Malta-Showcase_Portf..

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Malta Showcase is a curated
collection of theatre, music, comedy
and interactive performance, all
created in Malta.
The Valletta 2018 Foundation,
St James Cavalier Centre for
Creativity and Arts Council Malta
actively work to support the creativity
January 2015
© Valletta 2018 Foundation, St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity & Arts Council Malta
and enhance the potential of Maltese
artists across all disciplines.
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The Pill The Rubberbodies Collective
CONTENTS
Dance5
Theatre13
Music27
Young Audiences
49
bands87
lIST OF COMPANIES
102
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Mindset Moveo Dance Company
DANCE
REPERTOIRE
Maltese Folklore Dances
The Daphne Lungaro Folklore Group
MindSet
Moveo Dance Company
Iż-Żifna tal-Poeta
Sarah Vella, Annekatrin Kiesel, Hendrik K. Kar, Sinja Maucher
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MALTESE
FOLKLORE
DANCES
THE DAPHNE LUNGARO
FOLKLORE GROUP
20min per show
English
As a celebration of Maltese culture, the repertoire offers a brief glimpse into specific aspects
of the island’s history. Each dance is brought to life by a group of highly-skilled female
dancers who perform in costume, further adding to the narrative of the dances.
The set includes the Għonella Dance, performed with the għonella headdress which is
unique to the island’s female costume heritage as well as the Sicilian-influenced Come let’s
Dance, the nuanced Offering of The Candle and The Court Fan Dance.
• Touring Company: 6 members
• Minimum Performance Area: 10m x 8m
Contact
info@cds.com.mt
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MINDSET
40min per show
MOVEO DANCE
COMPANY
Non-verbal
www.moveodancecompany.com
MindSet is an interdisciplinary, collaborative project between the Centre for Biomedical
Cybernetics, the Department of Systems and Control Engineering, and Moveo Dance
Company, focused on building up a new viewer-centred performance. It aims at translating
brain activity into actions without physical action, through the use of Brain Computer
Interface (BCI) Technology.
The performance will marry this emerging technology to contemporary dance to create an
innovative performance in which the audience’s brain activity and the dancers’ movement
communicate to create something quite unique. In this space, all actions, being physical or
neurological can be detected and will interact with each other through visual and audio effects.
• Touring Company: 8 members
• Minimum Performance Area: 6m x 5m
Contact
moveodancecompany@gmail.com
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SARAH VELLA,
ANNEKATRIN KIESEL,
HENDRIK K. KAR,
SINJA MAUCHER
25-30min per show
Maltese, mostly non-verbal
Rużar Briffa, known as the poet of simplicity and beauty, is still an influential and major
figure in Maltese literature. This performance revolves around Rużar Briffa’s poems in
relation to dance, movement and music. Briffa’s work has inspired three dancers and
one musician to explore how his writings could be expressed and translated through
contemporary dance and music. The performance project is a celebration of the arts,
Maltese identity and Maltese culture.
• Touring Company: 4 members
• Maximum audience: 200 people
• Minimum performance area: 10m x 8m
Contact
sessav@gmail.com
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THEATRE
REPERTOIRE
Waiting Room
Aleateia Theatre Group
Lacuna
Dù Theatre Group
Rendez Vous (Appuntamenti)
Dù Theatre Group
Porn – The Musical
Laughing Matters
The Pill
The Rubberbodies Collective
White Sea : Baħar Abjad
The Rubberbodies Collective
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Waiting Room Aleateia Theatre Group
WAITING
ROOM
ALEATEIA
THEATRE GROUP
60min per show
Maltese, English and French, Nonverbal or multilingual (depending
on context of performance)
www.aleateia.com
Everybody hates waiting. Waiting Room is a play written by Simon Bartolo that revolves
around four women in a waiting room who come up with ingenious ways to kill time by
resorting to some very interesting activities…Some of us might take a page out of their book
and try out some of their fun stuff the next time we’re waiting for the lawyer, gynaecologist,
dentist or hairdresser.
