Planning Your Day at the Festival: For Teachers

• Transportation Information
• Travelling By School Bus
• Travelling By Car
• Travelling By Public Transit
• Arrivals — Ticket Pick-Up and Hosts
• Ticketing
• Festival Site Activities
• Venues
• Services
• Show Preparation & Etiquette
• Questions

Transportation Information — Planning for teachers

Travelling By School Bus — Planning of field trip

Where to come?
To the Bus Drop Off and Pickup Area at Granville Island directly beside Performance Works Theatre. Our bus team will welcome you there and take you to your hosts and the Teacher Information Kiosk where you will get all the field trip information needed.

Please make sure you schedule your bus to arrive on Granville Island at least 45 minutes before show time.

How to leave?
Your host will accompany you to your pre-assigned bus departure area. 

Travelling By Car

Where to park?

• Pay parking ($15/day), in the covered parking lot off Old Bridge Street on your right, specifically for people with disabilities or with preschool or kindergarten children.
• Ample pay parking is available at the planetarium at 1100 Chestnut Street. Access the Festival by walking east along this route by the seawall (10–15 minutes).
• Note: We will have a special area (in front of Performance Works, adjacent to the bus drop off area) designated for parents or any special needs drop off and pick up.

Travelling By Public Transit

Catch the #50/15 bus direct to Granville Island. Service every 15 minutes from Waterfront or Olympic Village Skytrain stations. Visit Translink for details and other transit options.

As transit takes longer than planned, please allow yourself extra time to get to Granville Island. We recommend arriving on-site a minimum of 45 minutes before show time.

Arrival — Ticket Pick-Up and Hosts — Planning for teachers

Ticket Pick-Up:

• Go to the Teacher Information Kiosk to meet with our School Services Team where you will get all the field trip information needed such as tickets, wristbands and additional Festival Information.
• If you need extra tickets, please ask our School Services Team when you arrive. School discount available day of: $14 (cash and credit card only) for all shows depending on availability (taxes included)

Hosts:

• By request, host(s) can assist your school group throughout the day – give you an orientation, get you to and from your show, help choose activities and lunch site and answer any questions you may have. For more information, visit our FESTIVAL HOST PROGRAM info package
• Hosts will meet their assigned school group at the Teacher Information Kiosk at the school bus drop-off, unless an alternative meeting place is requested (e.g. first show venue or entrance to the Activity Village).

Ticketing

Everyone needs a ticket!

Parents, teachers, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, acquaintances and friends – everyone is required to purchase a show ticket to attend any of the performances at the festival, with the exception of babes in arms, who are welcome to attend selected performances at no charge.

Ticketing ages

Child = 1 to 17 years
Adult = 18 + years
Babes in arms = under 1 year

Festival Site Activities

• Festival Site Hours: 9:30 am – 2:30 pm Tuesday to Friday.
• Over a dozen interactive activities, visual arts workshops and lots of surprises! Wristbands required.
• Our large Activity Village is enclosed in a beautiful park setting. The outdoor activities take place in individual tents within a fully fenced-in area to ensure your group’s safety. There is only one entrance/exit that is secured by Festival Staff.

Venues

The festival is held at a variety of venues on Granville Island in Vancouver, BC.

All theatre venues are wheelchair accessible and are subject to change to accommodate capacity.

• Activities – in the green space at Sutcliffe Park (beside the water park) and beside Waterfront Theatre.
• Revue Stage (Venue 1) — 1601 Johnston Street
  Showing: Sing the World! with Ginalina and Friends, Luminarium
• Granville Island Stage (Venue 2)– 1585 Johnston Street
  Showing: Won’Ma Africa, Kym Gouchie & Band
• Waterfront Theatre (Venue 4)– 1412 Cartwright Street
  Showing: Where Have All The Buffalo Gone?
• The Nest (Venue 5)– 1398 Cartwright Street
  Showing: Club Origami
• Performance Works (Venue 6)– 1218 Cartwright Street
  Showing: Liwanda Africa!, I Wish I Was A Mountain

Show Preparation & Etiquette

Many of our shows have accompanying study guides and interesting websites to help you prepare your class and make the most of their Festival experience (see individual show descriptions on our website). As most shows are in real theatre venues, please use this opportunity to teach your students about theatre etiquette.

What to Bring

It is recommended that students bring a small, comfortable backpack that contains: a water bottle, lunch & a snack, tissues, hat, sunscreen & sunglasses, a waterproof jacket and room for the crafts they make on site. Remind students not to bring too much, so that their backpacks will not be too heavy when filled.

Please suggest that students wear comfortable shoes and dress in layers (both weather appropriate). Valuables such as phones, money, identification card, and medications (incl. specific medical information) should be kept on their person, e.g. in an inner pocket, not in their backpacks. Backpacks should also have the child’s contact info inside, so they can be identified if lost. 

And here’s a trend we’ve noticed: It is becoming more common and fun for schools to identify their students (& sometimes parents & teachers) with the same coloured T‑shirts or something visual to identify students as part of their group: colourful identity badges, lanyards, etc.

Questions

Feel free to email our School Services Team at info@childrensfestival.ca or phone 604–708-5655

Please note: From May 22- June 2 our office will be at Granville Island Festival House, 1398 Cartwright Street.

Wishing you and your class an amazing day at the Festival!