WeeFestival of Arts and Culture for Early Years

The WeeFestival of Arts & Culture for Early Years Toronto's only festival of its kind

will return May 31st to June 12th for its 6th edition!

WeeFestival’s dynamic and diverse 2022 program promises unforgettable first live theatre experiences created especially for children under 6 years by artists from across Canada and around the corner!

WEEFESTIVAL PROGRAMME:

Mer Océane

Le Chemin qui marche (Québec)

May 31 – June 1

Factory Studio Theatre 125 Bathurst St. Toronto

Object Theatre/Shadow Puppetry

Age range: 3+

A poetic multisensory experience where the ocean is embodied by the performer using light shadow fabric and movement. Following the performance children are invited to explore the qualities of shadow and light using fabric and movement. Mer Océane is exclusively for schools.

Yassama and the Beaded Calabash – Yassama et la calebasse aux cauris

Lua Shayenne Shayenne Productions (Ontario)

May 31 – June 8

AKI Studio 585 Dundas St E #250 Toronto

Assembly Hall 1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Dr Etobicoke

Storytelling/Dance/Music

Age range: For 3 - 6 yrs

Yassama and the Beaded Calabash is the story of a young girl who with the help of the old Baobab tree saves her village from drought and delivers a powerful lesson about the importance of respecting and honouring Mother Earth.

The Sandbox – Le Carré de sable

Tenon Mortaise (Québec)

June 2 – June 5

Factory Studio Theatre 125 Bathurst St Toronto

Puppetry

Age range: 2.5 yrs +

In the Sandbox a world of stories emerges through shadows objects and music! Two performers take us on a journey from the playground to lands faraway in a performance that engages all the senses and our imaginations. The Sandbox is an interdisciplinary performance introduces children to puppetry clowning and shadow play. It’s a playful and poetic journey through the five senses organized around a sandbox full of surprises.

The Friendship Star

Cheri Maracle (Ontario

June 4 – June 5

AKI Studio 585 Dundas St E #250 Toronto

Storytelling/Music

Age range: 3 yrs +

In The Friendship Star we meet young Karawakwa and Piquot little souls gazing into the possibility of a dark night sky and trusting their wishes for friendship are being heard by the Great Mystery that is The Creator. When their wishes are granted their new friendship blooms but is soon put to the test. Actor singer and songwriter Cheri Maracle shares a tale about the importance of friendship with storytelling and song.

Wood – Bois

Puzzle Théâtre (Québec)

June 4 – June 8

Alliance Française de Toronto 24 Spadina Rd Toronto

Puppetry

Age range: 3 yrs +

Through the magic of puppetry a tabletop landscape of a single tree surrounded by fallen branches roots and sticks transforms into a world of strange and sometimes silly creatures all determined to claim one delicious green leaf!

I Am Baba

Anna Newell (Ireland)

June 7 – June 10

AKI Studio 585 Dundas St E #250 Toronto

Music

Age range: Strictly for Infants 0-12 months

I AM BABA is a magical adventure comprised of gorgeous live harmony singing and playful objects – jellyfish-like scarves dance and tiny lights fly in this intimate immersive performance which happens inside a specially designed tent that holds just 6 babies – each with their adult guest.

Letters from Drawing Town – Lettres de la Ville-Peinture

Valise Théâtre (Québec)

June 9 – June 12

Alliance Française de Toronto 24 Spadina Rd Toronto

Puppetry/Shadow Theatre

Age range: 3 yrs +

Once there was a little boy with an immense imagination who loved to invent and draw strange and fantastic creatures. His bedroom walls begin to fill with drawings and so he decides to build a big paper city where all his friends can live! Young audiences are invited on a journey into a poetic meeting of theatre and graphic arts. It will invite you to dive into an imaginary universe filled with drawings objects shadows and video projections.

Pop! Pop!