Who knows? We might make a few new friends…or enemies.
• Touring Company: 4 members (along with the inclusion 1-2 crew members)
• Maximum audience: 200 (Performance may be adapted to more intimate or
larger audiences)
• Minimum performance area: Dependent on venue size
Contact
loranne.vella@gmail.com
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LACUNA
60min per show
DÙ THEATRE
GROUP
Maltese and English
www.dutheatre.com
Lacuna centres on four women in an empty space who have nothing in common. They don’t
know who they are, where they are, or who the other three are. There’s only one common
thread that connects them - the answers might lie in the Neapolitan song, Santa Lucia.
Lacuna is inspired from Sepja, a series of novellas written by Trevor Zahra. The performance
piece is an original adaptation written by Dù Theatre founder Simone Spiteri.
• Touring Company: 7 members
• Maximum audience: 200 people
• Minimum performance area: 8m x 9m (can be adapted to suit venue size)
Contact
dutheatre@gmail.com
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RENDEZ
VOUS
(Appuntamenti)
60min per show
DÙ THEATRE
GROUP
Maltese and English
www.dutheatre.com
Rendez Vous (Appuntamenti) tells the story of three couples who are experiencing troubles
in their relationships. Because of this, the unhappy people in the relationships decide to
look elsewhere for affection, approval and attention. Members from the different couples
meet each other by chance. This chance encounter leads to flirtations and plans to meet up
with their new potential love interest. Garcia Marquez’s classic Love in the time of Cholera
features in the play, exchanging hands between the difference characters. At the end of the
play, all the characters end up at the bus stop with the book in hand, and the revelations of
infidelity ensue.
• Touring Company: 7-8 members
• Maximum audience: 250 people
• Minimum performance area: Can be adapted according to venue size
Contact
dutheatre@gmail.com
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PORN
THE MUSICAL
Recommended Age: 16+
110min per show
LAUGHING
MATTERS
English
Porn – The Musical
Porn – the Musical follows the adventures of a young and naïve guy from the Mediterranean
island of Malta who goes to America to start a new life. Once in America, our young hero
becomes more confident after being embraced by a lovable group of friends who work in the
adult film industry. However, will his newfound assertiveness be enough to save the studio
from ruin when disaster strikes?
• Maximum audience: 60 people (can be adapted to a larger audience depending on venue)
• Minimum performance area: 9.14m x 4.57m x 3.05m to Minimum performance area: 9.14m x 4.57m x 3.05m
Contact
info@moreorlesstheatre.com
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THE PILL
THE
RUBBERBODIES
COLLECTIVE
60min per show
English
www.rubberbodiescollective.com
The Pill explores the role of medicine and illness in the lives of people. Through
contemporary theatre, movement, play with objects and popularised scientific presentation,
the story unfolds an amalgam of autobiographical narratives, fantasies, and associations, all
exploring a surreal desire for an instant cure to all possible illnesses.
Through this performance, the Rubberbodies Collective continue to reaffirm their focus on
the creation of innovative artistic productions, alongside the development of a community of
both local and international collaborators.
The Pill is a solo act by Ira Melkonyan, who researched, wrote and performs the piece.
• Touring Company: 3 members
• Maximum audience: 150 people
• Minimum performance area: 5m x 5m x 7m
Contact
ira@rubber-bodies.com
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50min per show
THE
RUBBERBODIES
COLLECTIVE
Non-verbal
www.rubberbodiescollective.com
White Sea is a 50-minute non-verbal visual theatre performance about two women whose
connection with the port has existed since childhood, bound by the trajectory of the Captain.
The White Sea is what holds the eternal search of harmony in the life, soul and heart of the
characters, and like the tidal rhythms, they swim towards, away, and past each other, looking
for that moment of unity.
