The 14th Baboró International Arts Festival for Children starts on Monday and continues until Sunday with an array of dance, percussion, theatre, clowning, puppetry, music, literature, and visual art shows for all the family to enjoy.
Galway children can look forward to The Very Hungry Caterpillar, The Gingerbread Man, Gugalaí Gug! - Beo, and The Secret Garden come to life on the stage, and they can also get dancing at the phenomenon known as the Silent Disco.
This year’s festival is Baboró’s largest to date. Highlights include lL Cubo Magico by Pandemonium Teatro where two Italian clowns create an hysterically funny world full of horses, castles, and beautiful women from a stage full of multicoloured cubes.
Catherine Wheels Theatre from Scotland presents the breathtakingly beautiful White, the 2010 winner of the Edinburgh Fringe First and Total Theatre Awards.
Ciotóg presents See Saw, a dance show for early years to explore dance in their own way (to be performed in Galway city and Seanscoil Sailearna, Indreabhán ). Gugalaí Gug! – Beo by Futa Fata brings together three generations of Conamara voice in Irish music, song, poetry, and dance. As a special treat Baboró presents the first Róisín Beag Silent Disco for young people.
Puppetry features in The Very Hungry Caterpillar and other Favourites by Eric Carle from Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia, when Carle’s beloved stories are presented in this stunning blacklight puppet production.
Puppeteer Miriam Lambert brings The Gingerbread Man to life in her own unique way in the Druid Lane Theatre and Kinvara Community Centre. Barnstorm Theatre presents Jack, a quirky take on Jack and The Beanstalk in a visually exciting high energy performance served up with music, dance, singing and puppetry.
Echoa by Arcosm will see a charismatic group of dancers and drummers create an electrifying performance of exhilarating dance and percussion that enchants children and adults alike. Teatro Paraiso presents Kri Kra Kro, in two friends on a fantastic journey without ever leaving the stage. Galway company Moonfish Theatre presents The Secret Garden based on the classic children’s book by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Family art exhibitions include Inscape by Christine Mackey, Ann Quinn, Julie Merriman, and Marielle MacLeman in the Galway Arts Centre; Enchanted celebrates illustrations from children’s books by illustrators Annie West, Adrienne Geoghegan, Bruce Ingman, Niamh Sharkey, and Oisín McGann in the Galway City Museum.
Literary readings will feature Frogs Do Not Like Dragons by Patricia Forde and David Donohue reading from his two books (see this week’s Proust Questionnaire ).
Spud and Yam return to Baboró to perform a multicultural mix of lively music and stories in selected schools in the county.
The Galway One World Centre will present a global education workshop for primary teachers to explore practical, simple, and creative tools for prompting children to explore global justice issues. The Puppet in the Classroom by Miriam Lambert explores creative techniques and uses of puppetry in the classroom for teachers and trainee teachers.
The Spotlight On... series continues with this year’s focus being on Germany. Baboró will host shows by Theater Mummpitz and Helios Theater of Hamm.
The Arts for Early Years forum will explore the growing interest worldwide in the arts for 0 to six year olds. It takes place in the Town Hall Studio on Friday October 15.
The festival box office is open at the Town Hall Theatre (091 - 569777, www.tht.ie ) and from www.baboro.ie Tickets cost €8; a family ticket for four costs €25; groups of 10+ are €6.50 per ticket; and forum and teacher workshop tickets are €10.
