Bring it on - 2010

Toumani and Symmetric Orchestra (Youri Lenquette) Paris

Lots of exciting theatre, music, art and film for kids and their families in the New Year.

The Kids in the House program has another eclectic mix of Australian and International performances for all ages to enjoy...the usual baby proms, Little Big Shots and other highlights include Helena and the journey of the Hello...from Terrapin Puppet Theatre directed by the talented Frank Newman, Hansel and Gretel from Danish Theatre Company - Gruppe 38 (we caught their beautiful production of The Little Match Girl), Salt Bush ( A journey through Aboriginal Australia) and so much more...check out the program for full details.

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The Sydney Festival also has a great program in January...Music Alive: Zeeko, One Small Step by David Hastings, The Arrival inspired by Shaun Tans beautiful book and a big favourite amongst families... Circus Oz

Exhilarating performances within the festival include> Toumani Diabate , The Manganiyar Seduaction, Bale de Rue...

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Masterpieces from Paris Exhibition opens at the National Gallery of Australia and runs until April 2010.

Showcasing 112 Post Impressionist masterpieces from artists including Van Gogh, Gauguin, Monet, Cezanne, Seruat and more, all from the Musee d’Orsay in Paris.

The gallery is also hosting a wide range of childrens activties to compliment the exhibition.

Check out the programs, see a few shows and enjoy what is going to be an exciting year.

Helena and the Journey of the Hello Highlights

Local Colour - The Newtown colouring-in book

Inner west local artists Fiona Roderick and Maggie Stein have created an original and fun colouring book for kids (and adults) capturing the essence of Newtown. The Newtown colouring-in book has easy to colour illustrations of familiar locations including King Street, local parks and The magic yellow bus.

This would be a fantastic book for children familiar with Newtown and surroundings and would also act as a fun guide to the area on a day outing for non - resident families.

Would be great if every suburb had version!

To find out more information on how to get your copy

Contact fionasusan@hotmail.com | stein.maggie@gmail.com

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Sydney Festival 2010

Image by John McDermott

Sydney Festival 2010 tickets go on Sale Monday 9th Nov....The family strand of the festival seems to getting better every year. I also discovered some other performances within the program that are also family friendly.

One of the highlights of the festival is The Arrival based on the illustrated book by Shaun Tan, a universal migrant tale set in a fantastical time and place presented by The Red Leap Theatre, New Zealand.

"The Arrival has no actual dialogue and combines a highly physical cast with music, movement, puppetry and shadow play."

Where: CarriageWorks | Jan 10 at 5pm, Jan 11, 14, 16 at 7pm; Jan 13, 15 at 11am and 3pm; Jan 17 at 3pm

For booking details visit: http://www.ticketmaster.com.au/artist/1380238?brand=sydneyfestival2010

Other family performances include:

Barely Contained at Darling Harbour | Circus Oz

Music Alive Zeeko |Latest ensemble from Musica Viva

One Small Step | Oxford Playhouse

I will also be taking the whole family to see The Manganiyar Seduction.

For a full list of family performances at the Sydney Festival 2010 visit www.sydneyfestival.org.au

Wizard of Oz - STC - Review

Alirio Zavarce, Ezra Juanta & Patrick Graham

Photo by Tony Lewis

My daughter (aged 8) and I went along to Windmill’s production of THE WIZARD OF OZ By L. Frank Baum presented by the Sydney Theatre Company on Friday evening.

Windmill have mastered children's theatre and there are no expectations with the Wizard of Oz. The performance captivates not just the children in the audience but also the adults. I was laughing throughout most of the show. The set was clever- lots of colour, media installations and enough variety to make you feel you where moving to a different destination. The cast were all wonderful and Ursula Yovich shone as Dorothy and the wicked Witch played brilliantly by Geoff Revell was also our favourite.

If you have younger or restless children, I would recommend the 10.30am, 1.00pm or 5.00pm sessions as the 7pm could be a little late in the evening as the performance spans just over 2 hours.