• Touring Company: 7 members
• Maximum audience: 500 people
• Minimum performance area: 7m x 7m x 12m
Contact
jimmy@rubber-bodies.com
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Ġgantija 2013 Ars Vitae Ensemble
MUSIC
REPERTOIRE
Ġgantija 2013
Ars Vitae Ensemble
Berne
Berne
Cygna
Cygna
Contemporary Piano Recital
Gabi Sultana
Musica Melitense
Joseph Lia
Bellophone
Mario Sammut
Velvet
Nadine Axisa
The Nafra Folk Ensemble
Soundscapes
The Nisġa Project
The Nisġa Project
VIBE
The Valletta International Baroque Festival
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Ġgantija I 30min per show
Ġgantija II 13min per show
ARS VITAE
ENSEMBLE
Maltese
Ars Vitae Ensemble
Ġgantija 2013 represents a multidisciplinary work embracing music, visual art and literature
in dialogue with Gozo’s Ġgantija temples. The project is also open to other historic venues
throughout Europe as stages for interpretation.
The first phase of Ġgantija 2013 was launched in June 2013 thanks to a team comprising
curator Dr Vince Briffa, Victor Agius, who handled the sculptural and light interventions,
Mariella Cassar Cordina, who crafted the musical work, and lyricist Immanuel Mifsud. This
has been followed by a second phase of the project consisting of educational workshops. The
final phase, Ġgantija II, brings together compositions by Dr Cassar Cordina and the lyrical
input of Mifsud. Past performances have featured documentation of the first phase through a
30-minute video-installation featuring new mixed-media sculptures and murals by Agius.
• Touring Company: 14 members
• Maximum audience: 150-300 people (dependent on venue size)
• Minimum performance Area: 10m x 10m x 5m
Contact
art.agius@gmail.com
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BERNE
40min per show
English
BERNE
www.berneofficial.com
Drawn towards writing dark and intriguing songs, Berne’s broad vocal range and arresting
vocal delivery is driven by an organic piano sound. Her music offers delicacy and drama that
lingers on.
Influenced by artists such as Regina Spektor, Imogen Heap, Agnes Obel and Sóley,
Berne finds inspirations in the realities that surround us in our struggles. Through live
vocal and instrumental looping, Berne creates rhythmic and melodic layers to produce an
interesting contrast between repetition and interpretation, inviting the audience to witness
a performance characterised by this musical craft.
• Touring Company: 1 member
• Minimum performance Area: 2m x 2m x 2m
Contact
soundslikeberne@gmail.com
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CYGNA
60min per show
CYGNA
www.cygnamusic.com
Cygna is best known for symphonic ambient compositions in which he connects
contemporary ambient sound with classical instruments. His repertoire promises a
60-minute selection of original compositions covering genres like electronic, ambient,
classical and theatre music. His album Opus Ena launched in 2011, further illustrates a
unique ability to craft various genres together whilst creating a sound which is both ancient
and futuristic.
As a composer and sound designer he composed and collaborated on theatre productions,
dance projects, visual and interactive art works, live cinema performances, as well as
composing for feature films, documentaries and TV series.
• Touring Company: 1 member
• Minimum performance Area: 2m x 1m
Contact
info@cygnamusic.com
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CONTEMPORARY
PIANO
RECITAL
GABI
SULTANA
60min per show
www.gabisultana.com
A highly acclaimed soloist and chamber musician, Gabi Sultana’s music is best described
through her unique take on contemporary music published after 1950.
Her performances have earned rave reviews, with her ability in demonstrating the
exhilarating and adventurous qualities of contemporary music. She has also won the
‘Contemporary Music Award’ and the ‘Outstanding Pianist’ awards at the 2013 IBLA
International Music Competition in Sicily, followed by her debut in Carnegie Hall in New York
in May 2014.
• Touring Company: 1 member
• Maximum audience: 250 people
• Minimum performance Area: 5m x 4m (dependent on piano size)
Contact
gabisultana@gmail.com
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MUSICA
MELITENSE
60-75min per show
Maltese and Latin
JOSEPH LIA
www.josephlia.com
Musica Melitense is a celebration of classical and contemporary organ as well as organ and
baritone music written by Maltese composers, ranging from Luigi Grech’s Sonata No 7 to
Alex Vella Gregory’s more recent composition, Prelude and Fugue in memory of G. Pace.
The repertoire is brought to life by Joseph Lia, an accomplished baritone singer who started
receiving formal training in Malta before going on to further perfecting his art at the RimskyKorsakov St Petersburg State Conservatoire under the tuition of Prof. Sergei Riazantsev. He
has also distinguished himself as a recitalist, mastering the lieder and oratorio repertoire.
• Touring Company: 2 members
Contact
joseph-lia@hotmail.com
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BELLOPHONE
Non-verbal
MARIO SAMMUT
www.bellophone.org
The Bellophone is a large scale instrument commissioned by Notte Bianca that uses real
bells in church bell towers. It is a device which allows the audience to interact with the
bells of two churches simultaneously with the use of a controller in Independence Square,
Valletta. Big round buttons serve as a hit trigger to ring the 150 year old bells of St. Paul’s
Anglican Pro-Cathedral and the Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which can be both
viewed from the square. The audience is invited to unleash their own creativity and play the
melody they wish by using the sounds which have accompanied the Maltese population since
childhood – church bells. The Bellophone’s location changes every year.
• Touring Company: 5-6 members
• Maximum audience: Unlimited
• Minimum performance area: button controller: 1.5m2,
bells according to site (church bells or any sounding object)
Contact
info@bellophone.org
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VELVET
60-80min per show
Maltese and English
NADINE AXISA
www.nadineaxisa.com
Nadine Axisa has been contributing to the jazz scene since 2003. With plenty of experience
of live performance, Nadine provides a high quality performance, together with a jazz trio/
quartet. Her versatility allows for the interpretation of different styles, yet jazz remains the
genre in which she excels. Nadine’s latest album, Velvet, brings together songs performed in
English along with tracks in Maltese, namely Għanja.
Axisa also infuses local crowd favourites, such as Xemx and L-Aħħar Bidwi f’ Wied il-Għasel,
with a distinctive jazz vibe.
• Touring Company: 5-6 members
• Maximum audience: Dependent on venue size
Contact
nadine.axisa@gmail.com
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THE NAFRA
FOLK
ENSEMBLE
60min per show
SOUNDSCAPES
www.soundscapes.com.mt
The Nafra Folk Ensemble is a major international exponent of Malta’s music heritage.
Composer Ruben Zahra is committed to the revival of traditional Maltese instruments such
as the Maltese bagpipe, iż-Żaqq. Zahra established the Nafra Folk Ensemble, which portrays
a versatile programme of Mediterranean folk-fusion embellished by the unique sonority of
Maltese traditional instruments. This innovative approach to Mediterranean music has led
Nafra to perform in major music festivals all over Europe as well as in Tunisia, Egypt, Hong
Kong and India. Nafra also collaborates with larger groups such as chamber ensembles,
brass bands and even symphony orchestras resulting in a blend of Mediterranean folk roots
and other musical styles.
• Touring Company: 5 members
• Minimum performance area: 6m x 5m
Contact
rubenzahra@gmail.com
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THE NISĠA
PROJECT
60min per show
The Nisġa Project
The Nisġa Project is an ongoing initiative that attempts to weave the arts together.
The project creates various bridges between different aspects within art in order to mould
and fulfil a tangible experience through words and sound. Nisġa’s inception dates back to
2009, resulting in the creation of a project that has been expressed through a number of
performances. Since then, other material in music and poetry was created and brought to
the stage. The members, which change periodically, bring to the table their own individual
experiences as artists from other projects. Mostly, these individual projects relate mainly to
the media of music and literature. Previous performances include Notte Bianca, Għana Fest
and Earth Garden.
