CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL ORGANISATION INC.
Play Together and Live in Harmony
CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL 2023
25th Anniversary - Come and Celebrate with Us
CANTERBURY - BANKSTOWN CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL 2023
Sunday, 17 September 2023
Gazzard Park, Cooper Road, Yagoona, 11:00am - 5:00pm
COMMUNITY RECOGNITION STATMENT
CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL
Motion commending CFO by NSW Legislative Council
MESSAGE OF SUPPORT - CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL 2023
MESSAGE FROM The Hon Chris Minns MP
Premier of New South Wales
Celebrating 25 Years of the Children’s Festival
I am thrilled to extend my warmest congratulations to the Children’s Festival Organisation as they mark their 25th anniversary of hosting the remarkable Children’s Festival.
This year’s celebration holds a special place in our hearts as we reflect on the incredible journey the festival has undertaken in fostering unity, diversity, and a sense of community among our youngest citizens.
For a quarter of a century, this free, one-day event has united families from all walks of life. By providing a platform for children and their families to come together, share experiences and celebrate their diverse backgrounds, the festival serves as a powerful force in strengthening our society.
The Children’s Festival has spent the past 25 years creating a vibrant, inclusive environment where cultural differences are celebrated and cherished.
Congratulations on this momentous occasion. Here’s to another 25 years of fostering unity within our state.
MESSAGE FROM THE HON Tony Burke MP
Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations
Minister for the Arts
Leader of the House
Member for Watson
I write in support of the Canterbury Bankstown Children's Festival 2023.
For twenty-five years the Children's Festival has been held within the City of Canterbury Bankstown and this wonderful festival has allowed children and families to come together to celebrate their cultures in a spirit of harmony and friendship.
We gather today to recognise the contribution our children, their parents and friends have made to create an inclusive and cohesive society, a society that is culturally diverse and representative of our community.
MESSAGE FROM THE HON. JASON CLARE MP
Minister for Education
Member for Blaxland
I write to commend the efforts of yourself and your team in holding the Canterbury Bankstown Children's Festival, now in its 25th year.
Our local area is one of the most culturally diverse places in Australia. The majority of the people who call our community home are first or second generation Australians.
It is a place of churches, mosques and temples, where different languages grace our shops and where our homes welcome everyone, no matter where they were born, how they worship or what language they speak.
This is where the new Australia is being forged - a courageous, cosmopolitan, cohesive country, where being Australian is not about where you come from but about where you are going.
MESSAGE FROM THE HON. JIHAD DIB MP
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government
Minister for Emergency Services
Minister for Youth Justice
Member for Bankstown
I hope this message finds you in the best of health and spirits. I am writing to extend my warmest congratulations to the entire Children's Festival Organisation on the Children's Festival 2023. It is indeed a moment of great joy and pride for our entire community.
The Children's Festival serves as a significant cultural celebration, showcasing the vibrant traditions, rich heritage, and unity of Multicultural Australia. It provides a platform for people to come together, strengthen bonds, and promote harmony within the community. I am thrilled to learn that this year's event exceeded expectations, attracting many community members, and creating an atmosphere filled with joy and enthusiasm.
MESSAGE FROM THE HON. STEVE KAMPER MP
Minister for Multiculturalism
Minister for Small Business, Minister for Lands and Property, and Minister for Sport
Member for Rockdale
As south-western Sydney prepares to host the 25th Anniversary Canterbury-Bankstown Children's Festival in Yagoona, I would like to pay tribute to the driving force behind these remarkable celebrations.
The imagination and hard work of the founder and President of the Children's Festival Organisation (CFO), Mr Thuat Nguyen AM, have brightened thousands of young lives and furthered the cause of multiculturalism in our state.
Over the quarter of a century, Mr Nguyen and his dedicated CFO team have run nearly 40 festivals across Sydney. All have been hugely successful.
