Fun, Interactive Show Combines Science and Music for Children aged 6 – 11!

Children aged between 6 and 11 are invited along to the Discovery Centre with a parent, to take part in Uluzulualia – Your Vivacious Voice! a unique and highly engrossing theatre performance for children to explore and access the creative, scientific and musical potential of their own voices. The show is not about singing talent, but will take children on a journey using performance, multimedia techniques and mobile installations and soundscape guided by professional actors.

Groups of children and accompanying adults are invited into two distinct performance hubs inside the Discovery Centre. With the creative guidance of the actors, the children’s own voices contribute to the piece as they are encouraged to enter the two worlds, explore their own voices and make lots of sounds within the context of the performance. 

Uluzulualia presents a unique opportunity for children to learn through a fun and vibrant performance and gives them creative ways of exploring the anatomy of the voicing body:  the differences between human and animal voicing; vibration and sound; and musical concepts like volume (dynamics), pitch, improvisation, pulse and rhythm.

The show has been devised with the collaboration of Theatre Royal Winchester, by Yvon Bonenfant who is both the lead artist on the piece and a Reader in Performing Arts at the University of Winchester. His works have been performed in 10 countries world -wide in the past 10 years, reaching audiences in imaginative and exciting ways by inviting them right inside the audio-visual experience. 

Uluzuzulalia is playing at Winchester Discovery Centre from Sat 1 – Tues 4 Feb at 11.30am & 2.30pm (Sat & Sun) and 10.30am & 1.00pm (Mon & Tues). Tickets:   For further information or to book tickets, please call the box office on 01962 840440 or book online at www.theatreroyalwinchester.co.uk 

 

PORTCHESTER’S BALANCE BIKE SENSATION, 3 YEAR-OLD CALLAGHAN WHITE, SETS HIS SIGHTS ON A BRITISH CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE

Local rider, Callaghan White (3), from Portchester is in training for the biggest ride of his life at the second qualifying event of the Strider™ British Balance Bike Championships in Gosport next month.

He will be joining hundreds of other riders vying for the sought-after qualifying spots for the British championship finals later in the year at the home of British cycling. The overall championship winner will then win the chance to represent Great Britain in the Strider World Championships in Florida – the highest honour in balance bike riding on the planet.

“Cal calls his Strider balance bike his ‘Racing Bike’ and he gets so excited when we say we are going to the track to race. He has just won 4 out of 4 of the Strider Races at Gosport BMX’s Race Day last Sunday so we are hoping that he’ll do really well in his age-group at the main event in June.” Said Callaghan’s mother, Samantha White. “It’s such a great opportunity to give Cal the chance to take part in a proper cycling event – there really is nothing else like it out there.”

The 2013 Strider British Balance Bike Championships will have five major qualifying events that opened with a highly successful day of racing in London in May with over a hundred riders taking to the track.

With Gosport now firmly in the sights of riders from the south coast, and across the UK, The Strider British Balance Bike Championships are next arriving at Gosport BMX on Sunday June 16^th before moving onto Gravesend (July 21^st), Birmingham (August 21^st) and finishing in Manchester at the home of British Cycling on September 22^nd.

Open to riders between 18 months and 5 years old, there are still a few places open for riders to join the event in Gosport. Organisers are urging interested families to register before the event fills. Melanie Thomas, Strider British Balance Bike Championships organiser comments: “The events are open to anyone, no matter their ability, with opportunities to train and ride at organised coaching sessions before the big day. They are designed to be exciting, yet safe, environments for children to explore and play on two wheels, with the added excitement of racing.”

The series of events created by Strider, leaders in no-pedal balance bike technology, are part of a wider campaign to encourage tens-of-thousands of toddlers to take to two wheels with training centres and adventure zone play areas also planned throughout the year. Melanie continues: “Research has proven that balance bikes significantly improve balance and coordination which means that even our youngest riders can have a go.”

To register for the event and find out more, visit www.stridercup.org

Help Marwell Wildlife name their baby giraffe!

©Jason Brown

Marwell Wildlife is asking members of the public to pick a name for their five day old giraffe. 
The youngster was born on Friday (August 17) and lucky visitors to the park in Hampshire were able to watch the birth as it happened. 
Keepers can confirm the new arrival is female and they have chosen four suitable names for the little one. 

• Afia (which means born on a Friday)
• Olympia (to mark the recent success of the Olympics and the approaching Paralympics)
• Arria (meaning slender)
• Subira (meaning the reward of patience) 

As well as having the privilege of choosing a name, voters will automatically enter a prize draw to win a giraffe adoption! 

Staff at Marwell are delighted with the calf’s progress and visitors are enjoying watching the youngster begin to gallop around her new home. 

The giraffe’s mum Isabella went into labour at around 8am and took almost four hours to give birth. 
The healthy female soon found its feet and bonded with mum instantly. 
John Pullen, curator of mammals at Marwell Wildlife said: “This is Isabella’s third birth. It went extremely well and Isabella took it all in her stride. The public were allowed to watch the birth along with keepers and other members of staff. As soon as the calf was born we closed the house to let baby and mum bond. Isabella is really well and very protective of her newborn. Baby is tall and strong and was standing an hour later and walking an hour or so after that.”

To vote for your favourite name visit www.marwell.org.uk/giraffe 

Voting closes on Tuesday August 28 at 9am.