The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announces the EQT Children’s Theater Festival, now celebrating its 29th year, will be held May 14-17, 2015 in the Cultural District, downtown Pittsburgh. This year, attendees are encouraged to enjoy five sensational performances and one new interactive art installation in addition to complimentary programs that compliment featured ticketed performances. The festival is programmed by the Children’s Theater Series and Festival division of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.
For the second year, EQT Foundation, the charitable affiliation of EQT Corporation, will serve as the lead and title sponsor of the Children’s Theater Festival.
“The Cultural Trust’s EQT Children’s Festival has found a home in the Cultural District. As Pittsburgh’s downtown resident population continues to thrive, we are pleased to present more robust programming to share with the thousands of families and friends of the festival who will attend,” commented J. Kevin McMahon, President and CEO-Pittsburgh Cultural Trust. “We are also very grateful for the continued support of the EQT Foundation.”
“A priority of the EQT Foundation is supporting local initiatives designed to give the area’s youth more exposure to artistic programming, while promoting an understanding and appreciation of the diverse culture and heritage throughout our region,” said Charlene Petrelli, President, EQT Foundation. “EQT takes pride in supporting educational programs that focus on providing our area children with extraordinary and unique experiences, and the EQT Children’s Theater Festival promises to do just that and more this year.”
This year’s EQT Children’s Theater Festival features ticketed performances by artistic companies from Australia, Denmark, Scotland and the Netherlands. Teatro Al Vacio also joins the festival line-up, adding programming from Mexico—a country that has not been represented within the festival for many years.
Theater venues include the Byham Theater, Cabaret at Theater Square and the Trust Arts Education Center.
The festival grounds will include increased food options and vendors, more visual art programming at local galleries, additional pop-up green spaces, free hands-on activities, free roving performances, and free stages.
The festival is pleased to announce additional street closures on Penn Avenue, crossing and security guards, and additional to help all visitors navigate events. In addition, festival hours are extended to 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., with evening performances scheduled each day and the festival will be using the Cabaret at Theater Square for the first time!
Also new to this year’s festival are Festival Guides—team members who will stationed throughout the Cultural District during festival hours to happily help attendees find their way. Traditional volunteers, staff members and ticket sellers will also be on site to help festival families and friends plan their experience. Information booths will be open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. providing information, tickets and merchandise. Each Featured Performance venue will have staff on-site 60 minutes prior to show time.
“Theater is an extraordinary and unique experience for a young person,” shared Pamela Komar, Pittsburgh Cultural Trust’s Manager-Children’s Theater Programming and Executive Director-Children’s Theater Series & Festival. “This year, we will return the programmatic focus of the festival to the internationally renowned performances that have always headlined the Festival. We hope to foster excitement about these featured performances though all of the activities aimed at engaging people of all ages and backgrounds. There's so much to explore!”
FEATURED TICKETED EVENTS
All ticketed performances will take place in the Cultural District.
SPOT by Theater Terra
The Netherlands
AGES 3 – 7 | 50 minutes
Location: Byham Theater, 101 6th Street
* Sensory Friendly Performances, which will include interactivity, rhythm, repetition, reduced sound levels and gentle lighting are scheduled at 1:00 p.m. on May 16 and 5:45 p.m. on May 17. Sponsored by The Children’s Institute.
UMBO by Teatro Al Vacio
Mexico
AGES 6 months - 4 years* | 30 minutes
Location: Cabaret at Theater Square, 655 Penn Avenue
*All children require a ticket, accompanied by an adult. Additional adult companions and guests will be seated in chairs surrounding the play space.
HANSEL AND GRETEL by GRUPPE 38
Denmark
AGES 8+ only* | 40 minutes
Location: Trust Arts Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Avenue
*Children under the age of 8 will not be admitted.
THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD by Visible Fictions
Scotland
AGES 7+ | 60 minutes
Location: Byham Theater, 101 6th Street
MANXMOUSE: THE MOUSE WHO KNEW NO FEAR by Theatergroep Kwatta
The Netherlands
AGES 5+ | 60 minutes
Location: Trust Arts Education Center, 805-807 Liberty Avenue
NEW OUTDOOR INTERACTIVE ART INSTALLATION
TANGLE by Polyglot Theatre
Australia
ALL AGES | 30 minutes
Play in and explore this unforgettable art installation, complete with live music! Visitors create a tangled multi-colored landscape by weaving colorful balls of elastic through tall golden poles. What will you create?! Polyglot Theatre is assisted by the Australian Federal Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, the Victorian Government Melbourne and the City of Stonnington.
SENSORY-FRIENDLY PERFORMANCE
SENSORY-FRIENDLY EVENTS during this year’s festival include SPOT (Theater Terra, The Netherlands) taking place at the Byham Theater, 101 6th Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15222. Sensory-friendly performances will be held at 1:00 p.m. on May 16 and 5:45 p.m. on May 17.
FREE EVENTS
LILYPAD PARK
This year the center of the Festival features a bigger and better pop-up park! This special green space is full of turf lily pads and furniture, flower planters, a sandbox, and more! Enjoy even more play space this year as Penn Avenue will be closed to traffic from 7th to 9th Streets during the entirety of the Festival! A Complete listing of Food Trucks, Family-Friendly Restaurants, Community Stage performances and Hands-On activities will be made available at TRUSTARTS.ORG/PGHKIDS in May. Vendors will be selling a variety of foods on the festival grounds – all sales are cash only. Benches and grass seating areas are available throughout the Cultural District to enjoy food vending or packed lunches.
PUBLIC ART AND INSTALLATIONS
Family-friendly artwork is on display at Space, Wood Street Galleries, Future Tenant Gallery, 707 & 709 Galleries, Shaw Galleries and Agnes R. Katz Plaza.
HANDS-ON AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES
From craft-making to workshops to games, attendees can discover over 30 fun activities on the festival grounds!
FROG STOP SCAVENGER HUNT
Back by popular demand, attendees can explore key locations in and around the festival Grounds! Discover interesting facts, participate in fun activities and learn about the Cultural District along the way. Complete the scavenger hunt and win a kid cone from Dream Cream Ice Cream.
THE KID FLIX MIX
This kaleidoscopic showcase of the best short film and animation comes straight from the New York International Children’s Film Festival. The show runs daily during Festival hours. Films are recommended for kids ages 3-6 and will take place at the Harris Theater, located at 809 Liberty Avenue.
PARKING AND TRANSPORTATION
Reserve parking vouchers in the heart of the Cultural District at Theater Square Parking Garage. A limited number of vouchers will be held for Festival visitors each day. To reserve your parking voucher, call 412-456-6666 or visit the Box Office at Theater Square.
Festival travel as convenient and comfortable as possible! For information about parking lots and garages in the Cultural District, visit www.ParkPGH.org. This site shows real-time parking availability in over 20 downtown parking lots with parking inventory updates every 30 seconds.
