Deciding what to see at a children's arts festival can be a real challenge for parents. This year's International Arts Carnival (July 9 to August 15), for instance, offers 18 local and overseas programmes ranging from ballet to puppetry to classical and pop music that cater for toddlers to late teens. Where to start? Help is at hand as some of this city's top artists have made their picks based on research as well as parental instinct. Here are what they recommend:
Olivia Yan Wing-pui, co-founder of Pip Theatre. Her daughter, Jolie, is six.
'I like shows that stimulate the imagination or at least don't limit the imagination of the audience with straightforward narratives. So the first programme I choose is Gulliver [by the Obraztsov Puppet Theatre in Moscow]. I like puppetry because it is through one's imagination that these objects come to life and I think that is beautiful. And as a professional artist [Yan has directed numerous children's theatre shows including the 2006 hit Moon 7 1/2], I also research the background of the performing troupes and this one [from Moscow] looks interesting.
'The second programme is Zic Zazou's Brocante Sonore: The Mechanicians because these musicians can create tunes from any objects that they can lay their hands on, be they scrap iron or bricks. Again, they redefine and stretch the definition of objects. With their imagination, they turn them into different musical instruments.
'Theatre should be an open space, leaving the audience plenty of room to think and question. Usually I don't try to explain what's happening on stage to my daughter; she usually asks the questions and then we discuss whatever ... it's stimulating for both of us.'
Madeleine Onne, artistic director of Hong Kong Ballet. Her son, Alexander, is five.