The first ever conference in Hong Kong on children's theatre on such a large scale takes place 10-12 July.  It is an Exchange Platform for Children's Theatre Practitioners in Asia. The Conference is jointly organised by the International Association of Theatre Critics Hong Kong (IATC) and Hong Kong Theatre Works Ltd. and is called “Let the Play Begin - Conference on Children’s Theatre Arts in Asia (Hong Kong‧2010)” (CTAA). It will take place from 10^th -12^th July 2010 at the Kwai Tsing Theatre, Hong Kong. The theme of the Conference “Let the Play Begin” is to nurture our young generation through children’s theatre arts. Indeed, regions within the Pacific circle, including China, Taiwan, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Singapore, have in recent years exerted great efforts and have accumulated valuable experiences in children’s theatre.  IATC, a major organisation in Hong Kong that promotes local theatre criticism and development of the performing arts and Hong Kong Theatre Works Ltd., an organization that has persistently promoted diversity in local theatre, cultural exchange and documentation, are joining hands to organise this exchange platform for local and Asia’s children theatre workers with the following objectives:

• To expand the horizon and outlook of the local children’s theatre workers, academics and researchers. To exchange ideas on and explore the methods and practical experiences in four major aspects of children’s theatre arts: the basic meaning, the educational use, the search of aesthetics and the marketing strategy. To search for possibilities to improve the development of children’s theatre arts.

• To enable children’s theatre arts practitioners to establish an interactive network so that experiences can be shared in a sustainable manner. It will also facilitate future sharing and efficient use of resources.

To strengthen the understanding of educators and parents in children’s theatre arts so that it will be further promoted and put into practice. The Conference is aimed at fostering a regional cooperation, for the common good of children and young people in Asia. The content of the Conference includes academic activities like keynote speeches, paper presentations, cases sharing, creative workshops and thematic discussions. Experts and scholars from different cities will participate in keynote speeches and thematic & closing discussions. If you want know more about the development of children’s theatre in Asia, it is a chance that you shouldn’t miss!