The 2025 Beijing Sunshine Youth Art Festival kicks off on Sunday, with 52 extracurricular educational institutions showcasing the achievements and vitality of art education in Beijing.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2025 Beijing Sunshine Youth Art Festival kicked off on Sunday, with 52 extracurricular educational institutions showcasing the achievements and vitality of art education in Beijing.

Hosted by the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, and organized by the Beijing Children's Palace along with the education commissions of Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chaoyang, and Fengtai districts, the festival includes stage performances, interactive experiences, and training sessions for teachers. This year's activities focus on integrating resources for art education and encouraging innovative practices, with the mission of educating well-rounded individuals with moral character.

The wide range of performances include choral singing, dance, traditional opera, drama, recitals, and musical performances, and there are also exhibitions of calligraphy, painting, and photography.

City-level event venues have set up spaces offering creative interactive activities based on themes such as intangible cultural heritage, traditional crafts, and AI technology. These spaces allow students to experience a blend of tradition and modernity through hands-on activities.

The 2025 Beijing Sunshine Youth Art Festival kicks off on Sunday, with 52 extracurricular educational institutions showcasing the achievements and vitality of art education in Beijing.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Drawing on Beijing's teaching resources, the festival has invited experts from leading art institutions and performance troupes to conduct a series of masterclasses and workshops. The subjects to be explored range from choral conducting, and classical and contemporary dance, to improvisational dance and theater, and offer students and teachers opportunities for face-to-face exchange and learning.

A digital platform has been set up to share recordings of performances to promote outstanding work and reach more students and educators.

The festival is organizing activities in phases until November. City-level choral singing and dance performances, along with masterclasses, are taking place from May to June, while July and August will see an open call for logo and merchandise designs.

September and October will focus on instrumental performances, drama, traditional opera, and recital, along with instrumental music masterclasses. The festival will conclude with exhibitions of outstanding art and a closing ceremony in November.

The 2025 Beijing Sunshine Youth Art Festival kicks off on Sunday, with 52 extracurricular educational institutions showcasing the achievements and vitality of art education in Beijing.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The 2025 Beijing Sunshine Youth Art Festival kicks off on Sunday, with 52 extracurricular educational institutions showcasing the achievements and vitality of art education in Beijing.[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]