Taipei, July 2 (CNA) An annual children's arts festival kicked off Monday in Taipei with the aim to develop local children's appreciation of art and to inspire them to think differently, organizers said that day.

The festival, held under the theme "Explore Life through a Whole New Perspective," will include an exhibition, film screenings and workshops, as well as a diverse lineup of local and international performances ranging from dance and music to theater and circus acts.

"We hope to expose children to various art forms, such as theater, traditional opera, Hakka music and aboriginal dance, so that they can learn to appreciate different arts and cultures," Liu Li-ting, deputy executive of the festival, told CNA.

One of the highlights of the festival is an exhibition of five rooms, each decorated by a different artist using animation, 3-D installations, audio, comics and puppets to construct a scene inspired by a famous fairy tale.

The "Rabbit Hole, Open up!" exhibition, inspired by the rabbit hole in "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" that led Alice to a fantasy world, allows children to revisit fairy tales from a different perspective, Liu said.

For example, one of the rooms represents the stomach of the Big Bad Wolf from "Little Red Riding Hood," allowing children to see fairy tale characters eaten by the wolf, as well as see things from the perspective of the wolf, said Liu.

After visiting the exhibition, children will be encouraged to write their own ending to the stories, said Liu.

"We hope to inspire children to think about familiar things from a different perspective," she said.

The festival will also display animations created by Australian aboriginal artists and children from around the world.

The exhibition and film screenings will be held July 3- Aug. 5 at Treasure Hill Artist Village, and admission is free. Over 60 other free performances will also be available to the public to enjoy.

In addition, artists from Denmark, Australia, Italy and Canada will stage ticketed performances at various venues across Taipei throughout the festival period.

The festival, organized by the Taipei City government and the Taipei Culture Foundation, expects to draw 200,000 people this year, said Liu.

(By Christie Chen)
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