Michka and Me
Would you like to hear a story of when I met a special bird?
Meet Pari, a little girl with a big heart.
Meet Michka, a little bird with a big story to tell.
Join Pari and Michka on an adventure through the city, as they make friends and try to build the bestest nestiest nest ever.
Aimed at 5 - 7 year olds but suitable for the whole family, Michka & Me has been created by artists with migration backgrounds and uses puppets to tell different stories of migration, exploring why birds move around the world and the lives they create when they arrive.
Bringing the show to life
Michka & Me is the culmination of a 2-year research and development project to co-create a children's theatre show with Mafwa Theatre's Associate Artists.
In 2022 we held a research and development period, creating a concept and outline for the show. Our Associate Artists collaborated with puppet makers, set designers and puppetry leads from migrant backgrounds to create a piece of performance that speaks to young people with lived experience of migration.
This was further developed by 3 associate artists who fleshed out the script and created a 25-minute version of the show. Michka & Me debuted during Refugee Week 2023, performing to children at 3 Leeds venues, including one sell-out show at Leeds Playhouse.
This organisation is funded by the UK Government through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund & Leeds City Council through the arts@leeds programme. The UK Shared Prosperity Fund is a central pillar of the UK government’s Levelling Up agenda and provides £2.6 billion of funding for local investment by March 2025. The Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. For more information, visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus