Children from the county
teach each other
songs, music, dances

LEWISTON — The Franco Center for Heritage and the Performing Arts will host a unique International Children’s Festival on July 22 and 23. The two-day community event is generously supported by the Emanuel and Pauline Lerner Foundation, and is planned in partnership with the Somali Bantu, Great Lakes Region, Djiboutian, and other communities in Androscoggin County.

This festival will consist of two days of workshops for children 4 to 18 years of age. Children will learn, or help others learn, dances, music, songs and other forms of performing art forms from their own regions of origin as well as from other regions.

“The goal is to share cultural aspects of various regions and foster pride in the each child’s own culture of origin while embracing the cultural arts and traditions of others” said Jacynthe Blais-Jacques, the Center’s cultural and language programs director, and the festival coordinator.

Performance artists representing each of the communities, including popular Maine musicians and recording artists, John Coté and Michael Parent, will lead the workshops and direct the final performance.

The final performance in the Franco Center’s performance hall at 4 p.m.,  Thursday, July 23  is free and open to the public. For more information, visit francocenter.org, or call 207-783-1585.

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