After months of preparation involving hundreds of people behind the scenes and in front, the 2018 edition of the ŻiguŻajg International Arts Festival for Children and Young People opens today.

This year’s festival offers audiences young and old a varied repertoire celebrating many aspects of the performance arts, including theatre, puppetry, music, dance, film, opera, installations, site-specific projects and workshops. With a number of Maltese productions on the cards and performances from companies as far afield as Norway, France, Ireland, Spain, the UK, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Austria and Canada, ŻiguŻajg 2018 truly promises to be an international event. 

This eighth edition will undoubtedly be a unique celebratory experience with activities on the streets, interactive installations in main squares, and other artistic works in over 20 different locations. The 2018 European Capital of Culture, Valletta, will serve as the backdrop for many of the myriad productions on offer.

Since its launch in 2011, ŻiguŻajg has grown consistently to become one of the major events in Malta’s cultural calendar – last year alone, over 20,000 children attended overall, testimony to the festival’s enduring popularity and excellence.

ŻiguŻajg has served as a platform for both established and up-and-coming Maltese artists, and this year is no exception. Indeed, this year’s edition of the festival will also focus on the professional development of some local theatre practitioners within the industry. Furthermore, the calendar includes a number of collaborations between ŻiguŻajg and a number of Malta’s leading public cultural organisations.

This year’s edition of the festival will host works produced in collaboration with the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the Malta Youth Orchestra (The Misadventures of Peer Gynt); Teatru Malta and French company Image Aiguë (for site-specific project L’Homme qui Marche - Proġett Preca); and ŻfinMalta Dance Ensemble (Play|Ground). iLand is a Valletta 2018/Studio 18/ŻiguŻajg co-production; while together with Manoel Theatre, ŻiguŻajg is co-producing the beloved children’s opera Amahl and the Night Visitors by Gian Carlo Menotti.

Furthermore, ŻiguŻajg 2018 has developed an eco-friendly strategy to raise awareness among audiences and the creative sector on the importance of an environmentally sustainable plan.

Tickets for the festival are almost sold out, but audiences can visit www.ziguzajg.org to book immediately. ŻiguŻajg is produced by Fondazzjoni Kreattività and will run until November 25.

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