On August 5th, in the press center of the Russian News Agency TASS, the press-conference took place to mark the 3rd International Children’s Cultural Forum. International Children’s Cultural Forum is a milestone event in the life of the country, which has been held for the third year in succession by the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Federal State Educational Institution of Culture ROSCONCERT.
Olga Lyubimova, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, Edgard Zapashny, General Director of the Great Moscow State Circus on Vernadsky Prospekt, Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation, Gavriil Gordeev, General Producer of Okko streaming service, president and ideologist of the All-Russian Children’s and Family Films and Animation Festival “Medvezhonok”, Dmitriy Bak, Director of the State Museum of the History of the Russian Literature named after V.I. Dal and Egor Druzhinin, choreographer, Distinguished Artist of the Russian Federation told us about the Forum program, geographical spread of the participants and current trends in the development of culture.
The 3rd Children’s Cultural Forum will take place from 22nd to 24th of August in Moscow Palace of the Pioneers on the Sparrow Hills.
“More than 2 thousand talented children aged from 12 to 17 will come to our place this year from all over Russia and from abroad. At present, we expect delegations from 15 foreign countries. We expect our friends from India, Egypt, Serbia, Byelorussia, Abkhazia and South Ossetia. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Trans-Dniester, Syria, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Jordan and Livia also plan to participate”, — told us Olga Lyubimova, Minister of Culture.
The Minister also presented a book “Tales of the Children of Russia”. It contains the best 42 works of talented children from 29 regions of our country. The authors of the collection will receive the book as a gift, as well as all participants of the Forum this year.
Over the course of three days the children will have the possibility to participate in six artistic sectors, which will incorporate more than 60 activities, among them: workshop sessions, debates, artistic schools and creative lessons. Also, the participants will enjoy an eventful sightseeing program. In accordance with the formed tradition the curators of the Forum sectors will be eminent persons of the national culture: Sergey Bezrukov and Edgard Zapashny – “Theatre and Circus”, Egor Druzhinin – “Choreography”, Dmitriy Bak – “Literature and Journalism”, Elena Pronicheva – “Museums and Art”, Gavriil Gordeev – “Cinema and Animation”, Olga Homova – “Music”.
“For us, it is very important to combine technologies and experience, as well as competitiveness and friendship. It is very important that the person at Forum, first, would learn something, second, create a product, and the third, think over his life course, both professional and personal”, — Dmitriy Bak, curator of “Literature and Journalism” sector, shared the program details. He told us that within this sector the participants would enjoy workshop sessions on immersive journalism and writing of poetic texts, debates and interesting meetings. Besides, the Forum will have a literary reception-room, where the future writers will be able to communicate with famous contemporary authors.
The Children’s Cultural Forum is a unique space for dialogue, where one can assert himself, discuss the latest tendencies of the culture development and possibilities for their own artistic fulfilment. Every day, the Forum media persons – curators and speakers – will have a meeting with participants at various platforms.
“Geographically we are close to the Palace of the Pioneers, that’s why we’ll collaborate in a certain way. We’ll work not only at the Forum’s venue, but many children stated their willingness to visit the Great Moscow Circus. Several such meetings, excursions and demonstration rehearsals will give children possibility to see the creative process, to appear behind the scenes of our circus, to observe the animal housing, ask questions directly to practically all our specialists. I’m pleased that frames and possibilities of the Forum expand, that all this is really supported at the highest level, — noted the curator of “Circus” sector Edgard Zapashny.
“Cinema and Animation” sector tutor, Gavriil Gordeev, noted that an ambitious program has been planned within the Forum framework, including sessions dedicated to the artificial intelligence and cinema special effects.
“In the process of working under the program, my colleagues from Okko streaming service and I caught ourselves thinking that we envy this format a bit. Because nobody did anything of the kind for us! And in our childhood, we’d like very much to appear in such creative environment, where the exchange of experience with the professionals takes place. That’s why within “Cinema and Animation” sector, we’ll tell everything about a piece of screen creation: starting from the idea and up to the credit block. Our wish is to help children in learning to enunciate their creative philosophy correctly and to inform them that producer is not the only option in the cinema. There are many other interesting professions in this field, but education is extremely important and necessary”, — added the famous producer.
Among special sectors of the Forum in 2024 there is the hackathon “Digitalization in Culture”, where the participants are to generate creative ideas how cultural establishments can be changed in the future with the help of digital technologies. Besides, we are going to have an international session “Cultural Diplomacy” with the participation of foreign delegates, quiz “Knowledge. Culture. Family” commemorating the Year of the Family in Russia, and “Cultural Battle” between curators and participants. A special event arranged together with the fund “Defenders of the Fatherland” will also be held during the Forum. The participants of the Forum will hear about the heroism of Russian soldiers straight from the source, they will write letters and make video records for the soldiers who are now heroically defending our motherland. And owing to the community action together with the Russian Post, the children will be able to send souvenir postcards directly from the Palace of Pioneers to their relatives and friends anywhere in the world. The Children’s Cultural Forum will also have its own art object “ABC of Culture”: under the supervision of experienced masters, the children will try themselves as street artists and will decorate the letters of the Russian alphabet with inscriptions and drawings.
Egor Druzhinin, curator of “Choreography” sector, told us about the details of the sector program. Here the participants will have workshop sessions on all dancing styles – from folk dances up to hip-hop, and meetings with the leading experts in the field of choreographic skills of Russia. The curator of this sector plans to acquaint the children not simply with professionals and not simply with stars, but with people who cause children’s response with their energy and frankness.
“Our profession is related to the ability to dream. The point is that the children have already started their own, individual way. Some of them study in those educational institutions which sooner or later will naturally bring them to the stage. And some, for instance, practice in modern choreography or street dancing styles, but they won’t receive diplomas of locking stars or brake-dance experts. Nevertheless, it doesn’t mean that they can’t make their hobby a profession. And of course, it is very important for us to share our own experience with them, so that they would understand that dreaming is good. And a dream can bring to the profession”, – noted Egor Druzhinin.
Besides, within the Forum framework, the final round of the “Children’s Initiatives Awards” in the sphere of culture and art development will be traditionally held. The finalists will present their authorial projects and receive the feedback. The winner will receive financial support from the Ministry of Culture of Russia.
The Title media sponsor of the Forum is TASS. The General media sponsor is Gazprom-Media. Media partners are “Russia Culture” TV Channel, “Karusel” Federal Family TV Channel, Children’s Radio, Radio Culture, Radio Orphey.
