Pittsburgh Cultural Trust Announces EQT CHILDREN'S THEATER Festival @ HOME

The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust announced with a heavy heart last month that the 34th Annual EQT Children's Theater Festival that Pittsburgh has come to know and love would not be physically taking place throughout the Cultural District this year. Since that announcement, the Festival organizers have worked nonstop with featured performing artists, local artists, organizations, and more to bring the community a re-imagined version of the Festival that they can enjoy in the comfort of their own home.

As Festival Director, Pamela Komar, previously mentioned in her letter to the community, there is nothing that can ever replace the magic of the live performances and public art at the EQT Children's Theater Festival, but the team has worked diligently to bring everyone's favorite aspects of the Festival to life on the digital stage. The digital Festival will take place May 14 - 17 on the Festival's website: http://Pghkids.trustarts.org.

Highlights of the Festival @ Home include over forty free activities that are designed for families to complete together in addition to select Live interactive shows and workshops, that are also free but require registration. One of the most popular activities that kicked off the Festival experience in late April is the virtual Frogstop Scavenger hunt. Participants have a chance to win a free milkshake voucher from Frogstop partners The Milkshake Factory by completing 4 out of the 6 suggested or original online activities and submitting a photo of that activity to the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust by the Festival's end date. Throughout the four days, website visitors will enjoy videos and resource links for every age group from Pittsburgh artists and local arts organizations, such as virtual story times with Citiparks Alphabet Trail & Tales and Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, virtual exhibit tours provided by Senator John Heinz History Center, sing-alongs with members of the Pittsburgh CLO Academy, and much more. Grammy-Award winning artists, Dan and Claudia Zanes will release a special performance created with Pittsburgh's children and families in mind that will launch at the start of the Festival. The Festival also features original content curated by the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust's Education Department and Pittsburgh Cultural Trust staff members.

UMPC, UPMC Health Plan, and the Children's Institute support the Festival's commitment to providing sensory-friendly performances and activities for individuals on the Autism spectrum and with sensory sensitivities. While there will not be any in-person sensory-friendly offerings this year, the Festival is proud to amplify the work of many organization's creating and distributing sensory-friendly content, including the highly anticipated interactive 360-degree video, Up and Away, created by Trusty Sidekick Theater Company and several videos and resources specifically for those with sensory sensitivities from Jumping Jack Theater.

The EQT Foundation, which was created by EQT Corporation, the nation's largest producer of natural gas, returns in 2020 for a seventh year as the Festival's lead and title underwriter, connecting the Pittsburgh community to international arts, entertainment, and culture. The EQT Foundation provides educational opportunities for all ages, values the development of livable communities, and is committed to the preservation of natural resources.

"The EQT Foundation is honored to once again provide underwriting support for the EQT Children's Theater Festival," said Ellen Rossi, President of the EQT Foundation. "These are unprecedented times for our region, and a time when bringing meaningful and engaging arts experiences into the home are needed more than ever. We applaud the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust for their innovation and resourcefulness to bring aspects of the annual Festival to our homes."

In addition to the EQT Foundation, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust thanks its sponsors Allegheny Regional Asset District, The Buhl Foundation, The Children's Institute of Pittsburgh, The Fine Foundation, Gateway Health, Giant Eagle, Inc., The Grable Foundation, the Maranne P. Welch Family Endowment, The Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, UPMC, and UPMC Health Plan. Special thanks to collaborators Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, City of Pittsburgh, Citiparks, Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, and Alco Parking Corporation, and media partners KDKA-TV and Kidsburgh.

FEATURED LIVE SHOWS and WORKSHOPS

FREE Access to New York International Children's Film Festival |Saturday, May 16 - Sunday, May 17
Age Recommendations: All ages | Requires Registration

The EQT Children's Theater Festival is offering a limited number of FREE access codes for Kids Flicks from the New York International Children's Film Festival. The New York International Children's Film Festival presents the best new animation, live action, documentary, and experimental film from across the globe.

Live Penny Arcade by Arcade Comedy Theater | Saturday, May 16 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Age Recommendation: All ages | Requires registration

Arcade Comedy is offering a special live, virtual Penny Arcade for the EQT Children's Theater Festival. Before every show, kids can submit questions and ideas. Families are encouraged to use their imaginations to think up characters, settings, and dialogue on the spot. Ideas will be submitted
through the Arcade Comedy website.

Live Virtual Open Mic with Sunburst School of Music | Saturday, May 16 | 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
Age Recommendation: All ages | Requires Registration

Created specifically for the EQT Children's Theater Festival, Sunburst School of Music is hosting an Open Mic on Zoom. Those interested in performing must sign up in advance using this form. Everyone else is invited to tune into the Zoom meeting to view the live performances.

Live Virtual Writing Workshop presented by Bookish in the 'Burgh, Pittsburgh's Teen Book Festival | Sunday, May 17 | 2:00 p.m.
Age Recommendation: Pre-teens, Teenagers | Requires Registration

Kelsey Ford, contemporary fantasy author, and Creator and Director of Bookish in the 'Burgh, Pittsburgh's Teen Book Festival, will host a free, virtual writing workshop. This workshop is designed for pre-teens and teens interested in writing in all genres. Participants can expect techniques for brainstorming new writing ideas, a few new creative writing prompts, and the opportunity to share their work with the rest of the attendees if they're comfortable. This workshop will be hosted on Zoom.

Origami Workshops hosted by Kuniko Yamamoto | Sunday May 17 | 11:00 a.m.; 1:00 p.m.
Age Recommendation: 5-7, 8+ | Requires Registration

In these workshops hosted by origami master, Kuniko Yamamoto, children will learn origami, the art of paper folding, and will transform paper into the shape of flowers and animals such as a panda, an elephant, a puppy, a cat, a daisy, or a rose. Kuniko will share her origami and storytelling, and together, her and the children will fold a few simple origami models. Unsubscribe