[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Lullabies Under the Stars at ArtPlay is a poignant 45-minute session that gives Under 5s and their carers the chance to connect with different cultures through simple songs of lullabies. This special session was created by Aseel Tayah, Caleena Sansbury, Max Schoolar Root, Mahmoud Salame and Hannah Murphy through ArtPlay’s New Ideas Lab which supports artists and children to work together to develop new arts experiences.
The ArtPlay team welcome us, opening with a Welcome to Country. We are then ushered into a room that has been separated by curtains – the first area is where we can leave our prams and remove shoes and socks. There is lots of space for prams of all sizes!
Then it’s time for Lullabies Under the Stars. Melbourne is a multicultural city, but how often do we have the chance to step into the cultures of others? Aseel, Caleena and Max open by introducing themselves; Aseel is Palestinian, Caleena is a Ngarrindjeri, Narrunga and Kaurna woman from South Australia and Max has mixed European heritage. Then the curtains are drawn and Caleena leads us towards the performance space by dance as Max and Aseel provide musical accompaniment.
The performance space is a circle set beneath a tent canopy, lit up with fairy lights and lamps – making this session difficult to photograph but full of magical feeling.
Aseel and Caleena lead the participatory performance, setting the scene in Arabic and English, while Max accompanies on the guitar. Aseel tells us that the stars have disappeared and we need to work together to bring them back! We get the chance to play instruments before realising that the only way to bring them back is through singing lullabies.
Each of the facilitators shares a song in their native tongue before carers (and children!) are invited to share their own lullabies. Some sing in English and others in other languages; in our group we hear songs in Indonesian, Greek and French.
The stars return and it’s time for star-gazing! A rather-realistic animation lights up the “sky” (a screen, cleverly hidden within the canopy) above us and shows us different “constellations”; we are able to spot a turtle, camel, rabbit and even a butterfly.
Then we are given torches and invited to explore the space. We use our torches to find that a path has been created using glow-in-the-dark tape which we follow to activity areas. The first we encounter contains wooden blocks, string and more glow-in-the-dark tape which Toddler Explorer demands I stick all over her hands! Then we set out again and find another station containing large black blocks which we decorate with glow-in-the-dark crayons and more tape.
After this time of free-play, we return to the main circle and say our goodbyes. At this point I do think it would have been nice to share a final song of thanks or goodbyes to close off the session.
Lullabies Under the Stars is a beautiful participatory performance aimed at Under 5s who are so open and receptive to music that it’s wonderful they have this chance to hear songs in languages other than English. Toddler Explorer’s grandparents speak and sing to her in Indonesian and I think it was valuable to her on some level that she probably isn’t even conscious of just yet – to get to share some of her heritage with others.
ArtPlay is located on Birrarung Marr, a five-minute walk from the train and trams at Flinders street station, although it can take 10 minutes or more if a toddler is walking and inspecting all the way there! To minimise distractions, I like to pre-book our parking at Federation Square which is even closer again.
Click here for more places to go with babies and toddlers in Melbourne
[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text el_class=”thon-hot-tips-panel”]HOT TIPS:
- Artplay run free and paid workshops for children 0-12 years;
- Easy pram-access and parking;
- change table available for use in the accessible bathroom
- A 5-10minute walk from Flinders Street Station or pre-book a carpark at Federation Square for $17 per hour – but effectively you get three hours parking as you have an hour’s grace on either side for entry and exit;
- before or afterwards visit the Artplay playground;
- Eat at cafes at Federation Square – I recommend Riverland and Pilgrim by the water or the ACMI cafe. Top tips on places to dine out with kids in the CBD; and
- After our session we pop over to see the Winter Village ice-skating on the Federation Square rooftop.
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