A playful and interactive dance performance where children are free to join in and explore, because that’s what young ones do best!
Paper Playground is a stimulating experience set on a large paper carpet, created especially for children five and under that is full of dancing, drawing, live music and projections. Fully immersive, Paper Playground welcomes children as true creative collaborators and they become an essential part of the performance.
Exploring the theme of water with boats, fish, crabs and sharks, performers present irresistible invitations for children to participate through drawing, moving, and music making.
Past Performances (Collaborators, Dates and Places):
2025
- Surrey SPARK Stages, February 22, Studio Theatre at the Surrey Arts Centre, Surrey, BC
- The Act Arts Centre, February 20, ACT Centre, Maple Ridge, BC,
- Petits Matins, Febreuary 15, Maison de la francophonie de Vancouver, Vancouver, BC,
2024
- Kindergarten groups and the Franc Départ Program, April 24 2024, École des Pionniers-de-Maillardville, Port Coquitlam, BC
- Niagara Children’s Festival May 17 – 18, 2024, Welland and St. Catharines, ON
- WeeFestival May 21 – 22, 2024, Dance Arts Institute – Daniels Spectrum, Toronto, ON
- KINDERfest, May 23, 2024, Hamilton Conservatory of the Arts, Hamilton, ON, May 23
- WeeFestival in Aurora, in partnership with the Aurora Cultural Centre, May 25, 2024, Aurora Public Library, Aurora, ON,
2023
- Club Optimiste de Laflèche, May 23, 2023, Centre Optimiste Laflèche, Longueuil, QC, May 3 2023
- TOHU – Cité des arts du cirque, May 14, 2023, Parc Frédéric-Back, Montreal, QC
- Salle Louis-Philippe-Poisson, May 13, 2023, Salle Louis-Philippe-Poisson, Trois-Rivières, QC
- Maison de la culture Mercier, May 5 – 7, 2023, Maison de la culture Mercier, Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal, QC
2019
- Bulkley Valley Concert Association, May 3 – 5, 2019, The Old Church, Smithers, BC (Francophone/Bilingual Performance)
- North Peace Cultural Centre, May 21 – 24, 2019, North Peace Cultural Centre, Fort St. John (Francophone/Bilingual Performance)
- Vancouver International Children’s Festival , May 27 – June 2, 2019, Granville Island, Vancouver, BC
- October 4 – 5, 2019, Port Coquitlam, BC
- October 17 – 19, 2019, St. Albert, AB
- November 17, 2019, Vernon, BC
- December 1 – 3, 2019, Miramichi, NB
Commission:
Paper Playground was commissioned by Marnie Perrin, who was director of the Surrey International Children Festival, now director of Surrey SPARK Stages. We are grateful for the support in our creative process!
Creative team:
Vancouver-based choreographer Julie Lebel, and her Foolish Operations Ensemble/Dancing the Parenting project, create community engaged dances with and for babies, toddlers, children and their caregivers. Paper Playground is designed to be a unique opportunity to share a special moment of discovery for children and their parents/caregivers.
An educator testimony…
“A kindergarten teacher for three decades, I have seen several productions of children’s theatre over the years. Yet, I was unprepared for how moved I was after attending the Paper Playground presentation. I had never seen anything like it before.
I was impressed to see these young children using their senses, whole bodies, and experiencing and being part of the artistic creation. They were invited to feel and engage with the material, the music, beauty and emotion. Not a child present could resist. Yet, part of my surprise was to also see adults equally engaged with the material, as if the experience called out their inner child. No one present in the room could remain immune to the beauty and emotion generated by the experience.
Paper Playground is a celebration of and a tribute to Art and the beauty of childhood. It is high time that we present more quality art such as Paper Playground to all children.”
-Astrid Pedneault
A parent testimony…
“I attended Paper Playground with my daughter at the Surrey Children’s Festival. I was delighted as I watched her engage in this mulit-sensory performance, and I was struck at how clever the construction and pacing of the show matched my 3 1/2 year-old’s development. She seemed to enjoy moving, drawing and exploring the sensory aspects of the paper with the performers, as well as enthusiastically returning to sit with me or other children when invited, to engage as a watcher.
