by Eibhlín de Barra
I’m Eibhlín, the Director at YAA and I also programme the Belfast Children’s Festival, which means I get to chose which shows are included in the festival’s programme.
And yes, it’s a fab job!
I’m often asked what I look for when selecting a show for the festival. First and foremost, the show has to be good. Really, really good. How do I know when a show is really, really good? Well, it’s a feeling you get while you’re watching it – you laugh A LOT, or cry A LOT! You start sitting more forward in your seat, you find you’re holding your breath, the hair on the nape of your neck stands up. You just know.
But a bunch of good shows isn’t enough. It’s also all about making sure there is a balance across the festival programme, so there’s something for everyone. So, there’s no point having 5 fantastic shows for babies and toddlers but nothing for anyone else! So I make sure I choose shows that cover every age range, from babies to teenagers. A good balance of genres – theatre, dance, music, and everything in between. Shows that are international, but also shows that are created right here in Northern Ireland. Shows that will fit into and work well in the festival’s many different venues. Shows specially created for young people with disabilities and/or additional needs. Shows that address really pertinent themes and will resonant with young people, even if that subject matter is challenging. And shows that you simply won’t see in Northern Ireland at any other time of year. Shows that will blow your mind!
And where do I get these shows from? I travel all across the world to find them. In the past couple of months I have travelled to Denmark, Berlin, Galway, Warsaw, and the Netherlands, and will shortly be heading to Catalonia. But I have to be very strategic in those choices, as our budgets are really tight and have to stretch a long way. Sometimes I get support for travel or accommodation, and that really helps and is very much appreciated. For example my recent trip to Poland was supported by the Adam Mickiewicz Institute, the trip to the Netherlands by Performing Arts NL. The travel can sound a bit ‘glamourous’ but it isn’t particularly – one dark auditorium looks much like the next, and you rarely get any free time to explore the city you’re visiting. And you see A LOT of shows, I think the most I did in one day was ten! And, how can I put this nicely? they’re not all good…. And often the shows aren’t performed in the English language. But one of the real plus sides is that I also get to meet some really fabulous people, and very talented and inspiring artists. That’s the real joy, to exchange ideas with them, and explore what opportunities and challenges they face, and how they are similar/difference to those we experience in Northern Ireland, to learn from them.
And when I do find that very special show, well it’s just magical, and I can’t wait to bring it to Belfast for our local children, young people and families to enjoy. (And of course start looking at all the complex logistics of getting that show to/from Belfast – travel, transportation, freight, accommodation, customs documentation, visas, per diems, technical specifications…..).
But it’s when I hear the laughter of our young people in the theatre, their shrieks of joy, their gasps of surprise, and see their wide smiles – that’s the very best part of the job!
