Theatre, meetings, exhibitions, multisensory and interactive shows, various workshops, the programming of the 19e edition of this festival created especially for toddlers from 6 months to 6 years old promises to be rich and varied. Élizabeth Adel and Manon Martin, respectively in charge of projects and communications at the Petits bonheurs festival, offer an overview of this annual event which will be launched on May 5 at the Maison de la culture Maisonneuve.
Attracting, stimulating and above all keeping the attention of children for the duration of a show can be difficult. But the team of the Petits bonheurs festival has this mission firmly rooted in its DNA to offer an immersive and participative offer in order to give toddlers not only an encounter, but an awakening to the stage, theater and creation. “Often, it’s the first experience of a show or workshop, it’s the first time that the little ones go to see an art form projected. So, in fact, we want this first experience to be memorable and positive for the child and for the whole family”, explains Manon Martin, reached by telephone by The duty. Élizabeth Adel goes further by pointing out that the artists present in the program precisely use different means of expression adapted to this young and teeming public in order to capture their attention. She mentions in passing Tigouli, by Emmanuelle Lizère, a musical moment offered to children aged 6 months and over during which parents share and explore the sounds made from musical instruments and different materials (wood, paper, textiles).
Manon Martin adds that each show is designed with the audience in mind. “We have forms of shows that are more conventional, [mais aussi] shapes that lead children to participate directly in the show or to be center stage. I think about paper fish, of the company Foolish Operations. It’s a show in which children will become co-creators […] they will take part in the show. Promoting participation, theater for toddlers thus leaves room for all possibilities and imposes very few constraints. Laughing, crying, fidgeting, dancing is part of the ritual, even the essence of these extraordinary shows. “If the child wants to get up, he gets up […] The children participate by their actions, their laughter, their tears. All this is allowed, and it is specified at each start of the performance, to let the emotions live. And if there is a problem, the parents can leave, but there are no restrictions on having all the emotions possible, ”explains Manon Martin.
Open to discovery
An open and welcoming place, the festival thus makes it possible to introduce very young children to the arts in a friendly and participative way. An approach that remains, according to Elizabeth Adel, more than enriching for the little ones: “It has been proven that the arts in all their forms can bring [quelque chose]can help the overall development of the child […] we must try to promote art in all its forms. And to skeptics who might doubt or hesitate to take their baby to the festival, the project manager adds that it’s simply a question of leaving room for discovery. “Art can take many forms, and often people don’t necessarily realize that. I would say to simply invite the children to have different experiences. All kinds of artistic experiences can promote the development of the child”. Manon Martin agrees, saying that participating in the festival also allows you to invest in memories. “Because indeed, all the shows are designed for them […] And with our school component — CPEs, daycares, schools and daycare centers — we still reach a lot of children, and the feedback we get from teachers and educators is that the children remember […] We know that it marks, an experience like that, so close, so intimate. »
Spotlight on Cara Carmina
The idea of involving the little ones, of integrating them in some way into the various creations presented, took hold from the first day of the festival with the 4 to 6 for toddlers, a friendly event that will allow children to dive into the world of author and illustrator Cara Carmina. Present on site, the Mexican-born artist, in addition to indulging in two public readings with her guest, illustrator Manon Gauthier, invites children to discover their own qualities and talents in an interactive exhibition inspired by her series. of “Clever Rabbits” albums. “The idea of the exhibition is to question oneself. The child will wander through the exhibition [et]through the different personalities of rabbits, [il] will find links with [la sienne]. Wandering around and realizing that he himself is unique and that he has a unique personality, like all the rabbits in all of Cara Carmina’s books,” explains Manon Martin. A planned coloring area will also be added to this activity, at the end of which the children’s works will be presented on a wall of collective works. And if the festival is held from May 5 to 14 in Montreal, several activities are planned throughout the year across the province thanks to the Réseau Petits bonheurs.