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Jennifer Chung checks out the International Arts Carnival

If you’re not flying off to a dazzling destination this summer and have a clan of hyperactive children to entertain during the wet, sweaty months, the Hong Kong government is coming to your rescue. This July, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department brings the annual International Arts Carnival to town, a festival planned especially for children.

This year there is a truly international flavour with performances from Europe, North America and Asia offering some seriously world class shows. “We wanted this to be our largest carnival yet, with a balanced variety of activities and performers,” explains Karen Lee, the manager of the Festivals Office. There are more than 20 events ranging from multimedia theatre, physical dance, puppet theatre, percussion concerts, an entire film festival and plenty of workshops.

The highlight of this year’s event (as expected with the Beijing Games around the corner) is the Olympics themed physical dance theatre AEROS,staged by the Romanian Gymnastics Federation. Reputed choreographers from STOMP, Luke Cresswell and Steve McNicholas have teamed up with a global group of contemporary choreographers to direct 18 award winning athletes. Five of the performers are world champions in Artistic, Rhythmic and Sports Aerobics and the remaining gymnasts hold titles as European Champions, so expect top-notch performances.

For more physical theatre, check out Park and Art, a production by the Arts with the Disabled Association Hong Kong. This show fuses tai chi, hip hop and yoga, brought together by artists from American troupe The Wild Zappers, and two local groups, the School of Hip Hop and the Theatre of the Silence.

Meanwhile, there are all manner of music events. Scrap Arts Music in particular will appeal to teens. The Canadian five piece percussion ensemble is quite peculiar, but definitely arouses curiosity. Their speciality? They make their own instruments out of scrap, from copper pipes to waste metals to wooden planks. You’re probably expecting a racket with such crazy makeshift instruments, but make no mistake; this percussion concert using over 140 newly-invented instruments will create musically rich tunes, and perhaps inspire audiences to recycle their waste.

The International Children’s Film Carnival is another highlight of the Carnival. The film festival was first integrated with the Arts Carnival in 2001, and has always proved popular with both kids and parents. With 11 short films in total, the Film Carnival features works produced around the globe, in such diverse languages as Estonian, Hebrew and Danish, all with English subtitles.

However, perhaps the most anticipated locally produced show is Amoeba Papa by Make Friends with Puppet, an award winning team of Hong Kong puppeteers. This year they’re back with a story narrated completely from the perspective of a young girl. Although it’s in Cantonese, the show relies heavily on the actions and expressions of the puppets to convey its storyline, meaning there’s something for everyone to enjoy – much like at the International Arts Carnival overall.

Visit www.hkiac.gov.hk for more details, runs July 11 to August 17.