Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Government of the Macao Special Administrative Region, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau (IC, from the Portuguese acronym) and co-organised and supported by various entities, the 1st Macao International Children’s Arts Festival will present the closing performance Lu Duan, the first musical for children ever by the Palace Museum and the “MICAF Fun Day” arts carnival, both of which are not to be missed.
The “MICAF Fun Day” Arts Carnival, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Sands China Limited, will be held from 23 to 25 August and from 30 August to 1 September, from Friday to Sunday for two consecutive weeks, drawing a perfect close to this summer with eclectic programmes. The carnival features a main stage, central recreation area, splash area, bubbles area, workshop and game area, as well as food and bazaar area. Various performances will be held on the main stage, including the performance by Macau Youth Symphonic Band featuring a range of well-known music pieces from films by Miyazaki Hayao and Disney, freestyle jump rope, band performances, cheerleading, street dance, diabolo performances and Portuguese folk dance. The outdoor screenings will feature a range of local and international amination shorts themed around cherishing life, innocence and fantasy worlds. Interactive performances will be staged in the central recreation area, such as magic, clown and stilt shows, and the mascot MICAF will also show up to meet the children. Hong Kong singers James Ng and Yumi Chung will present performances on 24 August and 1 September, respectively. Children aged between 5 and 12 are welcome to participate in the party at the first-ever outdoor splash and bubbles area. Registration for the activities scheduled for the first weekend will be made available from 12pm on 19 August through the Festival’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/micaf.
The closing performance Lu Duan will be staged on 23 and 24 August. With three years of dedication on this production, this musical brings cultural relics to life through a perfect fusion of theatrical art, traditional culture and modern technology, as well as the application of AR and holographic projection technologies, thus guiding children to explore the Palace Museum and experience the charm of Chinese traditional culture. Tickets for two sessions of the musical are almost sold out, and additional seats are offered for the show on 23 August. Tickets are now on sale at the Macau Ticketing Network.
In addition, the stamp collection activity “MICAF, MICAF where are you?” is currently held. From today until 1 September, members of the public can proceed to the Macao Cultural Centre, the Macao Cultural Centre Plaza, the Macao Museum of Art or Cinematheque・Passion during opening hours, participate in the activity by completing the designated tasks, and redeem one souvenir. The “Meet-the-MICAF elves sessions” will be held in the Taipa Central Park at 3:30pm on 16 and 17 August, and the Flower City in Taipa at the same time on 18 August. Arrangements may be adjusted according to the actual weather conditions.
Tickets for the closing performance Lu Duan are on sale through the Macau Ticketing Network outlets, telephone and online booking. 24-hour ticketing hotline: 2855 5555; ticketing website: www.macauticket.com. A number of exquisite souvenirs are on sale in limited quantity at the performance venues on the dates of the performances during the Festival and at the “Meet-the-MICAF elves sessions”.Children who have become a fan of MICAF can enjoy a 30% discount on the souvenirs. For more information about the programmes, please visit the Festival’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/micaf.
