GOTHIC THEATRE, Celtic “rathskallions”, silent disco dancing and a stand-up comedy gig for families are among highlights of this year’s Baboró International Arts Festival for children which runs in Galway next month.
There will be a strong focus on bilingual puppetry and theatre at this year’s event, which involves more than 16 productions and over 80 performances in English and Erse.
Festival director Lali Morris has described it as the “biggest programme of Irish work for families ever presented” here, while there will also be international participation with artists from Scotland, England, Italy, Germany and Canada.
Audiences of ages two and up will be able to select from theatre, music, aerial dance, puppetry, comedy, literature readings, poetry encounters, visual art exhibitions and a “host” of workshops, she said yesterday .
Among the productions booked are an account of Jason and the Argonauts by Visible Fictions and Fidget Feet dance company’s Red Riding Hood depiction, entitled Catch Me!
Graffiti Classics, the musical quartet which has been a regular hit at previous Baboró festivals, returns, while Scottish artist Shona Reppe will tell a tale of a potato needing a bath.
Other groups booked include Branar Téatar Do Pháistí, Púca Puppets; Fíbín Teo; and miniature puppetry and storytelling by Graffiti Theatre.
Italian dance and visual art company Teatrimperfetti will participate, as will Germany’s Helio Theatre with an Irish premiere of its science show for toddlers, entitled H20.
Canadian duo Celtic Rathskallions will play a range of instruments, tell stories and step dance, while Donegal Youth Orchestra and Choir will perform an adaptation of an Oscar Wilde story narrated by Little John Nee.
Baboró is also introducing its “first ever” stand-up comedy gig for families with Steve Hartley, while free literature events will include mother and daughter Polly and Joyce Dunbar.
Galway poet, dramatist and songwriter Pete Mullineaux will encourage families and schools to write their own poem that will “tip the balance” towards fairness and equality.
The power of the science and the arts will be explored in an exhibition entitled Beast! Phase 2.
The Beast! project partners include the Martin Ryan Institute at NUI Galway and Dublin City of Science 2012.
Baboró runs from October 15th- 21st. See baboro.ie
