Life has been full of fun and games for Baboró’s Lali

Lifestyle –  Judy Murphy meets Lali Morris who is moving on after 14 years charting course of children’s festival

Leaving Baboró International Children’s Arts Festival in safe hands was a priority for Lali Morris as she stepped down as Artistic Director earlier this year after 14 years in the role.

American-born Lali, who has just finished an MA dissertation on – “what else” – arts and education, is happy that Aislinn Ó hEocha is the woman to take on the task.

Aislinn, who formally became Baboró’s Artistic Director in April, has worked closely with the outgoing AD since then. Both women had a role in the programming of this year’s Festival, which runs from October 12-18 and had its programme launch this week.

While Lali selected most of the shows – out of necessity she explains, as touring companies work 12-16 months ahead – Baboró’s workshops and family events are Aislinn’s babies. And there’s plenty on both fronts, with shows for young people, from babies to teenagers, being presented by international and Irish companies, while a range of workshops are geared at unleashing the creative juices of children, parents and teachers.

The Happy Heart Zone, which will run for the duration of Baboró in Galway City Centre, is just such a workshop. This bright, tactile space sees Baboró team up with Dublin-based arts group Recreate to fashion a ‘Warehouse of Wonders’ in which children – and parents, grandparents or other family members – can embrace their creativity,

“Recreate is an organisation based in Tallaght, which gets end-of-line stock from manufacturing companies; everything from computers to medical devices to material from Ikea,” explains Aislinn. These goods are stocked in a building known as the ‘Warehouse of Wonders, which is a resource for teachers, drama groups and artists.

In return for a small annual fee, they can load up cars with items they need to create a set for a play, or to build a robot for school projects. The eclectic mix of stuff in the warehouse allows people to go as far as their imagination will take them.

Artists Deirdre Rogers and Orla Kelly work with Recreate, and Aislinn approached them to co-present the Happy Heart Zone with Baboró.

She had seen them in action at Kilkenny Arts Festival, when her six-year-old son created a jetpack in 10 minutes out of medical tubing and cones, while his younger sister focused on the painting area, which is soft and tactile, explains Aislinn. Both were totally absorbed, she says.

Several container loads of material will be brought from Tallaght over the space of the week, and will be available to be re-fashioned into other items, which people can then bring home with them.

The Happy Heart Zone, which is based in the Galway City of Culture 2020 HQ at the Cornstore Centre, is not a drop-off for parents, stresses Aislinn. The emphasis is on allowing children and parents time together to let their imaginations loose.

Nor is it just for families. Schools who have booked to attend several theatre shows as part of Baboró’s ‘Make a Day of It’ scheme will also have time here.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.