Children flock to the festival of fun
The promoters were highly satisfied with the turnout for the events...
Żigużajg, the first children’s festival in Valletta, has lured more children than the Pied Piper of Hamelin, figuratively speaking, of course.
Well over 4,500 students from 63 government, Church and private schools have already descended on the capital to enjoy the busy schedule of performances by Maltese and international companies. Even schoolchildren from Gozo crossed the channel to experience the event.
By tomorrow, over 100 live performances would have been held in various historical venues in Valletta. The venues include St James Cavalier, the Manoel Theatre, St George’s Square, the Mediterranean Conference Centre, MITP Theatre and the Museum of Fine Arts. The new studio theatre within the Manoel Theatre complex has also been used for the first time.
Inspired to promote the beauty of interaction between the performing arts and children, the festival kicked off on Monday and reaches its peak tomorrow, World Children’s Day.
“This is not a festival by children for children but it’s a first for Malta in that it is bringing together a group of experienced professional performers, both from the local arts circle and beyond, who are specialised in productions purposely for children up to 16 years of age. Through this festival, we want to encourage our young audience to relate to the performers in a way that helps them discover the joy instilled by interacting with the performing arts,” said artistic director Sarah Spiteri.
The promoters were highly satisfied with the turnout for the events, especially considering this was the first edition.
“We are in fact considering this festival a huge success. The response that we have been constantly getting from parents, teachers and, most importantly, the children was very positive. We have been receiving countless e-mails and comments commending the experience and the level of performances and how this festival has filled a much needed gap since, for the first time, there was a festival specifically targeted for children.”
Events today and tomorrow run non-stop from 9 a.m. through to 7 p.m.
Entrance to all performances is free of charge, however, schools, families and the public wishing to attend are required to book via the festival’s website at www.ziguzajg.org.