I received the following news from Ashfaq Ishaq, Ph.D:
This year we celebrate the tenth anniversary of the ICAF and have some
great news for you.
a. World Children's Festival
This June we will host the world's largest celebration of children's
creativity and imagination - the World Children's Festival - at the
most prestigious public venue in the world - The National Mall.
You are invited to join the children at their World Festival on June
23-25, 2007 on the National Mall at 4th to 7th Streets, between the National
Gallery of Art and the National Air and Space Museum. Opening every
day with a ceremony at 10:30 am, the festival activities will continue
until 5pm each day and will be free andopen to the public.
The Festival will showcase children's creativity, imagination and
talent; equip them with communication, collaboration and leadership skills; and
promote mutual respect and trust as a foundation to future
peace-building initiatives.
The fusion of art, sport and technology with dance and musical
performances, co-creation of art, and workshops on peace education and creative
leadership, make the Festival a complete synesthetic experience - a
total work of art that transforms the National Mall.
Here is what you can do today to help:
- Inform your family and friends to promote, attend and support the
World Festival
- Inform talented children and children's performance groups to apply
to perform at the Festival right across the U.S. Capitol. Application can
be downloaded from www.icaf.org/worldfestival/
- Help us accelerate our festival planning efforts by making a
tax-deductible donation to the ICAF by check or online at www.icaf.org.
The ICAF depends on donations to deliver a world-class cultural
experience - free to the public.
b. The Arts Olympiad
The Third Arts Olympiad of the ICAF had greater success and impact than
the previous two Olympiads. More than three million children in nearly 100
countries created art on the theme My Favorite Sport to celebrate the
"artist-athlete" ideal (creative mind, healthy body). At the
individual level, the Arts Olympiad encouraged artistically inclined
children to
engage in physical activities and inspired athletically inclined children to
think creatively. At the community level, the Arts Olympiad instilled a team
spirit through sport and invoked empathy through art to promote trust
and cooperation.
The Arts Olympiad winners will be announced later this month. Their
amazing works will be exhibited on our website next month and on the National
Mall in June during the World Festival.
c. ChildArt Magazine
In 2006 we faced difficulties to sustain our commercial-free periodical
on arts learning, self-discovery and global education through art. We are
working hard to ensure timely delivery of this unique quarterly and
have planned exciting issues for this year. Please subscribe to ChildArt
for your favorite child:
http://www.icaf.org/resources/magazine/Magazine.htm
(Note FREE issue on Fashion to download - pdf file)
d. Exhibitions
If you live in the Boston area or plan to visit there before February
25, 2007, you may be interested in seeing the exhibition at the
Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art - It's Elementary! Empowering
Youth Through
Art. Artworks from the ICAF, Columbia University, NYU Child Study Center,
and the Iraqi Children's Art Exchange Program are on display:
http://massmoca.org/kidspace/current/index.html
We look forward to your creative input and support to advance the
development of children's innate creativity and intrinsic empathy
through the arts.
Sincerely,
Ashfaq Ishaq, Ph.D.
Founder and Executive Director
