Give your kids a break from the TV and computer screens. Donna Brewer and Chinmoy Lad pick the best stage performances, film screenings and live events at this year’s International Arts Carnival. (Note to mums and dads: Get your tickets quick as some shows have already sold out!)

Moscow Circus on Ice
Circus acrobatics take to the ice in this unique collaboration of stunts and skating. The
performers will challenge your young’uns’ attention spans with impressive feats of athleticism. Expect the usual circus tricks – springing between parallel bars and walking on stilts – with a twist: it’s all done on two blades. Kids, don’t try this one at home.
Time Out tip: The Circus’ history dates back nearly 50 years, with their first performance in 1962.

Cultural Centre, Grand Theatre, 10 Salisbury Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui. 8 Jul, 7.30pm; 9 Jul, 11am, 3pm, 7.30pm, 10 Jul, 3pm, 7.30pm $360-$120.

Plastic Fantastic
How can one find humour in plastic bags? Leave it to four Ukrainian ‘kidult’
comedians to create a comic show based purely on the manoeuvrability of such bags. Plastic bags of all shapes, sizes and colours will make an appearance as the comedians cleverly shift the shapes and sizes of the props on show. From resembling an airplane one moment to a wailing baby the next, the artists make use of visuals, sound and improvisation.
Time Out tip: The troupe channels Charlie Chaplin and mime master Marcel Marceau in their performances.

Sheung Wan Civic Centre Theatre, 345 Queen’s Rd Central, Sheung Wan. 15 Jul, 7.30pm; 16 Jul 3pm&7.30pm, $200-$100.
Yuen Long Theatre, 9 Yuen Long Tai Yuk Rd, Yuen Long. 17 Jul, 5pm, $180-$100.

Spaghetti Western Orchestra
Fresh from their European tour, these five musical maestros have brought their quirky and inventive show to Hong Kong. The classically-trained quintet uses more than 100 wacky instruments to interpret works by legendary
Spaghetti Western composer Ennio Morricone in fun, innovative ways. Children will love how the music recreates punch-ups, gunshots and jangling spurs, straight out of the Wild West.
Time Out tip: Keep your eyes out for household goods moonlighting as
instruments, like the nail clipper, coat hanger, and our personal favourite − the asthma inhaler.

Kwai Tsing Theatre Auditorium, 3 Aug, 7.30pm, $240-$100.
Sha Tin Town Hall Auditorium, 4 Aug, 7.30pm, $240-$100.

International Children’s Film Carnival
This year, the Children’s Film Carnival brings folk tales from Germany, animation from the Czech Republic and inspirational stories from India. Little tots will get a kick out of The Sandman and the Lost Sand of Dreams, a cute stop-motion Claymation film about a young boy conquering his dreams. Older kids will love The Crocodiles, a film about a cool gang of youngsters who are out to solve a mysterious incident. Be warned though, many of the films have sold out quickly so book your screening tickets soon.
Time Out tip: Jesper Møller, director of The Sandman, also directed the 2006 hit film Asterix and the Vikings.

See www.lcsd.gov.hk/fp for individual screening dates, times and venues.

Stargazing by the Sea with McDull
The lovable piglet McDull sweeps you away on a musical journey when he ‘performs’ with the Hong Kong Sinfonietta. As one of the country’s flagship professional orchestras, the Sinfonietta has achieved
international recognition for its
passionate and energetic
performances. The theme of this year’s project is to rediscover the beauty of our wonderful world and what better way to do that than with a cartoon pig on screen?
Time Out tip: McDull is the creation of Hong Kong’s very own cartoonists Alice Mak and Brian Tse.

City Hall, Concert Hall, 4-5 Aug, 7.30pm; 6-7 Aug, 3pm&7.30pm, $280-$140.

Genesis
Pinocchio meets Darwin in this educational puppet show. Artists
illustrate the history of the Earth and explore topics related to the origins of the universe in a kid-friendly
manner. The internationally-
acclaimed production explores the beginnings of life, natural
selection, the birth of civilisation and the power of humans to explore and destroy nature. The 50-minute visually stimulating journey takes you from the big bang to futuristic cities, all through the medium of
puppetry.
Time Out tip: There is a meet-the-artist session after each show.

Sha Tin Town Hall, 1 Yuen Wo Rd, Sha Tin. 13-15 Jul, 7.30pm; 16-17 Jul, 2.30pm&5pm, $180.
Jockey Club Creative Arts Centre, Black Box Theatre, 30 Pak Tin St, Shek Kip Mei, 18-19 Jul, 7.30pm, $180.

Ticketing: http://www.urbtix.hk, 2111 5999