The 28th annual Baboró International Arts Festival for Children will run from October 11 to October 20. It invites children of all ages to explore an exciting programme of theatre, exhibitions and workshops.
This year Baboró has created a diverse line-up of shows, exhibits and workshops tailored to cater for children with additional needs, including relaxed performances, touch tours and Irish Sign Language (ISL ) events for deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences, captioned events and audio-described performances.
This year participants will get a choice of more than 50 events performed by Irish and international acts. Acts from Italy, Sweden, The Netherlands, Scotland, Belgium and England will all be featured at the festival.
One of the acts will be Branar's Story of a Day/Scéal an Lae, featuring visual and oral storytelling along with live music. It will be held at the Town Hall Theatre, suitable for children over five.
Dance theatre is a big part the festival. Created by the acclaimed Akram Khan Company, Chotto Desh tells the story of a boy's journey between Britain and Bangladesh, blending both Kathak and contemporary dance.
The musical fable The Pale Baron tells the heart-warming story of friendship and resistance during a repressive regime. It will be held at the Black Box Theatre, suitable for children 10 and above.
Grown Ups will also be making an appearance at the festival. This is a horror comedy put together by Compagnie Barbarie in collaboration with BRONKS, it explores what adults really do while children are at school, and investigates whether they truly have everything under control.
Arts Alive, hosted at Outset Gallery, delves into the multifaceted identities of ten Galway artists with intellectual disabilities. The exhibition challenges societal stereotypes and amplifies the voices of these artists during a thirty-minute experience. The exhibition is accessible to all ages and abilities.
Fields of Tender will be suitable for children as young as three months. It will feature music, dancing and interactive visuals for both parents and babies. The performance will be 90 minutes long and allow participants to come and go as much as they like.
Baboró International Arts Festival for Children is Ireland’s flagship festival devoted exclusively to children and families. Baboró is funded by The Arts Council of Ireland and Galway City and County Councils. This year’s festival is supported by Irish Language Partner Cúla4; Literature partner, Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop and Sustainable Print Partner, iSupply.
Tickets from www.baboro.ie and www.tht.ie