Anna Unwin
Want to access good quality culture with your baby? Find out more about Baby Broadway from its founder, Anna Unwin
Anna Unwin, founder of Baby Broadway
“Music is one of the most powerful tools you can harness. The positive impact it can have on mental health is well known,” says Anna Unwin, founder of Baby Broadway – an interactive family concert for babies and children under the age of eight.
She continues: “People come to the concert, often having had no sleep, and we give them some relaxation and live entertainment. Singing with other people is so beneficial – there are health and social benefits – and that human connection is also important.”
Anna used to work in musical theatre before founding Baby Broadway in 2015, after she had her first child and began going to baby activities in Hackney.
She recalls: “My friend and I decided to put on a charity concert for families and children in Stoke Newington. It was local to me, and I knew lots of families there, so we put on this concert and it worked – we had great feedback. It grew from there.”
Since that first Hackney concert, Baby Broadway has grown and diversified. There is now a regular rotation of Baby Broadway, Gospel and Knees Up concerts.
Anna explains: “Baby Broadway has experienced West End singers and a pianist, who perform show tunes and songs from musicals and films; Baby Gospel are amazing singers from CK Gospel Choir; while Knees Up is a family Cockney sing-a-long.
“Musicals are what I ended up working with but soul and gospel is what I love. As the years have gone by I’ve refined the shows and made them more interactive.”
Babies bop on their parents’ knees or are swung into the air in time with the music. Older tots dance in the aisles, and preschoolers twirl and pop the bubbles floating above them.
Parents and carers drink coffee, sing, and tap their toes to the well-known songs, while the regular concert goers catch up with each other after the show.
Watch the video showing Baby Gospel highlights
Anna continues: “The people who go and see musicals enjoyed these songs growing up with their families and want to share those experiences. Accessing culture with your baby is hard. These concerts are not dumbing down, they are good quality, and parents enjoy it as much as the kids.
“The shows are for adults, babies and children. What’s really nice is we get multiple generations coming. There’s something magical about when the music starts and the babies are captivated.
“It’s nice to see people so engaged. It’s also sweet seeing little babies asleep on their mum or dad and the parents taking the time back for themselves.”
Christmas is a particularly busy time of year for Anna and her team – they put on between 50 and 60 shows a week in December alone.
Anna says: “Pantomime can often be too long and noisy for children. We find these concerts are a nice way for people to get into the festive spirit with their families: babies dress up in their cute outfits and people sing along to Christmas songs.
“The Baby Broadway Christmas concert will contain songs from musical theatre or films – such as ‘Elf’ or ‘Home Alone’. While Baby Gospel does Christmas carols in a gospel style – including ‘Jingle Bells’ and ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.’”
So, what’s next for Baby Broadway? Anna says: “We currently perform in over 20 venues all across London, but we’d like to get to more. We’re also applying for funding to do a tour and I want to do more intergenerational shows.”
Visit: babybroadway.co.uk