The youngest theatre project in Slovakia! A play for toddlers from 10 months to 3 years and their parents.
Since 1987, Theatre creatives all around Europe have been interested in various forms of Toddleriums, perfromances for the youngest children right from the age of 0. Shows for toddlers have become common in Italy, France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland and Scandinavian countries. The Puppet theatre at the Crossroads has been inspired by these advanced European tendencies and as the first theatre in Slovakia, we set up our own theatre project for toddlers and their parents called Batolárium (Toddlerium).
Theatre for toddlers is not only about the performance itself, but also about the dialogue with important people in toddler´s life – with parents. These people make those decisions of what kind of impulses their child receives. Parents and nurses are the ones that create a safe space for their child, from where it can discover the surrounding world, observe it and explore it.
Batolárium is an interactive play – it respects the restlessness of little children, it interacts with them and works with them. Children can move, touch, explore, slobber, fart, laugh or cry during the play. The play presents the world of theatre created by live music, sounds, voices, movements and touches. It offers children a realm of theatre in a safe, known, and comprehesible way.
Music: Tomáš Pohorelec as a guest
Stage and costume design: Františka Fehérová as a guest
Director Assistant: Marián Pecko
Director: Monika Kováčová as a guest
Cast: Ivana Kováčová/Anna Zemaníková
Photo: Andrea Kosárová, Dodo Šamaj
Our shows for toddlers were nominated for the Stano Radič’s Prize in the category Discovery of the year at the European Festival of humour and satire Kremnické Gags 2012! In 2015 they were awarded by Prize for creative initiative in field of Slovak puppetry Hašterica 2015.
Running time: 25 min. + playing at leisure
First appearance: 16. 10. 2011 and 23. 10. 2011