Arts and books give kids a pair of festivals

The Baboro International Arts Festival for Children takes place in Galway this week, the inaugural festival of the new director, Emer McGowan.

Founded in 1997, Baboro is Ireland's leading arts festival devoted exclusively to children, presenting events in venues and schools all over Galway city and county. This year's programme features performers from France, Germany, the US, Belgium, Britain, Peru and Ireland, incorporating theatre, music, dance, exhibitions and workshops.

Among the many highlights are Teatro Hugo & Ines from Peru, who use props and body parts, blending the arts of mime and puppetry, to create a picturesque world. Their Short Stories is at An Taibhdhearc this weekend. European theatre is also well represented by the masters of marionettes from Germany, Puppentheater der Stadt Halle, with Can You Whistle Johanna?, which tells the story of the humour and friendship shared by an adopted grandfather and a little boy (Town Hall Studio, this Thursday through Sunday.)

Baboro is also collaborating with the National Museum of Ireland for the first time with a series of workshops called "If Things Could Talk . . .", using artefacts from the museum's collection as a starting point for observation and discussion with storytelling and drawing sessions.

The festival's travel subsidy scheme has been extended this year, making it easier for schoolchildren to visit festival events. For full programme information and booking contact Baboro box office, Black Box Theatre, Dyke Road, Galway (tel: (091) 566 577/8).

It's also Children's Book Festival time again. The annual two-week celebration of children's reading gets off to a lively start in the Hugh Lane Municipal Gallery in Parnell Square, Dublin, today, with authors, illustrators and book characters all in attendance.

Funded by Children's Books Ireland, the National Reading Initiative, the Arts Council and the Youth Library Group, the festival is about discovering the joy of reading. This year, Children's Books Ireland will publish Book Fest, a reading guide to children's books for every age category. Over the two weeks writers will visit schools, there will be readings in libraries and bookshops and activities ranging from puppet shows to poetry workshops to African culture and treasure hunts will take place.

Primary school packs, which include copies of Book Fest, are available. For further information, and to find out what exactly is happening regionally, telephone (01) 872 5854 or contact Children's Books Ireland at 19 Parnell Square, Dublin 1.