KIDDAFEST to be repackaged to make it more attractive

Accra, Aug. 30, GNA - The Board of Directors of the National Theatre and the Planning Committee of the Accra International Children's Arts Festival (KIDDAFEST), has suspended the event this year to repackage and make it more attractive to local and international artistes and patrons.

A statement issued by Michael Attipoe, Chairman of the Interim Management Committee of KIDDAFEST, said evaluation reports indicated that although the Festival had succeeded in entertaining, educating and building bridges of understanding, there was still room for expansion and deepening its scope and coverage.

"The envisaged changes to the programme are therefore expected to address all the major concerns of our valued patrons related to the form and content of the programme, timing, funding constraints and other challenges that the organisation of the programme has faced over the past 10 years," the statement said.

The National Theatre said it was also looking at innovative ways of providing value added service to all local and foreign patrons to cater for security, health care, boarding and lodging to ensure the maximum comfort of artistes and patrons during subsequent KIDDAFEST events. The board called on the fans and patrons of the programme to exercise patience while the programme is being re-organised and expressed the hope that they would be there in their numbers to celebrate the re-launch of the festival next year.

Over the past 10 years, KIDDAFEST has provided a platform for child artistes and other arts professionals to express their God-given talents through music, dance, drama, oratory and other forms of artistic expressions.