• Touring Company: 5-6 members
• Minimum performance area: 6m x 5m
Contact
sultanafrancesco@gmail.com
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VIBE
THE VALLETTA
INTERNATIONAL
BAROQUE ENSEMBLE
Formed in 2012, the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble (VIBE) is the resident
ensemble of the Valletta International Baroque Festival. The group plays on period
instruments and is made up of established Malta-based musicians collaborating alongside
internationally established early instrument specialists.
VIBE’s repertoire includes major works by Gabrieli, Monteverdi, Willaert, Usper, Handel, and
J S Bach. The Ensemble has also been instrumental in the rediscovery and performance of
works by Maltese composers from the 17th and 18th century.
• Touring Company: 10 members
Contact
spiteri.sarah@gmail.com
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Cookie and the Art of Bullying Flying Crumbs Theatre
Young Audiences
REPERTOIRE
Fly Flynn
Dù Theatre Group
Sync in Progress
RedTape Dance Company
The Not So Cool Life of a Teenager
Called Julian
Dù Theatre Group
Mrs Stork’s Mysterious Eggs
The Rubberbodies Collective
Danny and the Monster Clothes
Hopping Donkey
Ħrejjef – Maltese Folktales
Soundscapes
Cookie and the Art of Bullying
Flying Crumbs Theatre
Kirana
Soundscapes
Multinauti Estella
Mighty Box
#babydaddy
Studio 18
Multinauti Pirati!
Mighty Box
Club
Teatru Manoel Youth Theatre
Everything you Need to Know
about Science (More or Less)
More or Less Theatre
The Complete History of Europe
(More or Less)
More or Less Theatre
See-Quatic
Moveo Dance Company and
RedTape Dance Company
The Three Sunsets
Teatru Manoel Youth Theatre
Ir-Ritorn (The Return)
Theatre Anon
Neith: Performing Our World
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FLY FLYNN
Recommended Age: 3+
20min per show
DÙ THEATRE
GROUP
Visual/English
www.dutheatre.com
Fly Flynn is a shadow puppet theatre piece which tells the story of Flynn, a young awkward
flamingo. While in flight with his family, Flynn loses his balance and falls to the ground
without his family realising. Scared and lonely, he must bear the pain in his wing and make
his way back to his family. On the way he meets several new friends and discovers a world he
would have otherwise flown over.
The piece is aimed at young children of various backgrounds, as well as children who are
unable to go to the theatre because of a medical/physical condition.
• Touring Company: 4 members
• Maximum audience: 80 people
• Minimum performance area: dependent on space provided.
Contact
dutheatre@gmail.com
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THE NOT SO
COOL LIFE OF
A TEENAGER
CALLED JULIAN
Recommended Age: 12+
DÙ THEATRE
GROUP
Maltese and English
www.dutheatre.com
The life of Julian, an intelligent but naughty 14 year-old, is, to put it simply, a disaster - and
not cool at all. Bad news from school, no luck in joining the most popular gang, and to top it
all, his mum and dad separated recently. However, Julian is also obsessed by Justin Artio,
a RPG character he created - fearless, brave and smart. Basically, he’s all Julian wishes
he was, but isn’t. Things get complicated when it seems that his mother has met someone,
when the school gang starts noticing him, and it’s time for his exams. Julian needs to take
some decisions but what to do? What would Justin Artio do?
• Touring Company: 7 members
• Maximum audience: 250 people
Contact
dutheatre@gmail.com
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DANNY AND
THE MONSTER
CLOTHES
Recommended Age: 9+
60min per show
HOPPING DONKEY
English/Maltese
One night, Danny is awoken by a strange noise coming from underneath a pile of clothes. He
soon discovers one of his socks has magically come to life! Soon, more and more of Danny’s
clothes start coming to life, but Danny’s excitement is cut short when he realises that these
fiery clothes are a cycle short of a full load! Chaos ensues as the clothes start arguing
between themselves, and Danny loses all control!
