Under the patronage of the Secretariat for Social Affairs and Culture of the Macao SAR Government and organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau, the 2^nd Macao International Children’s Arts Festival will offer the clowns show Slava’s Snowshow this week. The family choir musical theatre Whispering Zodiac: The Chinese Zodiac Choral Concert will also be presented at the end of the month, with tickets now available for sale on the Enjoy Macao Ticketing. From Friday to Sunday, starting this week and for two consecutive weeks, the “MICAF Fun Day” will take place at the CCM Plaza, inviting residents to join in the joyful artistic wonderland.

The triumphally returned clowns show Slava’s Snowshow will be staged from 22 to 24 August at the Grand Auditorium of the Macao Cultural Centre. Conceived by the renowned master clown and founder of the Clown Theatre Academy, Slava Polunin, his show features the combination of superb physical artistry of the performers, with the elements that blend poetry, tragicomedy and circus. The audience will be led to the magical winter world through numerous props such as giant colourful balloons, falling snow and a massive white net. Despite not having any dialogue or complete storyline, the performance will beautifully bring to life a series of surprisingly spectacular vignettes, making it a profound delight among audiences of all ages. The family choir musical theatre Whispering Zodiac: The Chinese Zodiac Choral Concert will be presented by the three schools of the Macao Conservatory of the Cultural Affairs Bureau, sharing stories about the “twelve small astro-animals”, focusing on the twelve Chinese zodiac signs while combining music, dance and theatrical elements. The performance will be presented on 30 August at the Macao Cultural Centre Small Auditorium.

The “MICAF Fun Day” Arts Carnival, organised by the Cultural Affairs Bureau and Sands China Limited, will be held from 22 to 24 August and from 29 to 31 August, from Friday to Sunday for two consecutive weeks at the CCM Plaza. This year’s theme features the Festival’s mascot MICAF and its friends, turning the Plaza into a fantastic summer wonderland with 10-metre-high large inflatable installations, splash sprinklers and special containers for check-in. Adults and children are welcome to enjoy and have fun in the summer. In addition to the popular “Water Fun Party” and “Foam Party” which were held last year, a resting area and a food zone will be set up, along with Kids’ Dress up Corner, Backstage Adventure, handcraft workshops and game stalls. There are also interactive performances such as Stilt Walking Master, Kids’ Street Dance, Unicycle Acrobatic, Freestyle Rope Skipping, Belly Dance, Cheerleading Performance, Clowning Time and Magic Fun. This year, the “Talent Show” is especially added, allowing children to showcase their talent performances. The outdoor screenings will feature a range of local and international amination shorts themed around cherishing life, innocence and fantasy worlds. The Festival’s MICAF elves will make an appearance to meet children. Admission to the “MICAF Fun Day” Arts Carnival is free. Registration for the “Talent Show”, “Backstage Adventure”, “Water Fun Party” and “Foam Party” during the first weekend (22 to 24 August) will open at 12pm on 20 August via the Macao International Children’s Arts Festival website (www.icm.gov.mo/micaf).

Tickets for the programmes of the Macao International Children’s Arts Festival are on sale through the Enjoy Macao Ticketing (ticketing.enjoymacao.mo). “Children’s Packages” are available for some programmes, and “Family Packages” are available for most of the programmes. For more information about the programmes and discounts, please visit the Festival’s website at www.icm.gov.mo/micaf. For enquiries, please call the 24-hour ticketing hotlines at 2840 0555.