CHILDREN’S
FESTIVAL
First
organised
in 1979 as an event of the international Year on
Children, the Festivals aimed at providing free and quality
entertainment to as many children as possible. The 1st
of June
was selected, being the International
Children’s
Day and since then, Festivals are
organised in all five districts of Cyprus around that date.
Painting,
pottery making, traditional games, interactive games, puppet shows,
theatrical play, shadow theatre, singing and dancing brought hundreds of
children and helped informing children and the general public on what
the International Year on Children aimed at.
The
big
success
resulted
in
the
decision
to
institute
the
Festivals
into
yearly
events,
to
enrich
them
and
involve
the
local
authorities,
the
Ministry
of Education and Culture and
other relevant authorities into their planning.
Today,
the
Festivals
are
a
major
event
for
children
both
from
urban
and
rural
areas
since
all
games,
painting,
pottery
making
and
entertainment
are
still
offered
free
of
charge
and
no
entrance
fee
is
applied. Yet, through the sales
of different items such as food and drinks, the Festivals provide
funding to the District Committees and greatly increase their ability to
offer advocacy services to children.
Finally,
with the involvement of the Cyprus Children’s Parliament, the Festivals
are a means for children to express their views, inform children and
adults on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and publicise the
Children’s Parliament ongoing work.
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