Julian Ramundi Kidtopia Festival Interview

Kidtopia Festival Announce Full Program of Crazy Spring Holiday Fun

The full program of crazy kid sized fun is here for Sydney's coolest family event, Kidtopia Festival presented by Qantas Assure. From croc encounters, Pokemon Go tours, circus school, to hilarious theatre shows and rocking live music, the Festival promises to deliver an electrifying weekend of wonder for families this October School holidays (06-08 Oct).

Taking over Parramatta Park, the three day extravaganza is specifically curated to appeal to all and is jam-packed with every type of creative and crazy fun you can think of – from amusement rides, live music, masterclasses, performances, market stalls and more.

The Festival consists of multiple stages and areas where adventurous kids can experience the very best in entertainment.

Cinema Stage

By day the cinema stage is home to the very best in theatre, comedy and acrobatic performance. Get messy with the coolest game show for kids, Matty Grey's Grossed Out Game Show is an interactive game where two celebrity team captains lead their half of the audience in a battle of physical challenges and trivial absurdities. Winners are grinners and losers get covered in SLIME!

Brisbane's Hoopla Clique bring their acrobatic show CHORES!, exploring just how many tricks two brothers can do while not cleaning their room, teenage junior magic champions Cardistry dazzle with card tricks and magic, while comedian Dr Professor Neal Portenza brings his absurdist stand up show as seen on ABC 3's Stand and Deliver.

As the sun begins to set over the park, kick back and relax after your day of fun to enjoy a free feature film screening of either SING! or Boss Baby, two of the past summer's biggest animated blockbusters.

Sound Stage

The Kidtopia Sound Stage returns with Australia's premiere music stars delivering punchy live sets for mini music lovers. Hillbilly rascal band The Pigs will give your favourite top 40 pop songs a redneck remix, junk percussion group Junkyard Beats promise a banging set and Samson from Justice Crew's Base 181 school dance team bring some slamming hip hop moves to the stage.

Melbourne based Aussie Youth are Australia's hottest teen pop trio consisting of Jack Lyall, Charly Butcher and Merrikk Steinfort. Fresh from a national tour supporting Jacob Sartorius, Aussie Youth will be bringing their catchy tunes and boppin' beats to Kidtopia for daily performances. Their debut single Thick As Thieves is currently burning up the American charts, don't miss seeing them perform live!

La Petite Grande!

This year's event will feature the addition of an all-new performance area, with La Petite Grand presenting the world's best circus, daredevil and comedy acts with a rotating daily program inside a purpose-built big top stage.

Whoop and cheer as you witness a family of circus performers in The Pitts Family Circus, marvel at the magic of cabaret and circus stunts performed by Australia's premiere hat juggler Mr Gonski or settle in for an interactive extravaganza of singing, juggling, contortion, comedy, acrobatics and a surprise magical ending in The Kiki and Pascal show.

Littletopia

Littletopia is our special paradise for under 5s! The area will feature games, activities and lots of surprises!

Jump, climb and slide in the Tumbletown play pen, have fun in the Tiny Tots play area or get creative with Paint & Play. After all of that, relax on one of the Chibebe beanbags.

The Workshop

The Workshop is where little ones can try their hand at a range of dynamic masterclasses, including workshops in dance (with Samson from Justice Crew's Base 181 dance school), coding in partnership with Code Camp, magic taught by teen duo Cardistry and Sydney's premier magician Adam Mada, percussion with Junkyard Beats and the return of the ever-popular Slime, Sherbet & Giant Bubbles class.
QANTAS Assure Arena

To encourage the benefits of keeping active, Qantas Assure – who offer insurance and a wellness rewards program – will be hosting games, a jumping castle and more in the Qantas Assure Arena. Meanwhile, parents who download the Qantas Assure App will be able to enjoy a sense of wellbeing and relax in the Qantas lounge experience that's being recreated in the park. There will also be plenty of giveaways to reward activity tracked via the Qantas Assure App on the day.

KIDTOPIA
When: Friday 06 – Sunday 08 October
Where: Parramatta Park, Parramatta
More info: www.kidtopiafestival.com.au

Kidtopia Festival is supported by the NSW Government through its tourism and major events agency Destination NSW.

Interview with Julian Ramundi, Event Manager Kidtopia Festival

Question: Can you tell us about Kidtopia?

Julian Ramundi: Kidtopia is a festival for the whole family, with every kind of crazy fun you can think of. We have live music, circus, comedy, a silent disco, animals, rides, masterclasses, craft activities and outdoor cinema and more! It's a festival experience for the whole family.

Question: What ages is Kidtopia suitable for?

Julian Ramundi: All ages! From bubs to grandparents there's something for everyone.


Question: Where did the idea for the event come from?

Julian Ramundi: A lot of parents these days spent thier 20s going to music festivals, but we found a lot of kid's events and entertainment had become a little stale, and didn't really offer much for parents. We wanted to create an event that used a music festival model and offered entertainment that didn't talk down to kids - we have an unofficial 'no costume character' policy for this reason. There's loads of entertainment and activities that you won't see anywhere else, and it's a great way for kids to experience thier first festival, while also giving mum and dad a great time.


Question: What are you most looking forward to at this year's event?

Julian Ramundi: There's so much exciting entertainment this year. We have a brand new stage - La Petite Grande - with a revolving program of circus and vaudeville acts (including a real family circus troupe!).


Question: Can you share some of the 2017 highlights with us?

Julian Ramundi: We have a huge variety of stage acts this year, including teenage magic duo Cardistry, acrobatic show Chores! and Grossed Out Game Show; a live game show experience where celebrity comedians compete for litres of slime. Oh, and we're also looking forward to The Pigs playing our favourite pop songs in bluegrass, and Aussie Youth look to be doing some really big things this year so it will be great to see them before they become huge stars.


Question: Can you tell us about the Pokemon Go tours?

Julian Ramundi: Go Pokebout! is a daily walking tour where you'll search for Pokemon through the festival site. The tour is led by comedian Kat Grey, who is a Pokemon expert (she's level 30 and is in 10 gyms, for the players at home), so the tour has a comedy element to it and she'll guide us through the site with Pikachu while hunting for Pokemon! The tour is each day at 11am, so just before rush hour madness.


Question: How have you made Kidtopia affordable for families?

Julian Ramundi: Many of us are parents ourselves, so we understand how expensive a day out can be - especially with prices of other family events. We try to keep the costs down for guests at every element while still providing an amazing experience. Our First Release tickets offer $10 entry for kids (adults $15) so a family of four can experience the festival for only $50, with all stage entertainment and a range of activities are included in the ticket price.


Question: How can we get involved in the Workshops Kidtopia offers?

Julian Ramundi: Grab a ticket! As a value-add for some families who want an exclusive experience, we offer a range of masterclasses in Coding (with Code Camp), Dance (with dance school Base 181), Magic, Slime, Sherbet & Giant Bubbles and Drumming & Percussion. For kids with a culinary bent, we have a section dedicated entirely to cooking, with classes in Italian, Asian, Mexican and traditional Australian recipes. All classes run between 45-60mins and are only $20. Class sizes are small (only 20 per class), so each child gets an opportunity to interact and learn in a fun environment.


Interview by Brooke Hunter