The future of a children’s art festival is hanging in the balance and organizers are seeking the help of the public to save it.

This year’s Vancouver International Children’s Festival could be the last if it doesn’t hit its target for ticket sales.

Tom Stulberg, chair of VICF’s board of directors, said the festival is carrying a $140,000 deficit after funding cuts last year.

The federal government cut its funding in half, and the provincial government cut its share by about 18 per cent.

Unless they sell more than 60 per cent of seats they’ve budgeted for, he added, the chances of the festival continuing next year will be slim.

“As a result of our move (from Vanier Park to Granville Island), we’re seeing lower-than-expected pickup on ticket sales,” he said. “We’re sitting with a cumulative loss from the previous two years of extreme government cuts…. That’s going to kill us.”

Katharine Carol, VICF’s new executive director, said kids can create masks at the Legends of Taiwan, learn how to juggle and interact with professional visual artists during the festival.

The festival – which runs May 30 to June 5 – has delighted kids with theatre shows, arts programs and musical performances for 35 years.

“(Children) deserve an arts festival dedicated to them … that will spark their imaginations and connect them to the magic of the arts,” she said.

George Affleck, a new board member and parent, said his children have been going to the festival through their school programs and it would be a mistake to close it down.

“I think the cuts from the federal and provincial governments … are atrocious not only to this organization, but to so many arts groups or anything related to children.”