An Easter family-friendly concert covering the history of pop music is taking place at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta on Sunday.
Bursting with hits from the 1950s to the present day, the show will include timeless favourites and medleys merging popular music genres, from retro ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ all the way to Harry Styles.
The event forms part of the theatre’s TOI TOI Learning and Participation programme, which covers a wide range of activities targeting babies, toddlers, primary and secondary schools.
The Easter Family Show, held in collaboration with the Malta School of Music Contemporary Department, is targeted at children aged over five years and based on last year’s feedback, it promises to be yet another hit.
“Last season, we collaborated with The Big Band Brothers and their training groups on the theme of the history of the Big Band. The show featured Mariele Zammit as lead singer and presenter, and was written to include opportunities for audience participation, peaking at We Don’t Talk About Bruno, which was specially adapted in the Big Band style by Daniel Cauchi. Children screamed with excitement like in a Beatles concert from the opening phrase!,” programme manager Kate Fenech Field says.
Children screamed with excitement like in a Beatles concert
Later this month, on April 29 and 30, TOI TOI is producing another show for children over five years of age with Moveo Dance Company. Titled EMOJI: My Emotions, the performance will use a combination of projected digital animation and dance to promote social and emotional learning among primary schoolchildren.
TOI TOI’s educational programme indeed explores various contemporary themes, that include social development, bullying, prejudice and ethics.
“The main aim is to use the arts as a tool to understand the world around us and ourselves, how to show empathy or compassion, how to put yourself in the shoes of someone else. Dance and non-verbal theatre, including mime and physical theatre, employs a very clear narrative tool for children to comprehend and engage with,” Fenech Field notes.
“For example, we would not stage a realistic fight to young children, but we could produce a dance sequence which illustrates a fight and the consequences of how that makes the characters feel.”
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