This year’s Baboró International Arts Festival for Children celebrates its18th birthday and runs from October 11 – 19. For the next few weeks we will hear from Baboró enthusiasts about why they are proud to be Baboró ambassadors. This week, Aoibheann McNamara…
One of my favourite Baboró memories is...
I will never forget my first Baboró show in Nuns Island Theatre with my son, Oni, who was only maybe two. The dark room lit in the front with golden light and little cushions for everyone to settle in and be up close. I can’t remember the specific show but I will always remember the feeling of it all. The bewildered awe of the children, the wide eyes and the stunning aesthetic, and the gentle sensibility of the production was something that would last a long time. I was transfixed but I am sure the imagination of those children was set alight and that the memories would stay with them for a long time and create the foundation for their creativity.
I think Baboró is an important festival for Galway because...
Lali Morris is an inspired director whose understanding and commitment to the development of the child is paramount. The international acts who travel here, and who collaborate with Irish production companies, create magical memories for both children and adults. In a world where computer screens are the enemy of young children, this is a chance at something authentic. Baboró is my favourite Galway festival and I am very proud to be a sponsor of this unique event.
I’m really looking forward to this year’s Baboró Festival because…
There are so many wonderful events. The highlight I think will be Amococo, a huge sculptural construction by the Spanish Arch which everyone can enter. You will enter a whole other world of light, colour, and exploration. The Dutch production Flying Cow looks beautiful and explores how children play together. I am a huge fan of anything by Oliver Jeffers and so the play, The Way Back Home, should be filled with his wonderful visual character.
Baboró is a fantastic event unique to the west of Ireland. I would encourage any parent to bring their children to even just one event whether it be art, theatre or music, and watch their little faces change with delight and their hearts fill with joy. Baboró, for many children, is the beginning of their relationship and appreciation of culture; a relationship that will continue to grow and enhance their lives for many years to come. Nothing is more important than that and no festival so significant for our children’s future.
Aoibheann McNamara is proprietor of Ard Bia at Nimmos and has a six-year old son, Oni. She is a Business Patron of Baboró and is hosting an exhibition by artist, Kamila Slocinska, in Ard Bia throughout the festival. See baboro.ie
