QPAC's Out of the Box to Open in June

The countdown is on for Queensland Performing Arts Centre's (QPAC's) biennial Out of the Box festival for children eight years and under opening at QPAC and across the Cultural Precinct and South Bank on Tuesday 21 June 2016.

Families are encouraged to book now to secure seats to ticketed Festival highlights; the breathtaking Creature; An Adaptation of Dot and the Kangaroo and the spellbinding Gazillion Bubble Show, mindful and educational Wellness Workshops and much more on offer at this long standing and popular children's festival.

Taking place 21 - 28 June 2016, Out of the Box provides a rich arts-based program for both schools and the general public. The event takes over all of QPAC's theatres, and spaces and extends across the Cultural Precinct and South Bank in collaboration with Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art, Queensland Museum, State Library of Queensland and South Bank. This year's Festival crosses over the end of the school term and into the first week of the June school holidays.

Out of the Box has been curated by QPAC for 24 years and is the only arts festival in Australia dedicated to children 8 and under and one of only a few in the world. It's also the nation's largest early childhood arts festival with more than 103,000 participants in the 2014 festival.

Out of the Box Festival Director Brett Howe said Out of the Box 2016 is about putting children in the expert's chair; recognising what we can learn from them, in particular how their expertise at play is important to us all.

"We have placed children at the epicentre of this Festival. Their expertise, their way of viewing the world, is what we have tried to harness. One of the ways we have done this is holding over 200 workshops at schools across Queensland to create elements that will be featured across the Festival including 2500 colourful lanterns," said Mr Howe.

"Our 2016 Festival program reflects Australia's multi-cultural society and in particular our connection with Asia Pacific cultures. A feature will be Indian cultures, customs and art forms in the program elements of Holi Throw, Bollywood Dance, Rangoli Welcome Mats and a delightful production called Hanuman: The Tale Behind the Name.

"The overall connecting theme of the Festival is Shining Light into Dark Places, fostering exploration and discovery. The program delivers six different theatre productions, 18 workshops, and 18 free activities; comprising 11 exhibitions/films/activities and seven free workshops.

"In QPAC's Lyric Theatre we will present an exciting new digital and physical theatre show Creature by Stalker Theatre Company, based on the children's story Dot and the Kangaroo.

"Direct from Broadway in QPAC's Concert Hall we are thrilled to present Gazillion Bubble Show, one of the world's greatest family shows, already seen by more than 22 million people internationally.

"QPAC's Playhouse will be home to a Queensland Ballet and Out of the Box production, Little Red Riding Hood, which will be an ideal introduction to ballet for little ones.

"Other program highlights will be Little Big Shots, an international short film festival specifically curated for kids, which will see QPAC's Melbourne Street Green transform to a 'Drive-in Cinema' with kids seated in custom made cars, Snow 4 Kids in The Courier-Mail Piazza, South Bank, and a sensory filled production called Rain: For Babies and Carers.

"A first for Out of the Box in 2016 will be an extension of opening hours into the evening from the weekend of the festival, Saturday 25 June continuing to Tuesday 28 June, when audiences can enjoy special events such as Dad's Films, featuring four childhood favourite films selected by fathers. These later opening hours are expected to be popular for working families wanting to bring their children to Out of the Box," said Mr Howe.

"The Festival also includes a museum curated by children, Jarjums Life Museum offering a view into contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture through the eyes of children from Minjerribah (Stradbroke Island) and Hymba Yumba Community Place (Springfield) and a dedicated Children's Art Gallery in the QPAC Tunnel showcasing 200 artworks created especially for Out of the Box by children from across Queensland and also Hubei, China.

Make sure Out of the Box is in your family's diary for fun and learning this June. To book go to www.outoftheboxfestival.com.au or phone 136-246. For the full Out of the Box 2016 program go to www.outoftheboxfestival.com.au