After a remarkable three days of the the National STARfestival South of the Theatrical Arts Education Association, when we welcomed students from Alexander MacKenzie (YRDSB), A.N. Myer (DSBN), Assumption College (Brant/Hamilton DSB), Bravo Academy (TDSB), E.L. Crossley (DSBN), Holy Cross (Niagara Catholic DSB), Laura Secord (DSBN), Meadowvale (Peel District), Milliken Mills (York Region DSB), St. Paul (Niagara Catholic DSB) and Welland Centennial (DSBN) Secondary Schools, this weekend we welcome the artists and audiences of the Niagara Children’s Festival 2026 produced by Carousel Players of St. Catharines, one of the pre-eminent companies producing theatre for youth and young people on the national landscape.
The Niagara Children’s Festival is an exciting explosion of creativity, offering live theatre, performances and arts-based activities for young audiences and their families. Join us in downtown St. Catharines May 14-17 for a celebration of Arts & Culture for all ages!
See the welcoming instagram posts and get all the information about performances and activities at https://www.niagarachildrensfest.com/
Check out the Venue Guide and the Festival Program. Opening tonight!
We also welcome the return of Dramatic Arts alumni Taylor Bogaert (BA Honours Dramatic Arts, 2020), Josh Loewen (BA Honours Dramatic Arts, 2020) and Alex Sykes (BA Honours Dramatic Arts, Concentration in Production and Design, 2022) and their project Why Don’t We Together, a recorded storytelling performance from Dear Bear Multi-Arts (instagram). Why Don’t We Together is an immersive, audio-visual experience that takes place in a custom-built structure called “The Hut.” When audiences enter The Hut, they are met with a choice between several curated audio stories, all written and recorded by a variety of handpicked Ontario artists. These stories are accompanied by rich sound design and dynamic lighting – the walls, seats, ceilings, and airwaves come alive as audiences get transported into the world of each story. WDWT was presented by Dear Bear Multi-Arts (website) with a different program of stories this past September 2025 at the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts and was the subject of an exhibition of the Museum in the Hallway / Boîte-en-valise of the Centre for Studies in Arts and Culture at the beginning of 2026.
Break-a-leg to all of the students and staff of Dramatic Arts at Brock University, some of them participating in experiential education and Work-in-Learning opportunities and helping to make the festival a success!