Galway Arts Centre is hosting First Impressions, a solo exhibition by Cork artist Jane Hayes as part of this year’s Baboró International Arts Festival for Children.

The festival opens this Friday, while First Impressions, which is especially for early-years audiences, will open in the city’s Arts Centre on 47 Dominick Street this Saturday at 1.30pm.

The visually rich and imaginative world created by Jane, a mother of three small boys, focuses on how young children encounter art:  physically, playfully and with deep curiosity.

Works on display will include sculptures scaled to toddler-height, photographic pieces and hand-tufted textiles as well as animation underscored by an evocative soundscape.

Also as part of Baboró, Be Kind, an intimate circus theatre experience for very young children will run at the Arts Centre’s Nuns’ Island theatre from October 15-19.

Billed as “a joyful introduction to the beauty of live performance”, this show from Weisse Circustheater incorporates sound, colour and movement as it allows children to experience the magic of acrobatics up close.

A performing duo will bring the audience through the rhythms of a day, from birdsong at dawn to juggling at dusk. Pop-up decor will slowly come to life as a dialogue develops between acrobats and audience, shaping the story and making each performance unique.

For further information on both these events, go to www.galwayartscentre.ie. And for information on all Baboró shows, go to www.baboro.ie.

Pictured: Be Kind at Nuns’ Island Theatre is an interactive show for very young children.