The Tidemark Theatre is presenting a free children’s concert in celebration of Family Literacy Day on Jan. 27.
“This is the Tidemark’s gift to Campbell River for Family Literacy Day,” says Heidi Cuff, Tidemark’s programming and marketing coordinator. “It’s our small way of giving back to everyone who has always helped and supported us.”
The free concert for Campbell River families is made possible in part by donations to the Tidemark’s Theatre Angels Program.
“We have this incredible program called Theatre Angels,” Cuff says, “and through it, we make tickets available to people and families in Campbell River with limited incomes to attend selected presentations throughout our season. This helps increase exposure to the arts and promotes inclusiveness of the theatre, as well as reaching youth and adults who wouldn’t necessarily have access to the arts otherwise.”
In order to respect the anonymity of recipients, tickets are given to local non-profit, charitable organizations for distribution.
The program, which has expanded every year since its inception, supports many different organizations and the communities they serve, such as the John Howard Society, Campbell River Literacy, KDC Health, Campbell River Family Services, Laichwiltach Family Life Society, Campbell River Women’s Centre and the Immigrant Welcome Centre.
Last year, the Tidemark partnered with Campbell River Literacy to present a free Charlotte Diamond concert and tickets sold out in just four hours.
“We had so much fun and the community was so appreciative and receptive, that we decided we just had to make it happen again,” Cuff says.
This year, Literacy Week will focus on encouraging parents and children to unplug from their devices or screens and take some time to have fun learning and spending time together.
“Music is such a wonderful tool that helps engage children in a positive and entertaining way, while at the same time facilitating language and literacy development. The arts are really magical that way,” Cuff says. “Children learn so much through them without even realizing – they are just having fun!”
The Kerplunks are award winning children’s entertainers who provide a unique live performance with a full four-piece, multi-instrumental band. They present a wide variety of upbeat lyrics and many differing musical styles that even parents can enjoy. In a short time, The Kerplunks have achieved some of the international music industry’s highest honours for their recordings and songwriting, including three consecutive JUNO Award nominations (Canada’s Grammy awards) and more recently, winning Best Children’s Album of the Year at the 2016 Canadian Folk Music Awards.
Tickets are free for the show and can be reserved at the Tidemark Box Office Tuesday through Friday between noon and 4 p.m. on a first come, first served basis. There is a limit of four per family.
For more information about the Tidemark’s Theatre Angels Program or to donate, please visit tidemarktheatre.com or call 287-PINK (7465).