Little Big Shots - Review

With my not-quite-2yr-old daughter in tow, we arrived at Circular Quay by bus (an adventure in itself) on a spectacular spring day along with a friend and her 4yr old son. We joined the ambling trail of strollers and kids around to the Opera House for the final day of the international children's film festival Little Big Shots, stopping to shout at ferries and admire the view along the way.

The woman who welcomed us asked that I leave my fold-upstroller in an unsecured area by the entrance and check my small backpack at the coat check (neither of which I did - I checked the stroller instead and took my bag with me, but nobody seemed to mind) before we were ushered inside. After a short intro by Little Big Shots , the lights were dimmed and the kids shrieked in unison "Lights, camera, action!"

Fourteen short films hand-picked from around the globe were screened overthe next hour, mostly made by adults but a couple by children, the youngest being five when his film was shot! They were all animated except one, which, climaxed with a REAL child setting fire to a "time out"chair with a REAL box of matches, stuck out for all the wrong reasons. Shorts of popular kids' TV series "Peppa Pig" and "Charlie & Lola" from the UK were welcomed with roars of recognition and appreciation by the young audience and worked well as 'real' reference points for the kids in another wise fantasy-driven line up.

The hour's length was the perfect time to spend inside. It went quickly enough that even my daughter, who was at the younger end of the spectrum andwho is given to panicking whenever she is asked to sit still, didn't get frustrated. It was long enough, though, for you to feel you'd gotten your money's worth. I'll be back for the 2008 season for sure.

Review by Annie
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Little Big Shots is still playing around Australia
Adelaide Oct 4-6 Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide
Mooroolbark Oct 15 Mooroolbark Community Centre
Geelong Oct 20 - 23 Geelong Performing Arts Centre
Canberra Oct 28 National Museum of Australia

MCA Art Baby

The Museum of Contemporary Arts Art Baby had big shoes to fill after the thrill of a bus ride from Randwick to Circular Quay for my 18-month old Layla! Having booked a handful of spots for some mums from Playgroup (bookings are essential but no need to pay in advance), we rendez vous'd down at Circular Quay on a spectacularly sunny day for the 10am start.

The MCA's staff were delightful. Friendly, helpful, understanding (the tour is actually designed for parents and carers of children under 2yrs, not the kids themselves), and informative. We were split into two groups to tour the MCA and the Craigie Horsfield exhibition, a stunning collection of photography and multimedia installations.

The benefits of MCA's Art Baby are many - tour the current exhibition with your baby or toddler in tow without that nagging feeling you might be annoying those around you (you're all in the same boat), get some excellent insights into the artists on show from the tour guide, introduce your baby or toddler to the wonderful world of art, multimedia, and the stunning MCA itself, and the opportunity to relax afterwards with other parents and carers in the sun-drenched cafe for a generous morning tea including tea, espressos, biscuits, and fruit.

This was a great morning out and thoroughly recommended. As the exhibitions at the MCA change regularly, there's good reason to keep on keeping on with Art Baby.

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The next Art Baby events are on Tuesday 17 July and Tuesday 28 August 2007. Admission: $12/$10 MCA Members (kids under two free, morning tea included).
Bookings essential (Mon - Fri): 02 9245 2484 or education@mca.com.au to join the MCA Art Baby mailing list for updates on these popular events!
Find out how to get there at http://www.131500.com.au.

Participants at MCA Art Baby event, Museum of Contemporary Art, May 2007