View trailer

Details: Venue: Sydney Theatre

Season:
Tuesday 27 October 10.30am
Wednesday 28 October 10.30am
Thursday 29 October 10.30am
Friday 30 October 7pm
Saturday 31 October 1pm & 5pm
Sunday 1 November 1pm
Adults: $35Child: $30*Concession: $30*Under 30: $30* Family $110 (for 2 Adults, 2 Children OR 1 Adult, 3 Children) * Additional Child (to Family ticket): $20

For children 8 years and older and their families
Bookings

Lah-Lah's Big Live Band - Review

When the school holidays come along there are always lots of things on for 5-12 year olds to do but babies and toddler activites are few and far between. Lah-Lah’s Big Live Band show at the Enmore theatre is perfect for all of the above age groups and adults will find themselves singing and dancing along as well.

Tina Harris, Lah-Lah, and her band bring a hands on concert experience to children, helping them discover the magical world of music by playing lots of different styles of music to get them moving and dancing, even encouraging the audience to try out the instruments and meet the performers after the show. There is a double bass, drums, saxophone and accordion to check out, and lots of percussion instruments are brought out for children to play along with the band during part of the performance.

Many parents in the inner west will be familiar with Tina’s musical talents as she runs Kindermusik classes for 0-5 year olds during school terms. You won’t be disappointed it’s a fantastic show, running this week and next week until October 18th at the Enmore Theatre in Newtown. http://www.enmoretheatre.com.au/events/2009/10/07/lah-lahs-adventures-proms-for-little-people

Review by Lisa Clarke

Sydney Children's Festival

Kick your heels up at the Sydney Children’s Festival Opening Party on Saturday 3 October. The celebration will be led by Georgie Parker and the Sydney Children’s Festival Choir, who will have every foot in the house tapping. The celebration will continue with a huge dance party where kids can go wild and parents can enjoy a flashback to their partying days. Plus, there’ll be a sneak preview of Erth’s Amazing Room for curious kids.

There are oodles of fantastic workshops, performances and activities to get involved in throughout the festival. See the amazing Circa perform 46 Acts in 45 Minutes, warm up your vocal chords in free morning singing workshops, or kick start your acrobatic career in a week of workshops with Legs On The Wall!
 
Visit www.sydneychildrensfestival.com  to find out more.

Lah-Lah - proms for little people

Lah-Lah's Adventures, Proms for Little people. Coming to Enmore Theatre from 7-18 October
Click here to book or for more information.

Dancing double basses and singing saxophones. Lah-Lah is a brand new performance where instruments come to life in the world of a little girl who can’t sit still! A musical spell will be cast over children aged 2-6 by some of Sydney’s most vibrant and entertaining musicians.



Something very magical happens to little Lah-Lah one night when reading her book - all the characters in her story come to life as instruments! Meeting her friends is lots of fun and Lah-Lah learns all about their funny sounds while she sings and dances.

This show is in a special intimate Proms format, children and adults up close and personal with the 5 piece band. Strictly limited seating available. Book early, tickets selling fast.

Meet Lah-Lah, Mr saxophone, Squeezy Sneezy accordion, Lola the Double bass and Tom Tom Drums and the friendly fairy.There is a chance to interact with Characters after each performance

ALL PATRONS 12 MONTHS AND UNDER ARE FREE. 12 MONTHS AND OVER MUST PURCHASE A TICKET

From Wednesday 7th October through to Sunday 11th
Tuesday 13th through to Sunday 18th but no show on the Friday 16th
Performance times 10 and 11.30.

PONYO

PONYO is the latest offering from Miyazaki at Studio Ghibli inspired by the Hans Christian Andersen story "The Little Mermaid". My family and I have enjoyed all films that are created from Studio Ghilbio and we were not disappointed with Ponyo.

In a small town by the sea lives five year-old Sosuke, high on a cliff overlooking the Inland Sea. One morning while playing on the rocky beach below his house, he discovers a goldfish named Ponyo, her head stuck in a jam jar. Sosuke rescues Ponyo and keeps her in a green plastic bucket.

Both Ponyo and Sosuke are fascinated by each other and promise to stay firm friends until Ponyo's father - once human, now a sorcerer who lives deep under the sea - forces her to return with him to the ocean depths.

