The new season at the Manoel Theatre also marks the return to the Toi Toi Education Programme, with a significant part of this season dedicated to finding and fostering the next generation of theatre lovers.

This Toi Toi Education Programme has now entered its third season. Designed and run by educator, performer and music therapist Rosetta Debattista, it is devised to access children’s appreciation of music, irrespective of their age or cultural background.

Debattista explains that exposing young children to music from a very early age encourages them to be more culturally aware as they move into adulthood.

“Music has a magical effect on children; at this tender age they seem to be genuinely interested,” says Ms Debattista. “They are free and receptive to the beauty of the classical form. Live music stimulates their brains on so many levels and really draws them in.

“During the 40-minute concerts, children are free to do whatever they like and make any sound they want to accompany the live professional ensemble. Subconsciously, they will be collecting a wealth of classical music inform-ation which will help them relate to music and other art forms later on in life.”

The Toi Toi Programme includes Toi Toi 022, concerts for babies to two years old. These are baby-friendly, 40-minute monthly concerts (with new material every month) of popular classics specially created for babies, with their parents or carers. Toi Toi 325, on the other hand, is aimed towards three- to five-year-olds. These dynamic, friendly concerts of popular tunes and different styles of music are specially created for toddlers with their parents or carers.

Teatru Manoel’s Toi Toi Education Programme also includes other events such as pre-concert talks, behind the scenes, limited editions, which are opportunities to meet foreign artistes performing at the Manoel, as well as baroque workshops (during the Baroque Festival in January).

The children’s concerts run monthly till May 2014. The next Toi Toi events will be held on November 4 at 11.30am and 12.45pm and on December 2 at 11.30am and 12.45pm. A full programme is available online.

www.teatrumanoel.com.mt

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