Children's culture, peace and joy

The festival takes place all over the city and offers large and small exhibitions and events created for and with children. Children show their works at prestigious cultural institutions and largely take over the cultural life of the city during the six days that the festival lasts. This year special emphasis is placed on events in Grafarvogur and events related to peace. Admission to all events at the Children's Culture Festival is free.

Festival program in Harpa 

Fourth graders in the city are invited to the opening event of the festival, which will take place in Harpa's Eldborgarsal on Tuesday, April 18 at 09:45 and 11:45. There will be a Mozambican drumming group, the circus group Hringleikur and scenes from the play The Dream Thief, in addition to which Vigdís Hafliðadóttir will perform the festival song Kæri heimur with the children in the hall.

Kjarval, elves and trolls

On Tuesday, April 18, the exhibition for preschool children in Kvistaborg at Kjarvalsstaðir will be opened at 4 p.m. The children have learned about Kjarval's life and work and his influence on Icelandic cultural life. The Kjarval kids opened Kjarval's studio at the kindergarten, made the painting Fjallamjólk in 3D, Kjarval rapped, played in Kjarval games, painted in nature, visited the Reykjavík Art Museum in Kjarvalsstaðir, turned into trolls and talked about life and art. This process invited them to travel back in time and learn about Icelandic culture and arts, Icelandic landscape, stories and adventures. At the opening, there will be a good atmosphere and the children will perform Kjarvals rap.

Peace in a bubble bath

Children at four preschools in Grafarvogur; Engjaborg, Fífuborg, Hulduheim and Lyngheim went on a survey mission to Grafarvogur, where they interpreted peace in their surroundings. The exhibition offers a variety of children's work and everyone is welcome. The curator is the artist Anna Andrea Winther. The exhibition will be in the City Library in Spöngin on 18 - 23 April.

"Cute Dog" in the concert hall of the Nordic House

Thirty students in the 7th grade of Fellaskóli premiere the lullaby "Sætur hundur" on Tuesday, April 18 at 4:30 p.m. The lullaby is a long-term project done in collaboration with teachers and students of Fellaskóli and the musicians Elham Fakouri and José Luis Anderson.

Expression of sexual health

This is an exhibition of textile works by 170 students in the 8th grade at Hagaskóli that opens in the National Museum on Wednesday, April 19 at 2:00 p.m. The subject of the works is an expression of sexual health and they are inspired by the works of the artist Kristína Gunnlaugsdóttir. Kristína's work often deals with women's lives and gender identity and is therefore related to discussions about gender equality and the importance of healthy self-awareness, not least among young people. The opening will feature live music and fun.

The world as it is—the world as it appears to you

Wednesday, April 19 at 16:00 in Ásmundarsafn. Four young people with disabilities open the door to their world and invite you to walk in and experience the complexity. The art group shows their work and joint photographic work that was created in the flow of art at Þroskahjálp. Four young artists, diverse art forms — one reality that accommodates everything and we all belong together.

BIG BANG music for young people in Harpa

On the first day of summer, April 20, there will be original and diverse musical events throughout Harpa at the European music festival BIG BANG. The music festival aims to put children's experiences in the foreground.

Harpa is filled with music-loving children who get to enjoy diverse musical events. Concerts, installations and music-related workshops will be offered under the guidance of music professionals. Among the performers are the drumming group Maputo Mozambique, the DJ Ívar Pétur whipping records at the Baby rave, Los Bomboneros performing sweet tunes, Gullplatan - send music into space, an original song by children played by Grafarvogur school band and sung by children's choirs. The song is written by children for aliens and will be sent into space. Everyone should find something suitable at BIG BANG.

Adventure Hall in Grafarvogur

We end the festival at the Adventure Hall, which offers an exciting cultural program for children and their families on April 22-23 in the Spöngin City Library. Ævintýrahóllin has over the years wandered between neighbourhoods and now it has come to Grafarvogur. The program at Ævintýrahöllinn starts with family yoga, and then various program items take over. Various craft workshops will be on site and the children can make balloon flowers, badges and peace bracelets, among other things. Kids' karaoke will be in place for those who want to step out of their comfort zone and sing their hearts out. Brynja Pétur's dance thrills the crowd with powerful dance steps, the Children's Circus is a surprise and the micro-drama show Heimferð takes place regularly during the day in a mobile home outside the library. The audience is invited into the camper to embark on an incredible journey guided by three extraordinary characters, through a thousand tiny moments that bring us back home.

All welcome!

Happy Children's Culture Festival!