My three children aged 11, 7 and 5 years all loved Ponyo and are very keen  to  see it again. The english adaption is features voice overs  by Cate Blanchett, Tina Fey, Liam Neeson and Matt Damon.

I will be talking my older children to the Japanese version this weekend so they can experience the film in its true form.

More information:

http://www.ponyo.com.au

http://www.madman.com.au/studioghibli/

Movie Trailer

Under Me Skin | Ivanhoe NSW

A collaboration between young people, multimedia artists and award winning Indigenous writer Gayle Kennedy is one of the outcomes of The Ivanhoe Chronicles, a two year multi-arts project by Outback Theatre for young People and Trax.

The 2009 presentation of Under Me Skin is just the first installment of the Ivanhoe Chronicles.   

The darkly comic tale of a boy who mysteriously disappears in a remote bush town, sparks a chain of events that even the children find incredible.

Saturday 22nd August

5:30pm exhibition | 6:30 performance | 7:30pm Post show discussion

The Old Servo 

Columbus Street 

Ivanhoe NSW

Tickets are free.

For more information contact Suzanne Hauser 0438 398 629

suzannehauser@outbcaktheatre.com

Blog: www.trax.org/outbackblog

Ready to get Sketchen?

Odosketch is a fun online tool that lets the user draw on the screen as if they were using a sketch book.  Great rainy day distraction!

Odosketch seeks to recreate the decidedly non-digital experience of working with a sketchbook. Its papery textures, variety of brushes and intentional imperfections make you forget you're working on a screen.

What would kids do if they could do anything?

Erth, the creators of the famous dinosaur Petting Zoo, are looking for kids to be part of the creation of the Amazing Room – a new component of the upcoming Sydney Children’s Festival.
Erth are busily designing this crazy, silly play space, and are seeking some input from kids .

This coming Tuesday 21st July at 6.30 pm, come down to CarriageWorks with your child, aged 6 – 12years, and take part in a 1hr workshop where Erth’s Artistic Director, Scott, will be asking "What would kids do if they could do
Anything?". 

Yummy pizza and drinks with be provided. Email scott@erth.com.au by Tuesday to participate.
There's room enough for 10 kids plus their parents to participate and you must register with Scott to attend.

Melbourne International Film Festival

Now a MIFF institution, the Next Gen program within the Melbourne International Film Festival provides stimulating films for younger generations of cinema viewers.
I felt the SFF this year had a disappointing range of family /childrens films within the program so it is refreshing to see a festival that encourages mature cinema for older children.

The festival presents an extensive range of international films for older children they may not ever get the chance to see.

Highlights include:
Cheeky Girls - Germany
Based on a bestselling German book series, this raucous rock ‘n’ roll adventure is about friends, crushes and surviving high school.

Mommo - Turkey
A touching true story about the bonds between a brother and sister, set amid the picturesque beauty of a remote Turkish village.

Jermal - Indonesia
A young boy learns self-reliance in this extraordinary story filmed in a unique location – at sea, amid the platform-fishermen of Indonesia.
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July 24th until August 9th 2009
Full the full Next Gen program

Melbourne International Film Festival

Kids Adventure Passport | NSW

The Premier’s Adventure Challenge and Kids’ Adventure Passport are initiatives of the NSW Government. 
The aim is to encourage primary aged children (Kindergarten to year 6), and their families, to visit the State’s participating museums and galleries.

Exposure to art, big ideas and high-level creativity helps developing minds reach their full potential.

The Passport makes discovering the State’s museums and galleries more fun for children and their families by providing a series of goals and suggested activities for them to complete at each venue. And it just may spur on the next wave of artists, inventors, historians or designers to give it a try too.

Participating Institutions include,   The Art Gallery Of NSW, MOS, MCA, Elizabeth Farm

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THE ODDITOREUM

Something odd is stirring in the basement of the Powerhouse Museum....

a giant liquorice allsorts shoe, a griffin sculpture, horses teeth.

The Odditoreum is a very unique display featuring a selection of weird and wonderful curiosities from deep within the vaults of the Museum’s collection.

