Cochrane will host its first-ever Children’s Theatre Festival this Saturday (Aug. 23), an event organizers hope will become an annual tradition.
The festival is being presented by the newly formed Black Box Theatre Guild in conjunction with Take A Bow Community Theatre and Sleeping Giants Theatre and promises a day of interactive, family-friendly entertainment.
“We’re bringing four amazing local professional acts, either from Cochrane or Calgary, all geared towards kids,” says festival chair Anita MacDonald. “They’re highly interactive shows—kids will be asked for ideas, maybe even to come on stage. It’s going to be engaging and fun.”
Performances include The Triple Fun Show!, a “Choose Your Own Adventure” production by Puddle of Mud Productions; Gustavo the Impossibilist, a whimsical show by Green Fools Theatre Society; and a Parent & Tot Singalong with Harmonize Counselling. The Kinkonauts Improvisation Lab will also offer interactive mini-adventures where children help shape the story in real time.
Music will be featured between performances, encouraging kids to get up and dance. There's a craft table hosted by Messy Moose, a ‘Furry Friends’ station with the Cochrane & Area Humane Society, a balloon artist, and temporary tattoos.
Families are invited to bring blankets, lawn chairs, and even picnics to enjoy the day. Several food trucks will also be on site.
While admission is free, MacDonald is asking families to register on Eventbrite. “We won’t be taking tickets at the door, but registration really helps us plan and, moving forward, it’s important data when we apply for grants and funding,” she explains.
The free tickets are available here.
The festival was made possible through crowdfunding arranged by Sleeping Giants Theatre, which provided matching funds from the Government of Alberta. Support was provided by the Town of Cochrane as well as three local businesses.
MacDonald, who is highly active in Take a Bow Community Theatre Society and worked closely with Sleeping Giants Theatre, says the festival offers something Cochrane has been missing: professional theatre for young audiences.
“Kids here are often on stage through programs, but we don’t really have professional theatre designed for them in Cochrane,” she says. “By bringing it here and making it free, we hope to open it up to a bigger audience—maybe it will be the first time some kids see live theatre.”
The event also marks the first major initiative of the Black Box Theatre Guild, which was formed last year with the ambitious goal of creating a black box theatre space in Cochrane.
“A black box theatre is so versatile,” says MacDonald. “One night it could be a cabaret, the next night an art display, and then a full theatre show. We want to create a community hub for the performing arts.”
She says this weekend’s festival is the first step in building momentum and awareness.
“I’m excited to see the crowd out to support us. The more people who come, the more we can show there’s a demand for this in Cochrane.”