While great fun, they have met the CFO's aims of fostering harmony across our wonderfully multicultural community.
Well done Mr Nguyen and well done the CFO team, and I hope everyone has a wonderful time in Yagoona.
MESSAGE FROM Mr. Mark COURE MP
Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism, Shadow Minister for Jobs, Industry, Innovation, Science and Technology, and Shadow Minister for South-Western Sydney
Member for Oatley
25th Anniversary of the Children’s Festival Organisation
I want to extend my congratulations to the Children’s Festival Organisation on the occasion of the their 25th anniversary.
Since the very first Children’s Festival held in Bankstown in 1999, the organisation has grown into a successful and mature group, now hosting festivals in Bankstown, Canterbury, Marrickville, Campbelltown and the City of Sydney.
Following the first festival in 1999, 39 more have been held attracting over a quarter of a million participants and inspiring thousands of volunteers from across our diverse communities.
I have had the pleasure of attending a number of Children’s Festivals during my time as a Member of Parliament, Minister and Shadow Minister and I can attest to the harmonious and joyful spirit that each festival brings to the community.
MESSAGE FROM THE HON. NATASHA MACLAREN-JONES MLC
Shadow Minister for Families and Communities, Shadow Minister for Disability Inclusion, Shadow Minister for Homelessness, and Shadow Minister for Youth
Member of the Legislative Council
It is with great pleasure that I extend my support for the forthcoming Canterbury-Bankstown Children's Festival 2023.
The festival's theme, Playing Together and Living in Harmony, encapsulates the core values that our diverse community holds dear. Events such as these, which celebrate the myriad cultures that enrich our society, play a pivotal role in fostering understanding, unity, and mutual respect.
The involvement of young volunteers who dedicate their time and energy to ensuring the success of the festival shows the potential of our youth in shaping a future characterised by inclusivity, empathy, and collaboration.
As the NSW Shadow Minister for Families and Communities, Disability Inclusion, Homelessness and Youth, I warmly welcome the significant positive impact these contributions bring, nurturing a vibrant community spirit and propelling the cause of mutual understanding ever forward.
MESSAGE FROM MS LYNDA VOLTZ MP
Member for Auburn
I'm delighted to send my best wishes for the 25th Anniversary of the Children's Festival Organisation being celebrated this September.
As the Member for Auburn, I'm pleased to see this celebration will take place in my electorate at Yagoona. Your goals to help promote harmony and social cohesion clearly resonate with our great multicultural community in western Sydney.
MESSAGE FROM CLR BILAL EL-HAYEK
Mayor of Canterbury-Bankstown City
I am delighted Canterbury-Bankstown has been chosen, once again, as the venue for the annual Children's Festival.
Now in its 25th year, this festival celebrates the great future awaiting our children, and the importance of cultural diversity and the benefits it brings.
The incredible diversity of age, culture and religion of those who attend, is a true example of the unity we enjoy in Canterbury-Bankstown. This is something we should all be proud of and work together to protect and promote.
I congratulate the Children's Festival Organisation, President Thuat Van Nguyen OAM, volunteers, supporters and sponsors, for their efforts and dedication in continuing to foster harmony in our community.
MESSAGE FROM Joseph La Posta
Chief Executive Officer Multicultural NSW
I extend my warmest congratulations to all of you on the 25th anniversary of the Children’s Festival Organisation.
I am humbled by the remarkable work you have accomplished over the past two and a half decades. Your dedication to promoting harmony and social cohesion through the staging of 29 Children’s Festivals across Sydney is impressive.
Bringing together over a quarter of a million participants from diverse cultural backgrounds, your festivals have become a symbol of unity and inclusivity in our communities.
Canterbury-Bankstown Children's Festival 2023 - Site Map
CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL 2023
MEDIA RELEASE
Leaders hail the 25th Anniversary of the Children’s Festival
20th August 2023
Families from all over Sydney will converge on Gazzard Park, Yagoona on Sunday 17 September 2023, for the final Children’s Festival of 2023 marking the 25th anniversary of the festival’s founding.
