Children’s festival opens in Raqqa with arts, music and joy
RAQQA, Syria (North Press) – The city of Raqqa witnessed on Tuesday the opening of the Child Festival, held under the slogan “Our Children, Birds of Peace.” The festival, organized by the Raqqa Board of Culture and Antiquities, will continue on September 2 and 3
The event is held in cooperation with the Golden Crescent Women’s Center for Culture and Art, the Center for Culture and Arts, “Childhood Planet,” and several local kindergartens.
The opening day drew a wide audience, with 252 children participating in artistic performances. Local groups including Tutul and Golden Crescent presented musical and theatrical pieces designed especially for children. Parents, teachers, and community members filled the venue to show support.
Organizers said the festival aims to provide children in Raqqa with a space to express themselves through art while fostering values of peace and coexistence. The Board of Culture highlighted that such initiatives are part of broader cultural programs supported by the Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), which seeks to encourage artistic engagement among the younger generation.
This year’s event follows the fifth edition of the “Joy of Childhood” festival, held last September under the theme “Child of Today… Bright Future.” That festival featured a variety of cultural and recreational activities across different towns in northeast Syria.
For many families in Raqqa, the Child Festival has become an annual opportunity to celebrate childhood and strengthen social bonds in a city still recovering from years of war.