Do you have children? Do you ever wish there were more child-friendly festivals? The Ottawa Children’s Festival de la Jeunesse is here to fix that, and has been for 40 years.
Since 1985, the festival has celebrated the best live performing arts acts for children, including theatre, music, and dance.
The festival started with a small group at the Canadian Museum of Nature, according to Catherine O’Grady, artistic producer at the festival. Back then, it was run by just one woman.
“Now we are five full-time and eight part-time staff, we host thousands of school aged children annually, and we have a full roster of performing and visual arts from professional arts from around the world,” she says.
This year, the festival is celebrating its 40th anniversary. To mark this milestone, this year’s events will take place at Lansdowne Park.
“Forty years is a milestone indeed for any arts festival. This achievement has come at great sacrifice to those we have worked here and contributed their time, their experience, their expertise because they believe that arts and children belong together in a special, unambiguous relationship! Our volunteers we must deeply thank,” O’Grady says.
The new location change was also done in the hopes of achieving more community support, as the festival lacks funding, she says.
Ottawa Children’s Festival. Photo: Curtis Perry.
O’Grady, who has been running the festival for the last 25 years, says it is an incredibly rewarding experience, however.
“At least once a year, some child will find me and tell me that the show they just saw ‘changed my life’ and they’re usually only six or seven years old,” she says. “Former attendees of the festival, who are now parents themselves, and some of them grandparents will bring their children and grandchildren for them to have the same kind of imaginative, creative experience they enjoyed as children. Many adults tell me that the best theatre they see all year is often the work that’s invited to the children’s festival.”
O’Grady says the festival is especially important, as it is the only one dedicated to presenting professional work for young audiences in Ontario.
“As far as distinguishing ourselves from ‘kids events,’ we’re not about bouncy castles and we’re not trying to commodify things for our young people. We’re offering them an opportunity to see and experience what’s rich and diverse and beautiful about arts from around the world. No bouncy castles…. and no hockey workshops!”
For a full lineup and schedule, visit the Ottawa Children’s Festival website. The festival runs from May 8 to 13 and tickets range from $12 to $60.
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