Hello Birds

Overview

Hello Birds is a sensory story show for babies, made by Jasmine Cole Productions. Bran the gardener and their friend Tor spend a day greeting the birds that come to the garden, and the audience is part of it — feeding the birds, building soft nests, joining the wake-up song and the night-time one. It is built out of sound, colour, texture and small puppets rather than plot. Created by Jasmine Cole, Connie Crosby and Hannah Platts, with key-word signing supported by Arthur’s Club.

What we love about it:

This is where ecological attention actually begins, and almost nobody makes work about it. Long before anyone can hold a thought about biodiversity, they have to be able to notice a blackbird — to know that the noise outside the window is a particular bird, doing a particular thing, in a particular season. Hello Birds teaches the noticing. It is the least didactic show on this list and arguably the most consequential.

Who is it for?

Babies and toddlers, 0–36 months, and whoever brings them. Babies need their own ticket. The venue offers wheelchair access, an audio enhancement system and relaxed performances.