The First European Festival of Children’s Art & Creativity was hosted by ICAF
at the Olympia Park in Munich on 27– 31 May 2006

More than 3,000 children from 34 countries participated in the festival. They met each other, sang and danced, co-created art, and initiated lifelong friendships. German children had the opportunity to interact with children from many countries, including Bulgaria, Lebanon, Portugal, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and the United States. Their experience of sharing individual works and creating collective works of art helped them combat misperceptions of others formed by what they had heard or were told. Their participation in the festival honed their sense of aesthetic, symmetry, balance and reconciliation – concepts which translate well into conflict prevention and resolution practice.

• The festival was organized under the patronage of the Honorable Christian Ude, Mayor of Munich and Maestro Zubin Mehta. “The International Child Art Foundation finds a way from one to all for more openness and tolerance. With art, children and music it is really possible to overcome all limits and to create a better world,” said Mr. Mehta.
  
  
• The children collaboratively painted a 100-meter long flag mural, which was hoisted on top of the Olympia Park Tower, the highest point in Munich, by the Munich Fire Department in a public ceremony on 31 May.
  
  
• Keynote speakers at the flag-hoisting ceremony on 31 May were Sheikha Lubna Al Qasimi, Minister of Economy of the United Arab Emirates and Mrs. Louise T. McBain, founder of LTB Media Group and the LTB Foundation.
  
  
• ICAF Youth Board Members, Tamara Mammedova (Azerbaijan) and Elliot Frank (United States) served as spokespersons
  
  
• Workshops included digital stories by Sonja Wessel (Germany), Dreamweavers peace project by Murie Huseman (USA), Art and music by Dr. Azmy (Egypt),
  
  
• Music and performances included Ammo music group (Schwerin), Stanislara Stoitschera (opera), Christoph Pauli (“Nami de Bojana”), and World Children’s Choir (USA)
  

Photo Gallery
European Children's Festival


Sponsors:
Olympiapark Munich GmbH, Munich Re, Galeria Kaufhof at Marienplatz, KMS Team, Starbucks Coffee Germany GmbH, Ingenieurbüro Placht und Partner GmbH, Mehler Texnologies GmbH Langnese-Iglo GmbH, MaXxprint GmbH, Lascaux Colours & Restauro Barbara Diethelm AG, Höherettungsgruppe der Berufsfeuerwehr München, Borkner Feinweber Tellmann Architecteurs BDA, Haberl Gastronomie GmbH & Co KG, Deutsche Funkturm GmbH, Mehler Texnologies GmbH, das freelance team, Fotografie Stegner, da Vinci Kunstlerpinselfabrik DEFET GmbH, Coca-Cola Erfrischungsgetranke AG, Hohenrettungsgruppe der Berufsfeuerweht Munchen, Wonderworld production; Alpha-Klinik, HMS Event Service GmbH; Christop Pauli,Hausladen Fruchthandelsgesellschaft,Hofpfisterei GmbH,Bernhard Wild,BZ-Pinsel GmbH,Schabert Nespoli Deutschland GmbH,Mesko-Pinsel GmbH,Lukas Künstlerfarben und Maltuchbabrik , Dr.Fr.Schoenfeld GmbH & Co.,Faber-Castell AG,F-Media-Druck,Hieber Lindberg GmbH,Foto-Video Sauter GmbH & Co. KG, proxenos GmbH,boesner,Limelight GmbH,AWM Abfallwirtschaftsbetrieb München,Stabilo International GmbH.

Sample Press Clippings

Sueddeutsche Zeitung
Bild
Tz

Next Step 

Children invite you to attend the 2007 World Children’s Festival on The National Mall in Washington DC. To support our quest for a creative, cooperative and peaceful world, you can donate online today by clicking here.