Celebrations

Free rein for dreams

By Liu Yujie and Wu Wencong (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-05-30 07:55

Clockwise from top left: Nikita Alderson, 6, from Russia, practices Chinese kungfu with Chinese children in Sanlitun on Sunday; Twin girls listen to stories told by an early-education teacher at Family Box in Chaoyang district on Sunday; Fathers carry their children during a competition in Sanlitun. Photos by Zou Hong / China Daily

There will be lots for kids to do on International Children's Day. Liu Yujie and Wu Wencong report.

Editor's note: Wednesday is International Children's Day. To help you and your children celebrate, here is a selection of the many activities that will make the city a fun place for youngsters on their special day.

2011 Forest Project and Fairy Tale Children's Art Exhibition

Co-presented by Beijing Art District Construction Committee and TCAT Thread International Children's Art Centre, 798 International Children's Art Week will make for an educational and art-filled Children's Day.

For the subject of the art week, the Forest Project,young artists from all around the world and famous Chinese contemporary artists will be improvising a larger-than-life mural that will depict their interpretation of the forest.

The forest is a fundamental cornerstone of life on Earth. It sustains all of Earth's creatures in one way or another, improving ecological value and housing thousands of Earth's most unique species.

Forests can also be valued for their sheer beauty as they are a virtual ecological cornucopia of artistry. During the activity, children and artists will work in a factory of dreams, where their creativity and compassion will be inspired.

"We hope to arouse ecological awareness in all our participants and audience members, by uniting Earth and art on a day that pays homage to our future - our children," said Yu Weiping, the project's producer.

Meanwhile, a fairy tale-inspired children's art exhibition will be held at 798 Space.

The exhibition, which has attracted works by children in Beijing and the far reaches of the globe, focuses on the psychological development of children and how they choose to express themselves through color, forms and artistic exploration.

It tries to shed light on the vulnerability of children, how their worldviews can be shaped, and how art therapy can develop and nurture their personalities.

"Art is a direct way for children to express their emotional experiences and life histories," said Yu. Using visual tools, they can communicate their perception of the things around them; expressing suppressed feelings and their subconscious.

"Through art therapy we can help children who feel depressed and confused in life - and even children with mental illnesses - to better understand their thoughts and improve their communication and interpretation skills."

When: Opening 4 pm, Jun 1, running from June 1-7

Where: 798 Space, Ceramic Third Road, 798 Art Zone, 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang district

北京市朝阳区798艺术区B区706北一街思莱德画廊

Children's Day Art Workshop: Art is love!

To celebrate International Children's Day on June 1, the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art is teaming up with UNESCO, the Sun Culture Foundation and singer-turned-contemporary-artist Ai Jing to present Art is Love!, a special art workshop for children.

From 10 am to 12 pm in the UCCA cafe, Ai will lead young artists from a local school for the children of migrant workers and the Children's House International Montessori Kindergarten in a fun workshop that teaches kids to love themselves, love others and love the power of art.

Staff from UCCA and UNESCO will be on hand to run the workshop, and photographers with Lomography cameras will record all the fun and creative energy.

The children's finished works of art and photographs from the workshop will be put on display in the children's and illustrated books section of the UCCA store.

On the same day, works of art from the Children's House International Montessori Kindergarten will be on display from 10 am to 6 pm in the UCCA loft.

The exhibition features "emerging artists" from 38 countries aged from 1 to 6. The UCCA Art Cinema will present three short animated films that will screen in rotation throughout the morning.

Viewers of all ages will enjoy the comical adventures of Big Buck Bunny; the mysterious world of Red-End and the Seemingly Symbiotic Society, about an ant's life; and Variety, a plate-spinning show that reflects the most important things in our lives.

The Children's House International Montessori Kindergarten International Art Exhibition

When: 10 am-6 pm, June 1

Children Day Special: Selected Dutch Animation 2008-2009

When: 10 am-11.30 am, June 1

Where: UCCA Loft, 798 Art Zone, 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu, Chaoyang district. Free entry.

Tel: 8459-9269 to book

北京市朝阳区酒仙桥路4号798艺术区UCCA 报告厅

Fun in the park on Children's Day

The activity is organized by the Drama Rainbow, an education organization for little children. Children will meet Pleasant sheep, Bozo the Clown and Merlin the Magician at the park, "Uncle Anthony Sent Me".

The organization will provide some drama games, which are designed to stimulate the imagination and cultivate creativity of children. Pictures of Pleasant sheep, Bozo and Merlin also will be provided to kids.

If the children can say magic words (inside the notes), they could get free gift with a retail value of 1,500 yuan, which are limited to the first 150 kids.

When: June 1, 10:00 am -6 pm

Where: Haidian Park 海淀公园

Cost: Free

Contact: 8522-2800

Disney activity for Children's Day

The Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Walt Disney Company are organizing an eight-day activity for children of migrant workers and those from welfare homes.

The event will take place at the association's Peace Palace from May 30 to June 10, with a suspension during the Dragon Boat Festival from June 3 to June 6.

The children's journey will start after they pass through a "rainbow gate".

The creative exhibition areas are divided into five parts, where the children can take photographs with figures from fairytales, listen to stories, play puzzles and watch animation video clips.

About 3,000 children from kindergartens and primary schools below third grade have been invited to attend the event.

They are all migrant workers' children, ones from welfare houses or with disabilities.

"Mickey Mouse and his friends, created by Disney, have been loved by kids all over the world, regardless of the color of their skin, the language they speak and the religion they believe in," said Li Xiaolin, deputy director of the association, who has brought the event to ordinary Chinese children this year.

When: May 30 to June 2 and June 7 to 10; 9-11 am and 2:30-4:30 pm

Where: No 1 Taijichang Street, Dongcheng district

Tel: 8511-9059 (invitation only)

台基厂大街1号

China Daily

(China Daily 05/30/2011)