Two kids, Christopher and Mohammed, meet for the first time without making eye contact. Their mutual suspicion stems from the hatred instilled in them. They are asked to draw each other’s faces. After a moment of hesitation, they glance at one another and begin sketching. Once finished, they present their creations to each other as gifts. There are no words exchanged, no quick smiles. They are asked to imagine peace and collaboratively create a piece of artwork. After about an hour, they produce a masterpiece. Their spontaneous high-fives can change their lives.

The World Children’s Festival (WCF) creates transformative moments that demonstrate art’s power as a universal language of peace. The WCF also awakens the creative and empathic ‘inner child’ in parents, teachers, and other adult attendees.

If we are to teach real peace in this world, and if we are to carry on a real war against war, we must begin with the children. – Mahatma Gandhi

Empathy does not come naturally. We must learn to see each other as inseparably human. We must intuit beyond the material and physical boundaries that exaggerate differences. The three-day WCF fosters students’ creativity and infuses it with empathy, inspiring them to become ‘creative-empaths’ who can work together to transform our troubled world into a place of wonder.

Held every four years, the WCF is the ‘Olympics’ of children’s imagination and co-creation. It brings together exceptional young artists chosen through the Arts Olympiad, the world’s largest school art program. Additionally, talented performing artists are selected through a rigorous application and selection process. These selected delegates can emcee the WCF and also host workshops and activities.

Over 200 subject-matter experts conduct workshops and activities. The interactive workshops, colorful activities, and electrifying performances create a synesthetic experience that engages all the senses.

The educational methodology of the WCF is grounded in nearly 30 years of research, which has been published in prominent journals, including The Lancet, the UK’s leading medical journal, and Dynamische Psychiatrie. For more information, please visit https://icaf.org/about/research-and-publications.

For WCF’s impact on students, see ICAF’s ChildArt quarterly https://icaf.org/ChildArt/TransformativeExperiences/.

The WCF, including its workshops and activities, is open to anyone with a requested $20 tax-deductible donation. To maintain its focus as a children’s celebration, no adult performers or entertainers are allowed.