Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/187071
35 maltatoday, THIS WEEK SUNDAY, 6 OCTOBER 2013 The benefits of live music for children THE return to school also marks the start of the performance season at the Manoel Theatre. Apart from concerts, recitals, plays, opera and the baroque festival a significant part of this season is dedicated to finding and fostering the next generation of theatre-lovers. This is the aim of the Toi Toi Education Programme, which now enters its third season and which is supported by BOV and The ADRC Trust. It is designed and run by educator, performer and music therapist, Rosetta Debattista, and devised to access children's appreciation of music, irrespective of their age or cultural background. Debattista explains that exposing young children to music from a very early age encourages them to be more culturally aware as they move into adulthood. Symposium on the effect of films on tourism IN a recent survey of 2,000 people, British Airways found that nearly 40% of the respondents had been influenced to travel after watching scenes in a film. Indeed there is an increasing awareness that the featuring of a destination on screen has an impact on influencing potential tourists to visit that particular location. According to the Malta Tourism Authority's 'Market Profile Analysis' of 2012, 3.5% of the tourists who visited Malta reported that one of the factors which influenced their decision was seeing Malta featured in a TV programme. For the past months, Fondazzjoni Temi Zammit and eight other European partners have been involved on EuroScreen, a project co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, and made possible by the INTERREG IVC programme. EuroScreen aims to take advantage of the screen industry as a proven catalyst for tourism development. Partners hail from the UK, Italy, Malta, Romania, Sweden, Slovenia, Spain and Poland. Tomorrow (7 October), Fon- dazzjoni Temi Zammit will be hosting a second symposium, entitled 'How Tourism Can Capitalise on the Film Industry: Taking Stock and Moving Ahead'. The event will take place at Dar l-Ewropa, 254, St Paul Street, Valletta, at 17:00. Experts in the sectors of tourism and the film industry, as well as various stakeholders will address the symposium. Anyone wishing to attend should book a seat by sending an e-mail to euroscreen@ftz.org.mt or phone 27 224408 "Music has a magical effect on children. At this tender age, they seem to be genuinely interested," she said. "They are free and receptive to the beauty of the classical form. Live music stimulates their brains on so many levels and really draws them in. "During the 40-minute concerts, children are free to do whatever they like and make any sound they want to accompany the live professional ensemble. Subconsciously, they will be collecting a wealth of classical music information which will help them relate to music and other art forms later on in life." The Toi Toi Programme includes: Toi Toi 022: concerts for babies to two years old. These are baby-friendly 40-minute monthly concerts (with new material every month) of popular classics specially created for babies, with their parents or carers. Toi Toi 325: concert for three to five year olds. These dynamic, friendly concerts of popular tunes and different styles of music are specially created for toddlers with their parents or carers. Teatru Manoel's Toi Toi Education Programme also includes other events such as pre-concert talks, behind the scenes, limited editions which are opportunities to meet foreign artists performing at the Manoel as well as baroque workshops (during the Baroque Festival in January). The children's concerts run monthly from now till May 2014. For more information and bookings go to www.teatrumanoel.com.mt