Festive way to keep children entertained

WANT to take the stress out of bringing your children to the National Arts Festival?

The Children's Arts Festival in Grahamstown offers a creative arts programme specially designed for primary school children.

It runs concurrently with the fest, which starts today and runs till July 13, and aims to release the artist within every child by developing their creativity, imagination and artistic ability.

Parents simply drop their children off at the venue at St Andrew's Preparatory School at 9am and collect them again at 5pm.

Children aged four to six years join the Mini-festival and those aged seven to 13 join the Day Programme.

Each day includes an age-appropriate festival production, arts-related workshops and lunch.

The festival director, Cindy Renard, said: "There is an amazing range of workshops and we try as far as possible to make each day different." She said there would also be marimba and contemporary dance and gumboot dance workshops that "will bring out that rhythm you never thought you had".

The hand-craft workshops include techniques such as beadwork, paper-craft with a Cuttle Bug, mosaics, carnival masks, ceramic painting, woodwork, leather work and calligraphy.

The Children's Arts Festival is supported by Standard Bank and by trusts administered by BoE as well as the National Arts Festival and the Cacadu District Municipality.

"We are extremely grateful to these companies whose contributions will give many previously disadvantaged pupils from Grahamstown and surrounds the opportunity to also take part in this fun-filled creative arts programme," Renard said.

Booking is essential.

Visit or phone Gaye Penrith on (046)622-2148 for more booking information.