There’s a story here
Panel discussion
February 20, 2026
@ The Civic, Tallaght
11 am to 12.30 pm
Free
Booking required
Language Explorers Early Years is Mother Tongues’ year-round creative programme for multilingual families. Through carefully designed, arts-based workshops, children, families and artists share languages and stories through artistic expression, creating spaces of connection and belonging.
There’s a story here brings together artists, parents and children from the Language Explorers community, with arts educators to reflect on how multilingual creative practices support inclusion, cultural understanding and foster a sense of belonging from the earliest years.
This live discussion will be a welcoming and relaxed space for families to share their lived experiences of Language Explorers over the past three years. It will also include moments of shared creative activity, facilitated by Angelica Santander, inviting children and adults to take part together and experience the Language Explorers approach in action in a playful and inclusive way.
This event is for all parents, artists and arts educators interested in multilingualism, creativity and community in an increasingly linguistically and culturally diverse Ireland.
The panel is curated and facilitated by Fernanda Ferrari, Director of Mother Tongues.
Meet the speakers and the artists
Fernanda Ferrari
Fernanda Ferrari is an award-winning visual storyteller, performer, puppeteer, and filmmaker with over 25 years of experience. She holds a Bachelor’s in Art Performance from UNICAMP, Brazil, and has led cultural projects across Brazil, France, and the UK, using the arts to foster inclusion, well-being, and climate awareness. In Ireland, she has received awards from the Arts Council Ireland, South Dublin County Council, and The Civic Theatre to create innovative works for young audiences. Since 2021, she has collaborated with Mother Tongues and now, as Director, continues to champion diversity, creativity, and social transformation through the arts.
Agnieszka Pędrak
Dr Agnieszka (Aga) Pedrak is a lecturer in language development and language studies at the Froebel Department of Primary and Early Childhood Education, Maynooth University, Ireland. With nearly 10 years of experience as a teacher and a PhD in Applied Linguistics from Trinity College Dublin, she specialises in childhood bilingualism, heritage/home language maintenance in the context of migration, and language inclusive education. Aga is a mother of three, happily raising her children bilingually, as she believes languages are the keys to who we are.
Kata Varnyu
Kata Varnyu is a Hungarian actress, theatre maker, and drama facilitator based in Dublin. She is the founder of the Hungarian Irish Theatre, an initiative that brings together artists from diverse backgrounds to create culturally rich and entertaining theatre productions for both young and adult audiences. Kata has several years of experience working with children as an art and drama facilitator. She strongly believes in the positive impact of theatre and the arts, and is committed to making them accessible to all children and young people. She is passionate about promoting multilingualism, multiculturalism, equality, and diversity.
In 2023, she completed the Language Explorers facilitation training with Mother Tongues and has since facilitated multiple family workshops in Dublin. She also holds a QQI Level 8 Certificate in the Principles of Art Therapy and has completed the Drama Facilitation course with Youth Theatre Ireland.
Angélica Santander
Angélica Santander is a Clown, director and drama/circus facilitator originally from Chile, based in Dublin since 2002. She holds a FETAC Technical Theatre course from Inchicore College and a master’s degree in Theatre Studies from St Patrick’s College.
Angélica’s artistic work combines theatrical, circus and clowning elements; she strives to create original work that exposes and questions the essence of our humanity in a genuine and compassionate way. Her work explores themes that are relevant to our times, creating challenging and inspiring performances that will fascinate audiences of all ages. Her latest work includes the clown walkabout “Dancing in the Streets”, selected for NEST 2020, an initiative from ISACS and Spraoi Festival and also as the pirate Queen Maeve in “Trick or Treat Theatre” as part of Spleodar Halloween Arts Festival 2020, organised by the Nenagh Arts Centre. Santander is also the Head Tutor with Dublin Circus Project.
The Mother Tongues Festival is supported by
