International Children’s Art Festival opens on August 1

Summer is moving on. Its equator has been overcome, and so the day is not far off when the bell will call children to school. In this period the time as if compressed, and boys and girls are hurrying to be in time for everything and everywhere as if ‘laying’ in impressions and bright emotions of carefree recreation for the whole academic year. It is wonderful that the last month of the school holidays takes a running start from the festival – the first week of August in Turkmenistan will be marked with art and friendship among children from all over the world

The word ‘festival’ embodies the energy of buoyant festivities, which are iridescent with the rainbow of talents and dreams, our best hopes and aspirations. The many-coloured palette of the events of the Festival reflects its main idea – to give participants an opportunity to present the culture and traditions of their peoples and get acquainted with the art of their peers from different countries, to support talented children in their aspirations foe self-realization and integrated development.

The Festival is called upon to make our capital the venue for regular meetings among young peoples of different countries, their cultural collaboration. It is a vivid manifestation of Turkmenistan endeavours to an open dialogue with the world, in this dialogue the voice of a younger generation, who wants to live in peace and mutually understanding with its peers, should play a special role.

The opening ceremony will be held in the Park of Friendship at the foot of the Path of Health. A wonderful part of Turkmen nature – Geokdere housing the excellent children’s recreation centres offering the comfortable conditions for holding the mass celebrations was chosen for the grand festivities. The organizers of the Festival – the Ministry of Culture and TV and Radio Broadcasting and the Ministry of Education of Turkmenistan have seen to it that the programme of the Festival will be rich in the bright colours of summer holidays, and its participants will never forget the days they will spend in Geokdere.

Two nearly-built children’s health-improving centres Nebitchi and Muhammetmurad Niyazov will receive 180 children from Turkmenistan and 450 foreign participants with their attendants.
In the framework of the Festival the UNICEF experts will conduct the interactive forums on the rights of children, intellectual contests, sports competitions, etc. The versatile cultural and entertainment programme includes the trips to Ashgabat to visit ay the landmarks of the capital – museums, theatres, cableway, the World of Fairy Tales, Ice Palace and others. Every evening the young artists will perform the concerts under the starry sky on the stage of the Nebitchi health-improving centre.

Uniting children of different countries into a creative alliance we bring up tolerance and respect for different cultures. This year the Festival unites 34 children’s groups from 22 countries worldwide in the Turkmen land. The first guest from overseas who had crossed the ocean by air and landed in Turkmenistan was 12-year-old Little Miss of Texas-2006. The girl said that once she had seen Turkmenistan on TV she got enthusiastic over the idea to visit this land. The dream of the young beauty from Texas had come true.

The winners of the elimination rounds – 30 gifted children from each velayat and Ashgabat will represent Turkmenistan. Shatlyk folklore and dancing group and the children’s orchestra of national instruments will represent Ashgabat. Thus, Geokdere will turn into an international territory of happy childhood, the realm of fantasy and freedom of creativity, respect and mutual understanding, laughter and happy smiles. A festival is always a holiday, new acquaintances and friendship for many years ahead.

In recent years the festival movement has ranged widely and won popularity, fame and recognition among not only the neighbouring but also remote countries. This year it has been brought up to an unprecedented scale: following one another the art festivals play all colours of the rainbow under the Turkmen sky.

Organizing such international children’s forums – is a component of Turkmenistan’s peacemaking policy. The words ‘peacemaking policy’ also means acquisition by children of the experience of living in the international environment, freedom of creativity and communication, propagation of the ideals of peace, healthy lifestyle and equal dialogue among different peoples. Children can be called the envoys of peace, and these words acquire not only the symbolic meaning but also become a message to mankind, an appeal to protect a diversity of the world and happiness of childhood. So far as childhood is not simply an age but the energy of life, the energy of growth, the yearning to live, rejoice and discover something new every day. Have a nice journey, Festival! Towards new discoveries and impressions!