The influx of migrants, their encounters and dreams of hope will be brought to life in Bahr, an original production by ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble that was premiered on January 11 to celebrate the start of Malta’s EU Presidency and will be repeated tonight for the public.

The work explores all the forms of migration, a topic that will be at the forefront of Malta’s agenda during the six-month Presidency after the crisis of the past year threatened to destabilise the European Union.

“Bahr – the ancient Arabic word for sea – symbolises mobility and identity; it is a body of work layered with multiple cultures, stories and memories,” ŻfinMalta’s artistic director Mavin Khoo said.

For Khoo, an internationally-recognised artist who was born in Malaysia, migration has been constant in his research, but the specific remit for Bahr has pushed him to seek another layer of the diaspora.

Devised into three sections, Bahr explores influx, encounters and hope and echoes the sense of loss, identity and regeneration bound to the human aspect of migration, displacement and relocation. It pushes the audience to delve into the complex notion of unified encounters.

The dance also brings together ŻfinMalta and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra for the first time, the latter under the baton of conductor Brian Schembri, to interpret Albert Garzia’s original music score composed for the occasion.

ŻfinMalta has also roped in internationally-acclaimed lighting designer Fabiana Piccioli, who has worked at La Scala and the Royal Opera House, to ensure each work is a success. Dramaturg Denise Mulholland is also working closely with the dance ensemble.

■ Tonight’s performance is taking place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta at 8pm. For tickets, visit www.mcc.com.mt. Khoo invites non-governmental organisations involved with migrants and third country nationals to contact ŻfinMalta on info@zfinmalta.org to facilitate the attendance of migrants to the show.