The Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre will be taken over by budding young artists when the 3rd annual Way out West (WOW) Festival for Children takes place from 9 – 12 July 2014. A free event, it is Sydney’s only contemporary arts festival dedicated to children and features hands-on sessions with some of Australia’s leading artists.
With the 2014 theme of cultural storytelling, the Festival’s program has pulled stories from across the globe including Japan, Egypt and Australia, and features an exciting selection of family-friendly performances, fantastical films and art making workshops, all designed to generate a new wave of creativity in youths.
Kiersten Fishburn, Director of Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, says that the WOW Festival is the highest quality children’s festival to come out of South West Sydney, if not Sydney-wide.
“Over the duration of the Festival, children will be engaged in a range of creative workshops including Tanabata, a Japanese weaving workshop facilitated by Melbourne Japanese Artist Chaco Kato,” says Ms Fishburn.
“The artwork will evolve over the course of the Festival with young children adding to a beautiful bamboo and origami galaxy. Tanabata will contrast heavily to another program aptly titled ToyPunk. Toypunk will see young children rocking it out to punk rock developed by the distortion of objects and toys and will get to develop their own music during this process.”
Other program highlights include: The Conductor and the Clown – a competition between a serious classical Conductor his orchestra and a cheeky, but seriously haphazard Clown presented by Monkey Baa Theatre Company; join Mr Boy and travel to HalfWorld – a world that exists for those who need it most; and back by popular demand come The Listies – winner of Best Production for Children at the 2013 Sydney Theatre awards.
Pull up your socks and come on down to an amazing exhibition by blind Tasmanian artist James Newton that literally brings socks to life in Sockumenta; or become an artisan in the time of the ancient Egyptians and it is your job to decorate the sarcophagus of the Pharaoh so that he can rest peacefully with his family in The Tomb of Wonder.
There’ll be Stories With the Stars, plenty of great music and film including highlights from the Little Big Shots Film Festival, and grab some fantastic bits and bobs to take home from the WOW Festival Pop-Up Store.
Way Out West Festival
Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre, 1 Powerhouse Road, Casula
Dates: 9 – 12 July 2014
Free entry – bookings essential
For more information, visit: www.casulapowerhouse.com for details.
Image: courtesy of Way Out West Festival