Artists from nine different countries will bring their touch to this year’s Barboró International Arts Festival for Children across 51 different events next month in Galway.
With thetre, dance, films, and exhibitions, as well as different talks and workshops, Barboró gives children the opportunity to see the transformative power of the arts in an experience designed for them.
The full programme for the 2018 festival was announced by Barboró this week.
Two shows from Galway companies will lead the way with Brú Theatre presenting Cleite, the story of an old woman waiting for her husband to come back from the sea, with live musical numbers as Gaeilge.
As well as featuring in the main festival, Cleite will be making the trip out to Ros Muc where it will be performed at Teach an Phiarsaigh.
While Branar Téatar do Pháistí is putting on their show How to Catch a Star based on the award winning book by Irish author Oliver Jeffers.
Other Irish works include Half Light from the Dublin company Bombinate Theare, combining storytelling, comedy and live music in a tender tale about finding light in dark times.
Commenting on the programme Artistic Director at Barboró Aislinn Ó hEocha said, “At Baboró we passionately believe the arts enhance children’s experience of life and expands their worldview. We’re delighted to share our 2018 programme with children, families and schools.”
“For seven days in October, artists from Ireland and all over the world will bring creativity and colour into the lives of children and their families.”
The international programme includes Sky, a lyrical piece of dance theatre from Teater Minsk, Denmark while The Young King, from Slingsby Theatre, Australia, tells the story of a boy raised by goatherds in a beautiful piece of immersive theatre with the tender language of Oscar Wilde.
Other international work includes Black Beauty from Red Bridge Arts & Traverse Theatre, Scotland, a vibrant retelling of an old classic; Narrow from Laika, Belgium is a love story about one couple’s quest for domestic bliss; and see the tale of Dracula, just not as you know it, in Nosferatu from Bob Theatre in France.
And there’s many more shows from companies coming from all corners of the world.
This year, kids can get there creative juices flowing while spending time with their parents in the Creative Connections strand of events.
Multiple events featuring design and engineering, drawing, and curating their own gallery in an explosion of colour, offer kids and adults the chance to spend quality time together.
Creative Connections is sponsored by Medtronic. Ronan Rogers, New Product Development Director and STEM lead at Medtronic, said they’re delighted to be working with Barboró.
“We have a long standing partnership with Baboró which is collaborative in approach with our employees engaging in volunteering and aligned with Medtronic’s partnership with Baboró, which strives to foster children’s creative and innovative minds.”
The children’s festival will also see TG4 launch Ár Scéal, a new animated series from Fíbín Media.
In literature Peter Donnelly will engage children with a lively mixture of storytelling and live drawing based on his latest book The President’s Cat and.
While Sadhbh Devlin and Tarsila Krüse invite school children to present their own compositions at a bilingual creative writing workshop, Bí ag Spraoi Liom.
Barboró is teaming up with the Palas Cinema for its movie programme that includes four films with Relaxed Performances, that aim to provide a calm and supportive atmosphere for children with additional needs.
There’s also a wide range of creative workshops being held, for children and older people.
The 2018 Barboró Children’s festival will take place from October 15 – 21 at venues around the city.
For a look at the full list of events or to book tickets, go to https://www.baboro.ie/festival.