The objects have been carefully selected by the Museum for their own peculiarity, creating a display of oddities not normally seen. These objects have in turn been transformed by children’s author and illustrator Shaun Tan, who has created intriguing stories for each object blurring fact and fantasy.

Holiday program from the 11th July includes

Beasties Robotic Petting Zoo

Ages 4 - 12

Media Mash up

Ages 12 - 16

Full holiday program 

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The Odditoreum

27 June - 13 September

Powerhouse Museum | NSW

Sunday Arts feature Monkey Baa | July 5th

Featured on this weeks Sunday Arts- How Monkey Baa Theatre For Young People have adapted Sonya Hartnett's novel Thursday's Child for a young audience.

Thursday’s Child is Tin, born on a Thursday and, like the old nursery rhyme ‘has far to go.’ A strange and lonely child who digs, his wanderings take him underneath the earth into the subterranean tunnels that he’s pre-destined to roam. Told by Tin's sister, Harper Flute, it is a story of a family’s struggle on their desolate farm during the great depression.

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Sunday Arts:

Sunday 5 July 2009 5.00pm | ABC1 |Duration: 60 mins | more info

Touring:

May - November 2009 

Thursday's Child tour dates

The Fox and the Child Giveway

We have 5 inseason dble passes to giveaway to the beautiful Fox and the Girl narrated by Kate Winslet. Following his Oscar-winning smash hit March of the Penguins, director Luc Jacquet’s first stab at a feature-length fiction finds him once again communing with nature. Inspired by an unforgettable childhood encounter, The Fox & the Child is a very simply told story about a little girl’s fascination with the cute furry creatures living in the forest around her French country home

If you didn't catch this wonderful film at the Sydney Film festival now is your chance. 

To go into the draw to win a dble pass email info@artsrocket.org with your contact details. ENTRIES NOW CLOSED 

The Fox and the Girl commences 9 July at selected cinemas. 

For more info visit Fox and the Child.

Orisinal - Online Games

Easy going non violent online games for young children at Orisonal. Beautiful graphics designed by Ferry Halim.

Visit http://www.ferryhalim.com/orisinal/ to join the fun.

Justine Clarke - Sing

Justine Clarke at the Enmore Theatre

A great family show, very relaxed, community feel. Good songs, sing along lyrics and lots of opportunities for audience participation.

Perfect for under 6 age group.

Unfortunately there were only 2 shows in Sydney. Justine is quite pregnant and is doing a small tour.

Worth catching if she comes near you.
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23 June Brisbane Powerhouse, QLD

26 June Canberra Theatre, ACT 

Joanne Kee
www.placesandspaces.com.au

Australian premiere | Coraline | SFF

image Belinda Rolland

Coraline premiered last night at the Sydney Film festival. One of the special guests for the evening included Teri Hatcher.

Based on the book by Neil Gamain, Coraline is the first stop motion ( hand made) film shot in stereoscopic 3D. The unique visual journey follows the fearless Coraline as she discovers a parallel universe behind the secret door.

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Official website: www.coraline.com

Suitable for ages:  8 and over

Next session:

Saturday 13 June 12.00pm | Greater Union

Ticket prices: Adults $17.00 Children $7.50

To view the entire program and bookings visit the Festivals officialwebsite. 

 image Belinda Rolland

Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms

Sydney Film Festival.

I took the family (4yo, 6yo and 40+) to see Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms at the Sydney Film Festival today. Of the four children's films this is the one that seemed most suitable for the 4yo despite the program suggesting it was for 6 and over. The audience was large and there were a lot of under sixes there, so other families seemed to have the same idea. I think, however, the program was right. While the 4yo sat through it and even enjoyed it at times the content wasn't suitable for his age group and was a little old for my 6yo too.
The sound was way too loud in the cinema. I also found the depiction of the mother a little offensive (all the female characters were a bit lacking really particularly at the start), the father, and homosexuals don't come off much better. The overall story didn't hold a message I am particularly interested in discussing with my children. On the upside the music was fun and my 6yo was dancing in his seat by the end.
Sunshine Barry and the Disco Worms screens again on Saturday 13th June at 2.45pm, Greater Union George Street.