Anna Newell, of Replay Theatre Company, explains why she makes theatre for babies – even ones as young as four days old – and why the world’s first ‘Babyday’ is so important.
When I tell people that I make shows for babies, and that the youngest audience member for Replay’s work was just four days old, they often look incredulous. The look is swiftly followed by a lot of questions: “How does that work?” “What’s the point?” And, most of all, “But they’re not going to remember!”
Here’s the thing. They are. Neuroscience has proven that the first three years of life don’t just affect our behaviour, they actually change how our brains are formed. As developmental psychologist Dr Suzanne Zeedyk observes: “The evidence about the importance of children’s early experiences is pouring out of scientific labs... Keep reading on The Guardian
When I tell people that I make shows for babies, and that the youngest audience member for Replay’s work was just four days old, they often look incredulous. The look is swiftly followed by a lot of questions: “How does that work?” “What’s the point?” And, most of all, “But they’re not going to remember!”
Here’s the thing. They are. Neuroscience has proven that the first three years of life don’t just affect our behaviour, they actually change how our brains are formed. As developmental psychologist Dr Suzanne Zeedyk observes: “The evidence about the importance of children’s early experiences is pouring out of scientific labs... Keep reading on The Guardian