Political leaders are amongst those who have stepped up to congratulate the Children’s Festival on its 25th anniversary.
The Federal Minister for Education and Member for Blaxland, Jason Clare, who represents Yagoona in Federal Parliament, said: “The festival showcases the traditions and heritages of over 200 nationalities that make up our multicultural community.
“The event promotes harmony and cross-cultural understanding while offering our local children an opportunity to perform and learn more about their own traditions”, he says.
The Member for Watson in Western Sydney, Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations and Minister for the Arts, Tony Burke, says children gather at the festival “to recognise the contribution their parents and friends have made to create an inclusive and cohesive society, a society that is culturally diverse and representative of our community”.
The State Member for Bankstown and Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government, Jihad Dib, says: “The Children’s Festival
provides a platform for people to come together, strengthen bonds and promote harmony within the community. The colourful performances, traditional music, art exhibitions and mouth-watering cuisine offer an authentic experience for our community.”
The State Member for Auburn, Lynda Voltz, expressed her delight that the festival was taking place in her electorate: “Your goals to help promote harmony and social cohesion clearly resonate with our great multicultural community in Western Sydney.
“I’d like to congratulate Thuat Van Nguyen, the Children’s Festival
Organisation and their volunteers, for the great work in the community over the past twenty-five years.
The Shadow Minister for Multiculturalism in NSW, Mark Coure, said: “I have had the pleasure of attending a number of Children’s Festivals during my time as a Member of Parliament, Minister and Shadow Minister and I can attest to the harmonious and joyful spirit that each festival brings to the community.
“Our diversity is our strength here in New South Wales, and each Children’s Festival is the perfect representation of the multicultural success story here in our great state.”
The Mayor of Canterbury Bankstown, Councillor Bilal El-Hayek, also expressed his support for the festival: “Now in its 25th year, this festival celebrates the great future awaiting our children and the importance of cultural diversity and the benefits it brings. This is something we should all be proud of and work together to protect and promote”, he said.
Meanwhile, the CEO of Multicultural NSW, Joseph La Posta, has added his voice, to congratulate the organisation:
“Bringing together over a quarter of a million participants from diverse cultural backgrounds, your festivals have become a symbol of unity and inclusivity in our communities.
“Your impact goes beyond the joy experienced by the children; it resonates with families, friends and entire communities who come together to celebrate the beauty of diversity,” he said.
The founding President of the festival, Thuat Nguyen AM says: “At the Children’s Festival, children play together, showcase their talent, make new friends, learn new things and enjoy other cultures. Those who play together learn how to live together for life.
“On Sunday the 17th of September, local children will come together with children from over Sydney, to showcase their cultural traditions in song, dance and other performances. They will also share cultural works and food, as well as games that children love to play with others, whatever their backgrounds”, he said.
The festival will take place at Gazzard Park, next to Yagoona Railway Station, from 11am to 5pm.
Media Enquires: Warren Duncan, Mob: 0411 507080, Email: warren.duncan.crc@gmail.com
Website: www.childrensfestival.org.au
Instagram: childrensfestsyd
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChildrensFestivalOrganisationlnc/
POSTER DESIGN COMPETITION - CANTERBURY-BANKSTOWN CHILDREN'S FESTIVAL 2023
SPONSORS
sponsors
We would like to thank our sponsors this year for their continual generous support for the Children’s Festival. Without your financial or in-kind donations, the Children’s Festival would not be able to continue and flourish like it has for so many years. We hope that with your tremendous support it will continue to flourish for many more years to come
supporters
Read messages from our wonderful supporters. Without their support, we would not have been able to produce these fantastic family events for all to enjoy over the past 16 years. The Children’s Festival thanks all of our believers and supporters. We hope that one day we can bring The Children’s Festival to many more different locations around the country.