Carousel Players (Ontario)

June 10 – June 12

Factory Studio Theatre 125 Bathurst St Toronto ON

Sensory Theatre/Performance

Age Range: 2 - 4 yrs

Join characters “Seek” and “Hide” as they discover and explore a colourful undersea world of sensory experiences including adorable puppets and gentle playful interaction with live musical layers and a rich soundscape. Performed for small audiences of curious explorers.

HauNodi 河 নদী

Ruby Sinha and Diana Tso (Ontario)

June 11 – June 12

AKI Studio 585 Dundas St E #250 Toronto ON M5A 2B7 (view map)

Storytelling/Music

Age range: 3 yrs +

The title HauNodi (pronounced haw-no-thi) combines the Cantonese and Bengali words for river a powerful metaphor that has inspired this performance by two seasoned storytellers. Rubena Sinha and Diana Tso invite children on a journey on a river of words music and movement with stories inspired by their respective cultures from the birth of the Ganges to a magic paintbrush wielded by a brave young girl.

Tricoter (Bébé)

Foolish Operations (British Columbia)

June 11 – June 12

Factory Studio Theatre 125 Bathurst St Toronto

Dance/Music

Age range: 0-24 months

This joyful performance of dance and community re-creates the spirit of a knitting circle as dancers wind and unwind through the space tossing and rolling colourful yarn accompanied by live music. As they move they weave colourful patterns and connections with the audience evoking the power of community and belonging.

Baby Sound Garden

Leora Morris Patrick Rizzotti & Christopher Ross-Ewart (Ontario)

June 6 – 10

Factory Studio Theatre 125 Bathurst St Toronto

Music/Sensory Performance

Age range: 0-12 months

A work in progress. Where do sounds come from? And where do sounds go? What do sounds feel like? How do the sounds we make mix with the sounds around us? We are inviting babies under 1 and their caregivers to come explore with us in our sound garden for the senses.

WeeConcerts

In partnership with Prologue Performing Arts

Featuring performances from:

Tribal Vision Dance (June 4 at 12h) at Native Earth’s AKI Studio

Mestre Sérgio Xocolate and Suzanne Roberts (June 12 at 12h) at Factory Theatre

Kuné – Canada’s Global Orchestra (June 12 @ 14h) at Native Earth’s AKI Studio

WeeStorytime at MOCA Toronto

in partnership with Museum of Contemporary Art and with the cooperation of Groundwood Books

A series of engaging and interactive author events for children 2 – 7 years and their caregivers featuring the books of acclaimed children’s authors.

Readings & Activities by:

Cybèle Young – Out the Window and A Few Blocks (June 4 at 11h)

Brittany Luby (Read by Krysta Sero and Sharon King) – This Is How I Know (June 4 at 12h15)

Patricia Storms – Sun Wishes and Moon Wishes (June 5 at 11h)

Nadia L. Hohn – The Malaika’s Series (June 5 at 12h15)

‘Amik’ by Sharon King

published by Kegedonce Press

June 4 at 16h at Native Earth’s AKI Studio

Writer educator and performer Sharon King is delighted to share with audiences for the first time her new book Amik – a delightful picture book that tells the story of amik the beaver who works on his dam throughout the day while nature and the activities of other animals carry on around him. After the reading Sharon will share some secrets on how her beautiful illustrations are created.

Amik is for 2.5+ year olds.

‘I Love You More’ by Barbara Reid & Emil Sher

published by Scholastic

June 11 at 16h at Factory Theatre

I Love You More written by Emil Sher and illustrated by Barbara Reid is a gorgeous playful story that opens up infinite possibilities for saying “I love you” that carry on long after closing the book. Barbara & Emil will share with the audience the stories’ affirming sentiment as well as some activities.

I Love You More is for 2.5+ year olds.

Tickets are on sale now at http://weefestival.ca/ or by calling 416.524-6261. Full schedule/details below or at http://weefestival.ca/shows

For general information regarding the 2022 edition of the WeeFestival please visit www.weefestival.ca

Host or Publisher WeeFestival of Arts and Culture for Early Years