The Asian Children's Festival Celebrates Success Once Again National Library Board, Singapore

Whether you were a parent, child or an educator, the Asian Children's Festival 2004 had something for everyone. From past favourites like the storytelling sessions on the trains, to the largest ever Asian Children's Expo, the variety of activities and number of partners at last year's festival hit a record high.

Organized by the National Library Board Singapore, the Asian Children's Festival began in 1999 as an annual platform to promote the habit of lifelong learning from a young age. It emphasizes Asian content across all activities to foster a deeper understanding of the rich Asian cultural, values and heritage among children. 
 

The 2004 festival spanned 18 days from 18 November to 5 December, with some 266 different activities held nation-wide at libraries and other venues. It kicked off with a 4-day Asian Children's Expo that featured stage performances, professional storytellers and a hall full of exhibitors. The Expo provided a platform for organizations in the field of children's education and entertainment to meet and communicate with their target audience.  Several firsts at the 2004 Festival included a cooking workshop organized by the Ritz Carlton Millenia Singapore for over 30 children from the Singapore Cancer Society, a Sports Seminar for Parents, and a "Nurturing Readers" workshop that featured prominent speakers such as Bernadette Tynan, author of the international bestseller, "Your Child Can Think Like a Genius". In keeping with tradition, the Festival also brought back past favourites such as the Great Singapore Stories, an entire Saturday dedicated to storytelling. On this day, international and local storytellers entertained children and their parents on train rides. Special stage shows were held at various shopping malls, as well as special storytelling sessions for children in the libraries.

Asian Children’s Cooking Workshop at the Ritz Carlton, Singapore Storytelling by international storytellers  on the trains

Also well received was the Asian Children's Drama Fiesta. Three stage productions were presented -- "Rainbow Fish", "Jumping Jelly Beans" and "The Magic Paintbrush" -- with a combined run of over 60 shows. These musical adaptations were an instant hit with children and parents alike.
 

Stage Performances  at the Storytelling Extravaganza @ the Malls

Pyjamas Night @ the Libraries

For the storytelling fraternity, conferences such as the Asian Congress of Storytelling brought them together to mingle and exchange notes and experiences.

All in all, the Asian Children's Festival has grown from strength to strength, with more and more parents and educators becoming aware of the value of participating in this annual event. 

Giving the Festival the thumbs up was international storyteller Katherine McLeod, who participated in the Great Singapore Stories. She said: "Storytelling is a way of engaging not only children, but family." 

These sentiments were echoed by parent Jocelyn Tay, who brought her daughter to attend the Asian Children's Expo. "It's quite a fun event for the children and good for the adults; it allows us to see what's available for our kids."