A few words about us
Out of the Box is a biennial Festival for children eight years and under, held at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).
It includes cultural activity crafted to celebrate and support learning, play, curiosity and discovery for children and their families as they learn and grow together. Out of the Box acknowledges and celebrates the value and importance of the arts in education and life-learning.
The Festival takes pride in its history as a national leader in programming for young children, nurturing children's creativity and imagination.
learn more about our history
Our Guiding Principles
Out of the Box Festival creates rich, creative learning opportunities for children under eight. It is guided by these core principles:
Meaningful arts experiences in early childhood aids physical, cognitive, linguistic, social and emotional development. Participating in art and creative activity can have life-long impact, developing intrinsic human qualities, such as creativity, expression, identity, culture and imagination.
Children are valuable, thoughtful and insightful members of society who make meaningful contributions to civic life. They help shape our culture now and for the future..
Children are central to Out of the Box. They generate ideas and give us feedback on our thoughts, assumptions and programs.
Children journey through different stages of development and artistic literacy. Out of the Box festival is curated to align with the developmental, emotional and creative capacities of children under eight.
Children are whole body learners and find the most value in active participation in creative processes. ‘Doing’ is a central component of Out of the Box festival programs.
The arts vocabulary of children crosses multiple forms and genres. Out of the Box works with artists from a diversity of disciplines and creates opportunities across a variety of artistic practices.
Our Team
Professor Judith McLean
Scholar in Residence
Read what Professor Judith McLean has to say about the Festival