School break at Place des Arts A time to create, to move, to play!

A chance to awaken young children’s imaginations through the performing arts 

Montreal, February 4, 2025 — From March 5 to 8 between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m., Place des Arts is inviting young families to come and enjoy themselves with a wealth of free activities* and take full advantage of school break. For the occasion, public spaces will be transformed into a festive setting where kids 3 to 10 will be encouraged to create, to move and to play.

A do-it-yourself session, a joint cooking workshop with La Tablée des chefs, a workshop with the École de cirque de Verdun, a digital work on a mosaic of screens and a musical performance all await your little budding artists and provide them with an introduction to the performing arts while developing their creativity. Wonderful discoveries to enjoy as a family!

At the same time you’ll be able to get tickets to one of the four performances of the show Le Magicien d’Oz (The Wizard of Oz) on March 5 and 6 at Cinquième Salle.

Schedule of activities

Wednesday to Saturday, March 5 to 8, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. 
Recommended ages: 3 to 10
Free

Musical performance: Rythmo Rigolo ― March 5 to 8 at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m. 
Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme 
Duration : 30 minutes + 10 minutes’ meeting with the artists

Discover what sounds make people laugh and the rhythms that make them dance. Are you familiar with the fascinating world of percussion instruments? Even our body is a musical instrument: everyone can play it! Did you know that there are five ways to produce a sound? Striking, scratching, shaking, rubbing, banging together – playing percussion is a blast! But be careful: with musicians Marton and Bruno, you have to keep the tempo!

Free continuous activities – March 5 to 8 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Circus workshop
Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme
Duration: 20 minutes

At this workshop, young kids will get an introduction to the high wire, juggling and acrobatics in the company of professional teachers from the École de cirque de Verdun.

Joint cooking workshop with La Tablée des Chefs
Salon urbain
Duration: 20 minutes

A great success year after year, La Tablée des Chefs is back with a cooking workshop that allows you to help out other people. So come be part of this enchanting pancake preparation workshop! Together we’ll prepare bags of pancake mix, adding the necessary ingredients. The bags will be distributed to four local organizations: Passages, Le Sac à Dos, Centre d’Amitié Autochtone de Montréal Inc. And Alima, Centre de nutrition sociale périnatale. Every participating family will also get to take a bag away with them to enjoy a delicious family moment.

Do-it-yourself workshop 
Salon urbain
Come create your own Dorothy or your scarecrow by imagining yourself as a costume designer! For inspiration, look on the tables to find pictures used by the costume designer of the musical-theater production The Wizard of Oz.

Hunt and seek Charlie the mouse

Salon urbain

Come help us find Charlie the mouse, lost in the public spaces of Place des Art, and leave with a gourmet surprise, besides being eligible to win four tickets to the first young people’s show of the 2025-2026 season, presented next September!

Wandering entertainment 
Espaces publics de la Place des Arts
Circus artists will liven up the public spaces for the entire length of the event. Juggling, clown farces and acrobatics are all on the bill!

The digital work L’Escuela en cirque
Mosaic of screens in the Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme

L'Escuela en cirque (The Circus School) is a collaborative work by Justine Morin, Louis Houde, Sinnory Yoeun, Samuel Caron and Nicolas Mouden. It involves the final work in the motion design course “La Escuela” offered by Eltoro Studio, a 28-hour training program that aims to teach the basics of 2D animation using the software After Effects. The project is a fun exploration of the circus world through motion design, enabling students to explore ways of bringing their illustrations to life.

Reading corner 
Espace culturel Georges-Émile-Lapalme

Between music performances, enjoy the carpets, cushions, children’s books and musical moods close to the main stage.

Indoor-show ($): Le Magicien d’Oz
Cinquième Salle, March 5 at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m., March 6 at 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Duration: 60 minutes | Recommended age: 5 to 12 | Cost: $19 or Place des Arts junior package

In a dull, grey world, Dorothy’s imagination brings into being, for her friends, a wonderful land where the impossible does not exist. They’ll meet their alter egos there in the guise of a scarecrow, a tin man, a lion, a magician, a ferry and a witch.

In this musical and colorful rereading of L. Frank Baum’s famous tale, magic is the order of the day. Taking the brick road, they set off to meet the renowned Wizard of Oz. Will he be able to grant their wishes? The answer may not lie at the end of the road, but in the songs that get sung along the way!

A production of Théâtre Advienne que Pourra.

Tickets available on Le Magicien d'Oz   

Consult the complete school break at Place des Arts program.

 

School break activities at Place des Arts are made possible thanks to the financial support of the Fondation de la Place des Arts and it partner, the Rossy Foundation. Thanks to our media partner, La Presse.

*Note that activities are free with the exception of the show Le Magicien d’Oz at Cinquième Salle.

Source: 
Communications | Place des Arts 

Press Relations: 
ROY & TURNER | Natalie Dion, ndion@roy-turner.com