From July 24 to 28, 2024, The delegation of four members from China National Theatre for Children (CNTC) was invited to Japan to participate the 22nd ricca ricca*festa (International Theatre Festival Okinawa for Young Audiences).

 The festival began in 1994 as Asia’s first international performing arts festival for families, held in central Okinawa. It was revived in 2005 in Okinawa City and moved to Naha City in 2014. The festival features high-quality productions for audiences of all ages. in addition to performances, ricca ricca*festa hosts networking events, symposiums, and workshops for TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) practitioners across Asia and the world. It is a popular summer event for local families and a platform for global artists and professionals.

   During the visit, the delegation watched ten performances from nine different countries, including Own Two Feet (Iceland), LEO (Canada, Germany), “Little Red Riding Hood” (Italy), Carmen (Belguim), Comme la pluie (Belguim) etc.. The invited international works at this festival were featured by their interactivity, creativity and typically included minimal or no language. Most performances lasted between 40 to 60 minutes and were held across four venues within walking distance in Naha City, comprising six theatres of varying sizes, with a focus on small venues.

   The delegation members say that the performances provided valuable insights into diverse cultures, narratives and imaginations, with many aspects worthy of cooperating and learning.

   On July 25 and 26, the delegation met with artists and practitioners from Japan, South Korea, Denmark, Australia, and Iceland to discuss theatre operations and potential collaborations. Mr. Wang Dong, Director of Cooperation and Development, had meetings with Hisashi Shimoyama, Artistic Director of ricca ricca*festa on July 25 and 28. They talked about the 2025 China Children’s Theatre Festival and reached an agreement on basics of long-term cooperation. Both festivals plan to build platforms together not only for enabling families and young audiences to enjoy the moment, but also inspiring artists and practitioners to expand ideas and creativity.           

Edited by Tingyu Wang