Our Mission

We inspire and motivate young minds with professional artistic experiences that transform a child’s understanding of the world around them and what is creatively possible.

About Vancouver International Children's Festival Society

The first of its kind and the longest running professional arts festival for young audiences, the Vancouver International Children's Festival presents the world's most acclaimed music, theatre, dance, circus arts, puppetry and storytelling, as well as creative arts activities and roving entertainers for the entire family. 

Where Your Donation Goes

Your donations help us enrich the lives of children and ensure the Festival remains affordable for everyone. There are may ways you can make an impact, with each contribution helping keep the Vancouver International Children’s Festival vibrant in our community.

Your gift will help us:

• Enrich the lives of children
• Ensure that the Festival remains affordable for everyone
• Enable the Festival to program exciting and creative artistic works
• Express a strong message to children that the arts are an important and meaningful part of life.

Community Programs

ADOPT A CLASS

Over the past twelve years more than 30,000 children from school districts across the Lower Mainland have attended the Festival thanks to the generosity of corporate and foundation donors. This program provides return bus transportation and featured performance tickets for school groups in low-income neighbourhoods across Metro Vancouver that would otherwise be unable to attend the Festival. The need for this program in reinforced each year with the wonderful letters we receive from students and teachers expressing their heartfelt thanks to their donors.

GOOD NEIGHBOUR PROGRAM

Each year the Festival distributes performance tickets at no cost to low income families through Kids Up Front, a non-profit society that distributes free tickets for arts, culture, sporting and recreational events to child-serving organizations across Metro Vancouver. Over the past three years, nearly 2,000 families have attended the Festival at no charge through the generosity of individual donors.

HOSPITAL OUTREACH PROGRAM

For too many children, a day of learning and laughter at the Children’s Festival is not possible due to illness, injury or physical challenges. Our Hospital Outreach Program brings the Festival experience to children receiving treatment or in care at child-centre healthcare facilities serving all British Columbians: B.C. Children’s Hospital, Canuck Place Vancouver and Abbotsford, and Sunny Hill Health Centre. Children unable to leave their facilities can share in the Festival spirit with their families and benefit from the healing power of music and laughter.

Thank you very much for your wonderful donation of Children’s Festival tickets and transportation. Nightingale’s students are from Vancouver’s inner city and would never have the opportunity to attend such an event without your support. What made things even more fantastic was the fact that djembe drums were used in the show, an instrument we have been learning to play.  - Greg Canning, Teacher, Nightingale Elementary School, Vancouver

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Learn more by watching our festival video below!