The ŻiguŻajg international arts festival for children and young people started yesterday and runs until November 26. It features a trove of over 150 performances and workshops at various venues by critically acclaimed international and national companies. Details are available at www.ziguzajg.org. Tickets may be purchased online or from the St James Cavalier box office (tel. 2122 3200). The following are a few highlights of the programme.
Photo: Reno RapaErnesto & Bianca
Ernesto’s obsessive behaviour drives people up the wall. But now he is on a mission: Bianca. She’s his ray of hope. In order to impress her, he’s willing to face himself and his obsessions head-on. But the more he tries to keep up appearances, the more he portrays himself as something he is not. How much longer can he keep up appearances? What ensues is sometimes funny but at times tragic.
Performances: Today at 10am and 5pm, tomorrow at 11.30am, November 20, 21 and 25 at 5pm, at Palazzo de la Salle, 219, Republic Street, Valletta. (Suitable for children aged 7+. Duration: 50 minutes. Language: English)
Photo: Johanna Helga ThorkelsdottirLife – A Mud Pie
Two characters come out of the shadows, find a bag of earth and start to play with it. Young audiences will laugh as the characters taste the mud, play with it, create animals, lands, life and love out of the mud. Older audiences will read the story on a different level; they will see the history of the creation of man, Darwin’s theory of evolution, how land is divided and borders made up, the cause of wars, and how through laughter and playfulness we can make peace and heal wounds.
Performances: Today at 6pm, tomorrow at 11am, November 20 at 6pm and November 21 at 5pm, at Manoel Theatre Studio, Valletta. (Suitable for children aged 3+. Duration: 40 minutes. Language: Non-verbal)
Kreaturi
Kreaturi introduces children to modern and contemporary art and encourages their creative expression through ceramic sculpture, courtesy of artist Gabriel Caruana and the Mill – Art, Culture and Crafts Centre. Children will have the opportunity to take part in a workshop to understand the creative techniques of Caruana’s work. Meanwhile, an interactive exhibition will focus on sculpture, the ceramic process and creative expression as a response to surrounding environments.
The Kreaturi workshop will be held tomorrow at 10pm at Spot A, St James Cavalier, Valletta. Attendance is subject to booking. (Suitable for children aged 10+. Duration: 60 minutes. Languages: Maltese and English). The exhibition will be held at Space A, Spot A up to November 26 from 9am to 9pm. Attendance to the exhibition is free.