Aya and the Butterfly
A child’s journey back to happiness with puppetry, music and more
for ages 3 to 9 years and all the family
With the help of Creative New Zealand funding, we have created this new work for children using exquisite puppetry, live music, lots of joining in and giant caterpillar fun, promising a poignant experience for the whole whanau.
‘Aya and the Butterfly’ is based on a children’s book by Ōtautahi/Christchurch author Dr Maysoon Salama, who wrote the story for her granddaughter Aya, after Aya lost her father in the Christchurch Mosque attacks in 2019.
Although it touches on feelings of sadness and grief, it also encourages ‘letting go’ and laughter, resilience building and dealing with change, all metaphorically reflected by the life-cycle and metamorphosis of the monarch butterfly.
This is a poignant story written through the eyes of a child set in a Muslim family in Christchurch but created for all children everywhere. Dr Salama has been working closely with us as a cultural advisor to help bring her story to the stage.
Next touring dates:
Te Matatiki Toi Ora The Arts Centre, Christchurch
Saturday 6th July, 10amTickets here
The Regent Theatre/Clarkson Studio, Dunedin
Monday 8th to Thursday 11th July, 11amTickets here
The Athenaeum Hall, Arrowtown
Sunday 14th July, 11am and 2pmTickets here
The Mussel Inn, Tākaka
Wednesday 17th July, 2pm
Contact: Mussel Inn for tickets 03 525 9241
The Boathouse, Nelson
Saturday 20th July, 11am Tickets here
Follow this link to a recent article about us in The Education Gazette:
Capturing emotions and imagination through live theatre – Education Gazette
This Stuff article was written when Birdlife Productions did a developmental tour of Aya last year. We took the show to Cultural Conversations in Nelson and also to the Christchurch Islamic community in Wigram, where we were invited to come by Dr Salama to help lift their spirits when the Coronary hearing for the Mosque attacks re-opened in September.
Mohammad Alayan (Grandad) with grandad!
A link to a radio talk Birdlife Productions
had in Nelson, Nov 2023
Listen to the Interview here
Dr Masson Salama with Aya
Wigram, Christchurch, Nov 2023
