Tickets on sale today: International Arts Carnival to offer fun-filled summer party

The International Arts Carnival (IAC) festival, organised by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, is returning this summer with a splendid array of interesting and creative programmes by overseas and local art groups, offering families and children a fun-filled party. Tickets will be on sale from tomorrow (May 19).

This year's IAC will run from July 14 to August 13. Participating overseas groups come from the United Kingdom, Spain, Australia and Korea. Along with local groups, they will present a variety of fascinating programmes covering dance, music, acrobatics, multimedia theatre and more. Films from around the world will also be screened.

The opening programme will be the world premiere performance of "Sam and Her Amazing Book of Dinosaurs", a ballet theatre piece with arts tech, co-produced by the Hong Kong Ballet and 59 Productions, a top-notch British design company. Inspired by a children's pop-up book and augmented with lively animation and video projection, the playful production will take audiences on a magical time journey to a wondrous world of dinosaurs.

Other exciting programmes include the production "Living Creatures", created and performed by Alice Ma, Ronly Kong and Mary Jane Tang. It is a dance theatre experience specially designed for infants to 2 year olds. Four strange creatures, breaking out of their shells, will invite babies to embark on an exciting adventure. Through dance, music, lighting and props as well as the environment, the programme enables babies to open all five senses to explore a colourful world freely.

Yat Po Singers, a professional Hong Kong a cappella choral theatre company, gives voice to flora and fauna in the music theatre "Voice of the Woods", venturing into the forest with audiences to see how the protagonist overcomes challenges to go after his dream.

Spanish circus company Vaivén Circo will offer an amazing acrobatic performance, "Esencial". Five agile members of the team will turn life-sized building blocks upside down and perform complicated hand stands and splits on seesaws and ropes, providing a feast for the eyes.

Australia's Slingsby Theatre will bring the popular German children's story "Emil and the Detectives" to the stage. While adhering to the original spirit of the story, the company draws on object theatre, animation and interactive elements, inviting audiences to join the detective team to outwit the thief.

Orthemis Orchestra from Spain, following their acclaimed performance in 2019, will return to Hong Kong with "Disconcerto", an unconventional concert of masterpieces by 12 string players. Infusing humour with classical music, the group vows to once again light up the concert hall with laughter.

Multimedia theatre "Poli Pop", the newest production by Korea's BRUSH Theatre, will combine comedy with animation and projection, lighting effects and live music, enlivening every scene in the show, transforming the bedroom of brother Poli and sister Pola into a world of fantasy.

Fong Fong Projet d'Art's programme "Our Little Tram: DingDing", injecting performance elements into a tram journey, received a popular response in 2021. In the coming production "DingDing: Our Friending Tram", audiences are invited to savour local wonders and peer into the future inside the theatre.

Other IAC programmes include:

* 2023 Hong Kong Youth Music Camp Concerts "A Feast of Chinese and Western Classics" by the Music Office;

* "This This This This Rice!", a musical by the Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra;

* "When a Poo Woos", a dance theatre for families by the City Contemporary Dance Company;

* "The Magic Flute and the Five Elements: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth", an arts tech theatre piece by Zuni Icosahedron;

* "The Kids in Rainbow Jerseys", a dance drama for families by the Hong Kong Dance Company; and

* "International Children's & Youth Film Carnival 2023" by the Film Programmes Office.

In addition to stage performances, the IAC continues to offer parent-child workshops, backstage tours, exhibitions and online programmes, while venue partners, libraries and museums will also hold a wide range of related activities and programmes during the festival period.

Tickets for the IAC will be available at URBTIX (www.urbtix.hk) from tomorrow (May 19). For telephone bookings, please call 3166 1288, or use the mobile ticketing app "URBTIX".