Cubbin Concerts Coming to Christchurch

Concerts for children are nothing new……until now.

Cubbin Theatre Company is bringing Cubbin Concerts to Christchurch, carefully crafted for the under-5s.

Director, Melanie Luckman, says the concerts have been developed to be playful, joyous and engaging which is particularly important after the challenges of Covid-19 lockdowns.

“We have been lucky in Aotearoa compared to Sydney or the UK however it’s interesting following the discussion overseas about the effect lockdowns are having on young children’s development,” she says.

It’s been reported that if children are not able to have creative play with other children, learning to empathise, compromise and manage their emotions, then language development and social communication is likely to be affected too.

“I think that illustrates how important creative play is, and that’s what Cubbin facilitates. In this series of concerts, we are combining story-telling and theatre with live music,” says Melanie. “Our shows are engaging. We don’t talk down to children; we connect with them on their level, and the sheer joy we see as a result is wonderful. We call this ‘respectful interaction’ and it’s absolutely critical for social and cognitive development.”

Joining the Cubbin core company for each concert will be a different special guest; an outstanding musician themselves. Melanie says this adds to the uniqueness of the performances as well as celebrating the vast amount of talent we have in Ōtautahi.

“All children should have access to exceptional creative experiences that have been tailored especially for them. That includes live music with real instruments played by professionals,” she says. “Cubbins’ vision is of a world where high-quality art and performance is as integral to early childhood as the playground, and as accessible.”

The Cubbin concerts have been developed so that parents can recreate elements of the shows at home; they will be something not seen before by audiences in Christchurch.

Cubbin Concerts are generously supported by Creative New Zealand.

ENDS

Images and media kit available here Please credit Nayhauss for all images except those of Cubbin company members and their children.

Show details:

Tickets: NZ$10.00+NZ$1.27 Fee

Each adult and child attending needs a ticket - 1 bum, 1 ticket. Babies in arms come free and don't need a ticket.

Rangiora https://cubbin-concerts-rangiora.eventbrite.co.nz

With special guest Ben Eldridge

Sat, 4 September 2021 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM

Lyttelton https://cubbin-concerts-lyttelton.eventbrite.co.nz

With special guest Tamara Smith

Sat, 2 October 2021 10:00 AM – 10:50 AM