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Thursday <strong>June</strong> <strong>29</strong> <strong>2023</strong> 3<br />
Young deaf actor brings<br />
sign language to stage<br />
BEING INVOLVED in a theatre<br />
show has its challenges for the<br />
deaf community, but 7-year-old<br />
Phoenix Kay is proving it need<br />
not be a barrier. He is playing<br />
a lead role in Canterbury<br />
Children’s Theatre’s upcoming<br />
show, Stories from the Blue<br />
Chair.<br />
The show brings two wellloved<br />
children’s books to life –<br />
Pumpkin Soup by Helen Cooper<br />
and Boy by Phil Cummings – as<br />
actor, director and playwright,<br />
Nickie Welbourn tells the stories<br />
from her blue chair and the cast<br />
acts them out.<br />
When Phoenix, who was born<br />
profoundly deaf, heard the Canterbury<br />
Children’s Theatre was<br />
looking for a young person with<br />
some experience of deafness to<br />
play the role of the deaf boy in<br />
Boy, he jumped at the chance.<br />
Phoenix is loving putting his<br />
sign language to use in the play,<br />
and watching the rest of the cast<br />
starting to pick up the language<br />
too.<br />
“My cochlear implants give<br />
me some hearing, but sign<br />
language is my first language<br />
so it is special to be able to play<br />
a role that communicates in<br />
sign,” said Phoenix, who lives<br />
in Richmond.<br />
“It is really cool to see other<br />
members of the cast working<br />
on learning how to use sign<br />
language too, even though they<br />
don’t have to use it in the show.<br />
“Our director, Nickie, has<br />
been learning sign language in<br />
her own time just so that she<br />
can communicate better with<br />
DEAFNESS NO BARRIER:<br />
Phoenix Kay and Nickie<br />
Wellbourn in Canterbury<br />
Children’s Theatre’s<br />
upcoming show, Stories<br />
from the Blue Chair.<br />
me, which is really nice,” he<br />
said.<br />
Phoenix’s mother, Liz, who is<br />
the only member of their family<br />
of five who is not deaf, is going<br />
to provide New Zealand Sign<br />
Language interpretation for the<br />
opening two shows on Saturday<br />
(11am and 1pm), to ensure her<br />
own family as well as other<br />
members of the deaf community<br />
are able to come along and<br />
fully enjoy the show.<br />
• Stories from the Blue<br />
Chair will be performed<br />
at the Malthouse<br />
Theatre during the<br />
July school holidays,<br />
with performances at<br />
11am and 1pm on each<br />
Saturday and Sunday.<br />
Tickets are available at<br />
www.malthouse.co.nz<br />
Big tree<br />
planting<br />
event<br />
• By Briar Allen<br />
A NORTHWOOD park is about<br />
to get a bit greener when 2000<br />
trees are planted this weekend.<br />
The trees will be planted along<br />
Kā Pūtahi Creek in Englefield<br />
Reserve.<br />
The project is a collaboration<br />
between Trees for Canterbury,<br />
Styx Living Laboratory Trust and<br />
Green Gear.<br />
Trees for Canterbury manager<br />
Steve Bush said the location was<br />
chosen as both it was close to<br />
where both the trust and Green<br />
Gear are situated.<br />
“The benefits to the area are<br />
huge. Another piece of native<br />
bush in the area will be attractive<br />
to bird life and the water quality<br />
going into the local waterways is<br />
cleaned,” he said.<br />
Bush said there will be visual<br />
benefits too.<br />
“The canopy of the local area<br />
becomes greater which filters the<br />
air around them. They also get<br />
a chance to do positive things in<br />
the area.”<br />
He was hoping for a great turn<br />
out to the event.<br />
The planting will be held on<br />
Sunday from 10am to noon with<br />
a barbecue at the end.<br />
Raf Manji<br />
For Ilam<br />
Your City, Your Future.<br />
Join me at<br />
top.org.nz/ilam<br />
or scan<br />
the QR code.<br />
HOMESTAY FAMILIES WANTED<br />
• Cultivate international friendships<br />
• Learn new phrases and communication skills<br />
Can you provide a safe<br />
and comfortable environment,<br />
welcoming an international<br />
student into your family,<br />
long or short term?<br />
We would love to hear<br />
from you!<br />
Authorised by H. Cargo, 90 Crawford St, Dunedin<br />
FOR MORE INFORMATION<br />
Phone Allison: 021 706 484<br />
Or email: canterburyhomestay@gmail.com<br />
Just a quick note to say thank you very much for the professionalism and<br />
care that you have taken selling Eve’s home. One can never underestimate<br />
the level of stress that this process can cause, especially on someone of<br />
mum’s age.<br />
The way you have been patient with her, kept her informed and been<br />
so kind to her has made this so much easier and for that we are very<br />
grateful.<br />
- David -<br />
Phone or text 027 555 7079<br />
REINZ Residential Salesperson of the Year* 2020 - 2022<br />
No.1 Harcourts Canterbury 2012-2022<br />
cameron.bailey@harcourts.co.nz No.1 Harcourts New Zealand 2017-2022<br />
No.1 Harcourts Internationally <strong>2023</strong><br />
www.cameronbailey.harcourts.co.nz Licensed Sales Consultant REAA 2008<br />
*Residential Salesperson of the Year across all brands in New Zealand.
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