The 28th Baboró International Arts Festival for Children is up and running in Galway.
There are over 50 events featuring some of the best creative talents from Ireland and across Europe with a number of workshops for children with additional needs. The festival runs until next Sunday.
Pupils from Ballinderreen National School in south Galway were hugely entertained when they attended a madcap musical in An Taibhdhearc.
BullyBully is performed by a Dutch theatre group which looks at the similarities between toddlers and two powerful world leaders! This is a madcap musical featuring funny quarrels, songs and a bit of bickering but eventually they meet in the middle and there's a happy ending.
Staying with adults, over at the Black Box Theatre a company from Belgium is staging Grown-Ups. This horror comedy delights in the absurd and looks at the ups and downs of being a grown-up! The five women theatre collective delve into the chaotic and often humorous lives of adults. This performance questions what adults really do while children are at school and explores whether they truly have everything under control.
Aislinn Ó hEocha is Artistic Director of Baboró.
She said: "We've got a lot of inclusive events this year, so we've got Irish sign language interpreters and audio described events with touch tours. And we really want to welcome everybody into the festival so that there's something for everyone, so that all of the children really are met at their level.
Aislinn points to the Scottish dance theatre performance 'The Unexpected Gift' as an example of a soothing, multi-sensory experience tailored for children with additional needs.
"I have been to this show where there were five audience members and three dancers, and it was a really beautiful experience because each of the children were met on their own levels. So that's what we're trying to offer at this year's festival."
The artistic director encourages families to spend time together by attending these cultural activities.
"It's just a wonderful way to spend time with your family, to take in the arts and spend that kind of time together. All of us are running around so busy, between work and school. So, it's a lovely just to experience these events and have a bit of a chat over a hot chocolate afterwards and see what everybody thinks."
Nearby at the Galway Arts Centre, a bold and bright installation of tapestry, embroidery crochet and machine knits.
Little Monsters explores success and failure, as well as the need for approval and love in an increasingly digital world.
Artist Laura Angell invites children into a world of symbols, omens and lucky charms that she calls upon to quell the anxieties of a world that become like "Little Monsters" roaming inside our heads.
The exhibition also features stitching workshops by Galway children, and they get a chance to work on their creative emoji skills!
Arts Alive is a free exhibition of multimedia work at the Cornstore Mall. It explores the multifaceted identities of ten Galway artists with intellectual disabilities. Artist Jane Cassidy was part of the collaboration.
"People with intellectual disabilities are often marginalised in society, they can go unseen and their voices unheard. Identity aims to challenge preconceived notions of people with intellectual disabilities, dismantle stereotypes and reshape the way the world sees them by showcasing their perspectives and lives, while amplifying their voices."
There's also a Swedish performance specially for babies and toddlers! Fields of Tender runs at the O'Donoghue Theatre, University of Galway and is a blend of dance, music and interactive visuals "creating a sensory experience like no other".
The artists say this is a performance for each individual to savour on their own terms! All kinds of behaviours are welcomed, and parents and their offspring can arrive late, leave early or come and go as they please!
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