Mmmm, what's that smell?Ohooo, what's moving over there?

And what's that sound behind us?

Is it a bird?

Does it have wings?

Shhh, someone's whispering... 

Is that a language?

Does it sound familiar?

Will you join us?

​​

The actors enter with a mobile installation. Together with the children, we built the playing area. A conversation begins with a few words in different languages. After a while, the conversation transforms into a game in which the actors play scenes that seem to come straight from the children's world. 

‘I have JOUA!’ says one.

‘And I have FOME!’ sings the other. 

‘Ahhh, hungerrrrr!!’ they dance. 

Their hunger is turned into a song cut, cooked, chewed, and sung. For about 20 minutes, the children are taken into a game that creates a sensory universe. Afterwards, they are invited to continue the BABBEL game together with the players and to create together.  

BABBEL: het Participatief Spel is a participatory play for young children (aged 2.5+) led by two actresses. It aims to stimulate language awareness through play, music, movement, and theatre. In the game with the mobile installation, children experience Dutch and other languages as a means of expression and as a connecting tool. Based on their experiences, they are invited to listen, move, and speak/sing. The project combines expertise from early childhood education, art education, music, improvisation, and physical theatre, and collaborates with four partners in different regions of Flanders. BABBEL promotes language enjoyment, expression, and self-confidence, contributing to inclusive cultural participation.