Calling diverse creatives from across Ireland to discover the professional realm of arts for young people.
Baboró invites you to apply to our 3-day paid mentorship programme during the Baboró festival in Galway, from 15 - 17 October. This initiative aims to encourage both emerging and established artists who are interested in making work for children to experience Baboró International Arts Festival for Children in an immersive and rewarding way. Over the 3 days, the small group of mentees will:
- Experience a curated programme of festival shows and industry events, witnessing high quality international work for young audiences, engaging in discussions and networking opportunities with Irish and international industry professionals;
- Be guided by seasoned mentors Phil Kingston (Community and Education Manager, Abbey Theatre) and Maria Fleming (CEO, First Fortnight);
- Be paid €700 (Note: travel and accommodation not included).
The objective is that artists and creatives from varied, diverse backgrounds and identities will be inspired to make work for babies, children and young people in Ireland, having been exposed to world-class Irish and international work. This vibrant sector is multidisciplinary and collaborative by nature and we encourage participants to connect with visiting artists and programmers, develop their Irish and worldwide relationships with a view towards possible future collaborations. You never can tell what might come from a brief chat!
Our young audiences in Ireland are diverse and they deserve to experience art that represents them, created by artists to whom they can relate. As such, we strongly encourage artists from currently underrepresented backgrounds to apply to this opportunity.
For this opportunity, we welcome applications from individuals who meet the following eligibility criteria:
- Are artists or creatives with at least one year’s professional experience, not necessarily in making work for young audiences. This includes, but is not limited to, writers, actors, dancers, directors, producers, choreographers and designers (Note: there is a particular focus on performance for this opportunity);
- Demonstrate passion and/or strong curiosity for creating work for children and young people;
- Are based on the island of Ireland;
- Can commit to attending the full programme each day from the 15 - 17 October in person in Galway;
- Are over 18 years of age and not a full-time student.
A total of four applicants will be selected for this opportunity.
The programme takes place from Thursday 15 to Saturday 17 October 2026. A detailed schedule will be shared with successful applicants in advance of the festival. Participants will be invited to complete a brief evaluation form after the festival.
We’d love to hear from you—to apply please submit a brief CV (max 3 pages) and completed application form, available here. Should you prefer, you may submit your application form as an audio recording or short film (3-5 min). If submitting in this way, please make sure you respond to all questions in the application form.
We also invite you to fill out this quick and optional form to help us better understand the communities of artists that we are reaching.
Please send your document or recording to rachel@baboro.ie including ‘Baboró Festival Mentoring 2026 Application’ in the subject line.
Should you need any assistance in creating your application or have any questions about this opportunity, feel free to contact Rachel at rachel@baboro.ie.
Closing date for applications is end of day Wednesday, 6 May by midnight (Irish Time). If, at any point before the deadline, you would like to withdraw your application, simply send us an email.
We will respond to all applicants by Tuesday, 30 June, end of day.
We recognise that life comes with challenges and needs are different for everyone. We want to minimise barriers you may face in applying for, or participating in, this opportunity. We can offer limited access supports and want to work with you to ensure this opportunity is attainable. Access supports can include, but are not limited to, additional funds for child care, a companion or accessibility costs such as taxis. We are happy to chat about any additional support you may require and will try our best to accommodate you. Please contact Rachel at rachel@baboro.ie or call our office at 091 562 667 should you have a particular query.
Aithnímid go dtagann dúshláin leis an saol agus go mbíonn riachtanais éagsúla ag gach duine. Cuirimid roinnt tacaíochtaí rochtana ar fáil, ag brath ar acmhainní teoranta, agus ba mhaith linn oibriú leat lena chinntiú go féidir leat tabhairt faoin deis seo. Is féidir cistí breise le haghaidhcúram leanaí nó compánach nó costais inrochtaineachta ar nós tacsaithe a áireamh, ach níl siad teoranta dóibh sin amháin. Beidh muid sásta labhairt leat faoi aon tacaíocht bhreise a d’fhéadfadh a bheith uait agus déanfaimid ár ndícheall freastal ar na riachtanais seo. Déan teagmháil le Rachel ag rachel@baboro.ie nó cuir glaoch ar an oifig ar 091 562 667 má tá ceist ar leith agat.
Information Session
If you would like to know more about this opportunity or the application process, please join us at our online info session on Zoom on Thursday, 16 April at 16:00 (Irish Time).
You can RSVP here and will receive the link the morning of the session.
Key Dates to Remember
- Applications Open - 1 April
- Information Session - 16 April, 16:00
- Applications Close - 6 May, 23:59
- All participants will be notified by 30 June, end of day
Frequently Asked Questions
While Festival Mentoring is open to creatives from multiple artforms, and the schedule of events will include visual art exhibitions and multidisciplinary events, the programme is most valuable for those working in or curious about the performance for young audiences sector. Both mentors work in theatre, and therefore offer their expertise in this field. Similarly, most of the events you will attend will be performances, and it is highly likely that the schedule will include a practical workshop.
If you are interested in applying but are not in performance, make sure to emphasise in your application why a performance-focused programme would still be valuable to you.
Past mentees have included:
- Playwrights
- Directors
- Actors
- Dancers
- Circus performers
- Multidisciplinary artists
- Devisors
- Designers - including LX, sound, set, etc.
- Choreographers
- Facilitators
Successful applicants must fulfil all eligibility criteria. We will be looking for you to demonstrate passion and interest in creating work for young audiences, and ambition to pursue a future in the sector, but you do not need to have an idea for a project to apply. We want to encourage curiosity and collaboration and facilitate new relationships. We will seek applicants who want to be part of a community and engage critically with the work they experience throughout the three-day programme.
The selection process will begin with all applications being reviewed by Baboró team members, who will create a shortlist to be reviewed further by both mentors and an external artist.
Festival Mentoring is the longest-running offering within Baboró’s GROW Programme — a suite of artist development schemes and supports. As a successful participant in Festival Mentoring, you will become a member of the GROW community and will be:
- Welcomed into a community of artists—all at various stages of their careers, based in Ireland and creating work for young audiences;
- Invited to join the monthly Baboró Artist newsletter to learn about upcoming events and opportunities;
- Eligible to be featured in an Artist Spotlight in the Artist Newsletter one month;
- Notified of ongoing opportunities, including Seasonal Artist Gatherings and special alumni events during and outside of the festival, as part of the GROW community.
