On 20 December, St John’s Centre filled with Ukrainian Christmas music, stories and traditions as Culbaba Theatre shared the richness of the Ukrainian winter festive cycle with the Bexhill community.
Developed under the artistic direction of Olena Zdielnikova, the programme travelled from the playful fortune-telling traditions of St Andrew’s Day and the kindness of St Nicholas to Christmas Eve and the colourful celebrations of Malanka. Nearly twenty carols and seasonal songs accompanied the story, including works by Mykola Leontovych, Oleksandr Koshyts and Anatolii Avdiievskyi. And, of course, Shchedryk rang through the hall in its original Ukrainian form. The carol has held a special place in Culbaba’s repertoire from the very beginning and has become one of the songs through which we have introduced local singers and audiences to Ukrainian choral tradition.
Guests arriving at St John’s were welcomed by a traditional Nativity scene and an exhibition of Ukrainian Christmas decorations and household symbols: straw spiders, a Didukh, vytynanky, a Christmas star, embroidered cloths and handmade ornaments. Their meanings and place in Ukrainian Christmas customs were explained throughout the display, giving our British visitors a deeper understanding of the traditions behind the music and stories on stage.
It was a great pleasure to see so many families with children among the audience this year. Our younger guests enthusiastically joined the traditional games and seemed perfectly at home on stage — trying to take a bite of the kalyta and attempting to out-jump us in the game of Zaichyk.
We were honoured to welcome among our guests the Mayor of Bexhill, Cllr Paul Wilson; Vice-Chairman of East Sussex County Council Cllr Abdul Azad; local councillors; representatives of Rother Voluntary Action and AUGB Eastbourne Branch, alongside Ukrainian families, local residents and friends of Culbaba. Their presence showed just how widely interest in Ukrainian culture has grown within our local community.
This year’s programme also welcomed British performers into the ensemble. We now know from experience that it is perfectly possible to fall in love with Ukrainian traditions, music and language without ever having been to Ukraine. We are delighted to see Culbaba growing in this way: it expands our creative possibilities while building genuine friendships and connections.
After the performance, guests stayed for tea and coffee, homemade treats and traditional Christmas kutia. Our now customary conversations with the performers continued around the tables, giving curious visitors the chance to ask more about the songs, objects they had seen, and Culbaba’s work itself.
The evening was covered by The Bexhill Observer / Sussex Express in “Bexhill enjoys Ukrainian Christmas magic”, sharing the celebration with a wider local audience.
We are deeply grateful to everyone who joined us, for the genuine curiosity, warmth and support you continue to show towards our work and Ukrainian culture. We hope a little piece of Ukrainian Christmas travelled home with you that evening.
Merry Christmas — Щасливого Різдва!
Read “Bexhill enjoys Ukrainian Christmas magic” — Bexhill Observer / Sussex Express