Link Music Lab Kids in association with Small World Music presents Welcome Nowruz and Springtime, part of A Thousand and One Nights. The two-day, family-friendly event embraces intercultural differences on the weekend before Nowruz, which marks the Persian New Year on the vernal equinox. Children under 10 are invited to attend concerts with songs in the spirit of spring, storytime and arts and hands-on arts and crafts.

Event Highlights

Thanks to the generous support of Canadian Heritage, Link Music Lab Kids invites families to increase awareness of Canada’s cultural diversity and participate in the secular rituals of renewal and rebirth from a Persian perspective plus age-old traditions from Turkey and Greece. This vibrant children’s festival features a packed schedule of events at Artscape Youngplace, where families can:

  • Catch a concert by popular musician and music educator Hani Niroo. She returns to the Small World Centre to perform songs in Farsi on guitar and xylophone from her album Songs of Norouz.
  • Sing along to songs for Spring from Greece, Turkey, the Arab world and the Balkans. Performed by Sophia Grigoriadis, Maryem Tollar and Brenna MacCrimmon on tambura, ukulele and percussion.
  • Listen to stories, along with songs and dance, about the Turkish rituals for Hıdrellez. Performed by the gifted Begum Boyancı, who specializes in Turkish Folk music.
  • Learn about Haft Seen (the seven symbolic items that start with the letter “s”) while colouring and painting, hosted by a team of artists including Nassim Fatehi, Gina Fayazi and Ana Ilka
  • Participate in a percussion workshop, with Naghmeh Farahmand on tombak
  • Hear So Loud!, Sahar Golshan’s new book about a little girl who finds her voice during Nowruz as she meets her grandmother from Iran.
  • Make a red and white Marti bracelet with Vassiliki Tsezou. They represent sun-kissed cheeks and are meant to keep March sunburns away.

Link Music Lab Kids: “A Thousand and One Nights”

When: March 16-17, 2024
Time: 11:00am-3:00pm
Where: Artscape Youngplace, 180 Shaw Street, Studios 101 & 103, Toronto
Website: www.linkmusiclab.com

Our list of Arts & Crafts activities in Toronto paints a picture here!