Festival: Accessible Events at Baboró International Arts Festival for Children
11 - 20 Oct 2024 (Past)
Baboró invites children to explore an exciting programme brimming full of shows, exhibitions and workshops for all ages and abilities.
The annual Baboró International Arts Festival for Children will present a vibrant array of events designed to inspire and entertain all children and families. This year, Baboró reaffirms its commitment to accessibility and inclusion with a diverse lineup of shows, exhibits and workshops, including relaxed performances, Irish Sign Language events, captioned events, audio-described performances, and touch tours.
Accessible events include;
Identity 11 October to 20 October
Arts Alive Galway’s Identity Exhibition, hosted at Outset Gallery, is a multimedia exhibition delves into the multifaceted identities of ten Galway artists with intellectual disabilities. The exhibition challenges societal stereotypes and amplifies the voices of these artists, offering visitors a moving and thought-provoking thirty-minute experience. The exhibition is accessible to all ages and abilities.
Let Our Imaginations Take Flight… 11 October to 20 October
Enter an open-ended art and crafting space where you are invited to add your art to a series of collaborative installations, co-created by children from across Galway. You will make your unique mark on these large scale artworks that will grow over the course of the festival. The installations, built using eco-friendly materials and based on themes of birds, flight and migration, will transform the space over time, culminating in a temporary exhibition. Families will work in small groups of children with their parent/guardian and schools will work collaboratively within their class group.
The Gift 12 to 13 October
A mountain of discarded wrapping. A lonely child with an active imagination. It’s often the cardboard boxes, not the gifts inside, that provide the most fun. Is the true gift the joy that can come from the imagination? This story reverses the idea that it is the wrapping paper, cardboard boxes and ribbons that should be discarded and reveals that playfulness, creativity and imagination are the best gifts. The Gift celebrates the art of play, taking ordinary objects and making them extraordinary and magical.
Grace ISL Interpreted Performances 13 October at 3pm and 14 October at 9.45am
Grace, written by Jody O’Neill, tells the story of a girl who has a relationship with her father where no words are needed. In fact, Grace doesn’t use words to speak at all. When her father dies suddenly, Grace needs to find a new way to communicate. This exciting new production explores the universal themes of grief and communication as Grace and her father invite you into the multisensory landscape of Grace’s world. All performances include integrated captions and audio description.
Feel the Beat 13 October
A community music workshop specifically for children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. This workshop aims to provide a space for children to explore and feel various rhythms. The children will have the opportunity to compose a rhythmic piece together. The approach will rely on visual observation and experiencing the rhythm within the body, rather than on hearing alone. The workshop speed will be gentle and, if needed, slow, focusing on childrens’ experiences in feeling the rhythms and having a good time.
Chotto Desh ISL Interpreted Performance 15 October at 7pm
An enchanting dance theatre experience that tells the story of a boy’s journey between Britain and Bangladesh. Created by the acclaimed Akram Khan Company, this performance blends Kathak and contemporary dance with stunning visuals and a captivating narrative. Celebrating the resilience of the human spirit, Chotto Desh is a poignant and visually striking production.
The Importance of Inclusive Work ISL Interpreted Event 15 October
Funding, researching, making, presenting and touring work with and for additional needs audiences can be challenging but also extremely rewarding. This playful, interactive session, led by experts in the field, will emphasise the importance of this work and unravel learnings garnered by experienced makers from across Europe. Co-facilitation by artists in receipt of Baboró and Rosán Sensory Adventures’ Breaking Ground Bursary. Baboró has commissioned local artist Phillida Eves of Rosán Sensory Adventures, to create a new show especially for school children with complex needs. Antarctica! brings a small audience on an immersive sensory expedition overcoming unknown perils, where ultimately teamwork and comradery win out. The company will be in residence in St. Joseph’s Special School in Newcastle.
Fields of Tender 17 October to 19 October
Fields of Tender caters to all senses and embraces every individual, inviting you to savour the performance on your own terms. It provides a variety of experiences for all types of perceptions and it welcomes all kinds of behaviours. With the freedom to come and go as you please, join us and let your imagination soar amidst the beauty of Fields of Tender. This is a durational performance. Arrive late, leave early or come and go as you please during the 90 minute performance.
Sensory Storytime Audio Described Event 19 October
A unique multi-sensory story time session where you’ll get to fully immerse yourself in the experience. These multi-sensory sessions are a way of telling a story utilising the five senses – sight, taste, smell, touch and hearing. The ChildVision team will use the five senses to present an inclusive sensory storytime specially designed for children who are blind or have a visual impairment that is open to all children and their families so they can experience this fun and unique way of fully immersed in a story. Stop by ChildVision Ireland’s interactive display in The Cornstore Mall outside Charlie Byrne’s Bookshop to learn about braille and how students with visual impairments learn using specialised school books.
Little Monsters Audio Described Performance and Touch Tour 20 October at 11am
Using a range of techniques including tapestry, embroidery, crochet and manipulated machine knitting, Laura Angell invites us into a world of symbols, omens and lucky charms that she calls on to quell the anxieties of this world that can become like Little Monsters roaming inside our heads. For information about the touch tour available, please email outreach@baboro.ie
Tickets are available from baboro.ie and the Town Hall Theatre, for more information on access visit baboro.ie/plan-your-festival/accessibility
Baboró is funded by The Arts Council of Ireland and Galway City and County Councils. This year’s festival is supported by Irish Language Partner, Cúla4, Literature Partner, Charlie Byrne’s Bookshops and Sustainable Print Partner, iSupply. Baboró is grateful to the ongoing support of the businesses and venues of Galway.
Upcoming Events

18 Jan - 15 Mar 2025
Visual Art: Heart Tracing by Paul Roy at the Esker Arts Centre