Vancouver festival ignites kids' interest on performing arts

The 39th annual Vancouver International Children's Festival is attracting thousands of children with its assembly of performing arts.

The seven-day event, which kicked off on May 30, is expected to receive up to 30,000 kids with its 12 different shows and nearly 90 performances given by top artists on Vancouver's Granville Island.

The festival, which offers theater, music, dance, circus, puppetry and storytelling, has drawn artists from across Canada and the Netherlands, Mexico and the United States.

Originally a theater festival, the children's festival has gained wide popularity during the last few decades and has become an inspiration for similar events worldwide.

Julien, who flew in from London with her daughter, said they came to enjoy outdoor activities, listen to music and watch shows.

The festival producer and director Katherine Carol told Xinhua: "My favorite thing in the festival is watching children being delighted when they're watching the performance, participating in activities and creating their own handcrafts."

Carol added it was important to introduce kids to performing arts at a young age to spark their interest and to try to keep the performing arts spirit alive. Endi