By Daniel O’Neill
The 29th annual Baboró International Arts Festival invites children and families of all ages to experience the joys of performance art.
Beginning on 10 October and running until 19 October, the beloved festival features a wide range of events and activities for children of any age or ability. With more than 15,000 attendees at last year’s celebrations, organisers are expecting another strong turnout this year.
The festival features all types of performances and workshops and includes events like theatre, music, dance and puppetry. Both national and international artists from across the world will perform at this year´s festival.
Additionally, Baboró works with children with special needs or socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds to help them express their creativity and show them that anything is possible through the arts.
Aislinn Ó hEocha, Executive Artistic Director said, “Baboró is about creating space for children to engage with big ideas, to laugh, to imagine and to see themselves reflected in extraordinary art. We believe every child deserves the chance to experience the arts in a way that inspires confidence, empathy and joy.”
Some of this year’s festival highlights
- Be Kind by Emilie Weisse Circustheater: a performance for youngsters aged 6-18 months. The show is described as a sensory performance of sound, colour and movement. The performance will be held daily at multiple times from 15 to 19 October.
- FEN by Orla Clogher: a must-see for older children looking for a thrilling theatre experience. Using both puppetry and shadow play, the heartwarming non-verbal story shows the audience the importance of taking care of our natural environments and their inhabitants. The show runs from 10 to 13 October.
- Matière(s) première(s) by the French dance group Compagnie par Terre: one of the favourite events for children over the age of 10. The performance is a display of African dance that combines urban dance moves with tribal dance and is sure to be a thrill for the whole family. Choreographed by Anne Nguyen, the event takes place 18 October at 2pm and 7pm respectively.
- An Slipéar Gloine by Fearghas Mac Lochlainn is perfect for those looking for a fun literature as Gaeilge. The Spiddal author will give a special reading of his Irish retelling of Cinderella with a twist. Children will also get the chance to ask questions and draw pictures. The storytelling will be held October 9 and October 10.
Baboró is dedicated to bringing the experience of the arts to all children. Through collaboration with schools and teachers, the festival gets to inspire creativity in children across the county.
Tickets for Baboró are on sale now. Visit www.baboro.ie for tickets and schedules of the events.