If you walked past Aberdeen Square at No. 3 and Cambie roads last weekend, you might have spotted some children catwalking on the stage.
The children were auditioning for the New Silk Road Kids Modelling Competition 2024 that will take place in China this summer. The audition attracted more than 150 attendees aged from four to 14.
About 50 of them will head to the regional finals at Tsawwassen Mills in Delta in May to compete for the global finals in China this summer.
“We started the competition in Richmond six years ago to provide an opportunity, a stage for children here to showcase themselves and participate in international competitions,” said Fred Liu, school manager at Richmond's U Arts Academy, organizer of the regional competition.
Liu said there are many benefits for children that come with training and competing in modelling.
“Child modelling is not just about doing poses on the stage with pretty clothes. It’s a good way for children to correct and improve their posture and boost their confidence by performing on the stage in front of hundreds of people,” he said.
“They also learn about teamwork because they are presenting a show with other children on the stage, so they need to coordinate and cooperate.”
He said around 30 children from the Richmond division attended the four-day global finals in China last year, when the team chose outfits with Indigenous elements to showcase Canadian culture.
The Richmond team has won three global championship titles in the past, according to Liu.
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