With 5,000 tickets snapped up within the first 48 hours of booking, ŻiguŻajg is certainly doing something right. Jo Caruana chats to the team behind it to discover what this year’s festival has in store for audiences of all ages.

Aleateia theatre group will be producing Għajn-Eye-Three.Aleateia theatre group will be producing Għajn-Eye-Three.

Colourful pop-up venues in unusual places, magical characters on the streets and enthralling stories being told in all sorts of ways across the city… This is the reputation that the ŻiguŻajg Children’s International Arts Festival has built up over the past couple of years, and already young families and culture lovers are clambering for a piece of this year’s event.

“Statistics may reveal the impact of the festival so far, but there’s no data that captures the pride of parents marking their toddlers’ first visit to the theatre with photographs and videos,” says Toni Attard, the festival’s director, adding that a sign language service is being offered for selected performances. Other supporting measures are being developed for children with learning disabilities.

“We leave no stone unturned in our search for the best artistic events. When we don’t find what we want, we commission new work and help it develop into national repertoire,” Attard continues.

With that in mind, this year’s festival will feature eight world premieres of made-in-Malta productions, as well as an exciting selection of performances from around the world. There will be more than 150 performances and events by over 100 artists. There is no denying that ŻiguŻajg Children’s International Arts Festival is shaping up to be another inspiring, fun-filled festival for young audiences, their families and friends.

There’s definitely an underpinning of ‘old meets new’, as the festival will be highlighting the contemporary arts within Valletta’s baroque setting. From site-specific theatre in a 16th-century warehouse to contemporary circus arts in the 18th-century Teatru Manoel, those present will be able to view Valletta, its monuments and buildings as a transformed city thanks to the arts.

This year’s festival will feature eight world premieres of made-in-Malta productions, as well as an exciting selection of performances from around the world

Asked about this year’s highlights, Attard explains there’s something for everyone. “Of course, I hope that every show and event will be a highlight in the cultural experience of every young person and the young at heart,” he says.

“As director of the festival I find special moments in every production I programme. Be it an interactive animation for toddlers like Pirati, a dance performance in water for three-year-olds, an emotional puppet show, a witty stand-up comedy by Malcolm Galea or a new Maltese play like Għajn-Eye-Three for teenagers. I strive for an artistically-diverse programme that I personally enjoy and openly share with the festival audience.”

There’s also the festival ‘experience’ to look forward to as, with nine venues spread across Valletta, those who have booked back-to-back shows need to be prepared to venue-hop.

“It’s all part of the fun,” says festival manager Daniel Azzopardi. “And if you find yourself with time to kill, why not pop in to see the two exhibitions at St James Cavalier – Where Does Love Come From? by Nadine Noko and Drawing the Mediterranean, by Edaav.

“Plus, on the last day of the festival, the Rubberbodies Collective will be wrapping up their seven-day story with a public open-air performance in St George’s Square. We’ve been told to expect the presence of a very large rooster!” he smiles.

And now that the festival has been launched, there’s already been a flurry for tickets – so much so that some would-be audience members have complained about a lack of seats.

“Five thousand tickets were booked in the first 48 hours following the launch, and half the tickets reserved for schools were also scooped up over the same period,” Attard states, adding that the festival’s website, booking system and phone lines have been inundated, with some performances (especially those for very young children) selling out within hours.

Nevertheless, the organisers stress that tickets (all of which are free) are still available online. Plus, if you did miss out on tickets the first time around, all uncollected tickets will be release online on November 10, while last minute tickets will be available from the Festival Information Point at Pjazza Teatru Rjal on the day. In addition, ticket holders, who know they will not be using them after all, are encouraged to return them to the box office.

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