This summer, we are lucky to be joined by not one, but two prestigious puppeteering theatre companies — Birdlife Productions and String Bean Puppets — bringing us 8 free shows at our libraries and community centres! Read on to find out more.
Box of Birds! with Birdlife Productions
Peter and his new friends in Box of Birds! Photo: Supplied
The magic begins this week, with the exquisite puppet show Box of Birds from Birdlife Productions. This beautiful show features hand-crafted puppets, interactive songs, and percussion, and tells the story of Peter and his Grandma as they build a nesting box for Ruru – but Peter must learn to be patient and wait to discover who will eventually nest in his ‘box of birds’!
The show lasts for 30 minutes and is perfect for tamariki aged 3-6 with their caregivers, but older and younger siblings are very welcome.
Dates and Locations:
- Thursday 11 January, 11am – Newlands Community Centre
- Saturday 13 January, 11am – Te Awa-a-Taia | Ruth Gotlieb (Kilbirnie) Library
- Thursday 18 January, 11am – Island Bay Community Centre
- Saturday 20 January, 11am – Korimako | Cummings Park (Ngaio) Library
- Thursday 25 January, 11am – Waitohi | Johnsonville Library
- Saturday 27 January, 11am – Te Māhanga | Karori Library
Flutter: Puppet Show and Workshop with String Bean Puppets
Pepe and Titi flying in Flutter! Photo: Dianna Thomson//TAHI Festival 2023
Join Anna Bailey of String Bean Puppets for this mesmerising puppet show and workshop during the holidays! Experience the magic of puppetry in Flutter, an expowering and delightful show for young audiences about a bat who is afraid of the dark making friends with a glowworm who thinks she is a star.
The show is followed by a shadow puppetry workshop where tamariki can explore a world of shadows, learning how to create magical and beautiful shadow puppet creatures using natural materials, as well as building their own upcycled shadow box to take home.
The Flutter puppet show lasts for 40 minutes and is perfect for tamariki aged 4-10 with their caregivers. The shadow puppet workshop last for 45 minutes and is most suitable for tamariki aged 6-10, but younger siblings are welcome to participate with help from their caregivers.
Dates and Locations:
- Monday 15 January, 2pm (workshop starting at 2.45) – Linden Community Centre
- Thursday 25 January, 11am (workshop starting at 11.45) – Newlands Community Centre
Ngā mihi to the Creative Communities Scheme from Creative NZ for making it possible for us to share these experiences with you for free.
Nau mai — everyone is welcome!