a nonviolent world. At the exhibition pavilion across from the National Gallery of Art the Arts Olympiad finalists' masterpieces on the theme My Favorite Sport promoted the 'artist-athlete' ideal of a creative mind and healthy body. The Digital Media Lab, across from the National Air and Space Museum, integrated the arts with multimedia for children to acquire new digital skills such as animation. Finally, closest to the Washington Monument was the LEGO Creation Nation area where children used nearly two million LEGO bricks to build a map of the United States the size of a basketball court.

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COPYRIGHT 2008 International Child Art Foundation
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