This madcap, interactive theatre/puppet show has, at its core, the theme of acceptance and
diversity. It is a feast for the imagination which will leave audiences spellbound.
• Touring Company: 3 members
• Maximum audience: 150 people
• Minimum performance area: 4m x 3m x 5m
Contact
seanbriffa@gmail.com
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COOKIE AND
THE ART OF
BULLYING
FLYING CRUMBS
THEATRE
Recommended Age: 5+
50min per show
English
www.cookiebully.com
Cookie is a six-year-old school girl who hates being bullied. One day she decides to take
things into her own hands when she sees cool kid Rough bully the other kids. She makes a
deal with Rough for him to teach her the art of bullying in exchange for delicious pastries
from her family’s bakery. But bullying isn’t all it’s cracked out to be. Cookie is an original
story by Veronica Stivala, Alexander Sobolla and Marta Vella, brought to life with sketches,
puppets and monsters in school yards.
• Touring Company: 2 members
• Maximum audience: 150 people
• Minimum performance area: 4m x 3m x 3m
Contact
info@moreorlesstheatre.com
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Recommended Age: 0-3
15min per show
The performance can be repeated
immediately as soon as a new
audience is ushered into the space.
Non-verbal
MIGHTY BOX
www.mightyboxgames.com
MULTINAUTI – ESTELLA is an unforgettable interactive audio-visual experience that is set
to enthral the young and the young-at-heart alike. The installation follows the adventures of
the star Estella as she explores territories and makes new friends in her journey from the
heavens to the oceans. Multinauti is an environment created by means of a projection,
where children are able to interact with a wide range of beautifully rendered elements
such as stars, space-ships, leaves and flowers as well as insects and other creatures.
The installation combines striking visuals and audio to provide a truly magical experience.
• Touring Company: 2 members
• Maximum audience: 6 children
• Minimum performance area: 5m x 4m x 6m
Contact
marvin@mightyboxgames.com
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Recommended Age: 0-3
25min per show
The performance can be repeated
immediately as soon as a new
audience is ushered into the space.
Non-verbal
MIGHTY BOX
www.mightyboxgames.com
MULTINAUTI – PIRATI! is an interactive story which takes children on an adventure starting
on a mysterious island, and then taking to the high seas to look for a pirate’s lost treasure!
The enthralling story features Estella, the lovable fallen star from the first Multinauti Estella, in a new setting.
Two animators enhance the experience by acting out the story and leading the kids through
the interactive performance.
• Touring Company: 2 members (the company will require two local animators)
• Maximum audience: 6 children
• Minimum performance area: 5m x 4m x 6m
Contact
marvin@mightyboxgames.com
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Recommended Age: 8+
60min per show
MORE OR LESS
THEATRE
English
www.moreorlesstheatre.com
Presented by two curious comedians, EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT SCIENCE
(MORE OR LESS) gives its young audiences a general overview of all things science –
from the smallest particle all the way up to the vastness of the universe. The children are
introduced to key figures in the history of science and become acquainted with their genius
and eccentricities as they help them conduct live experiments. The play’s strengths lie in its
ability to entertain its audiences while subtly feeding their curiosity about all things science.
• Touring Company: 3 members
• Maximum audience: 200 people
• Minimum performance area: 4m x 4m x 4m
Contact
info@moreorlesstheatre.com
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Recommended Age: 8+
60min per show
MORE OR LESS
THEATRE
English
www.moreorlesstheatre.com
Starting from the Bronze Age and going all the way up until the current formation of the EU,
THE COMPLETE HISTORY OF EUROPE (MORE OR LESS) goes through the entire history of
Europe in a fun and hilarious way. Presented by a comedic duo using a boxful of costumes
and props, this show cuts European history down to size by providing its young (and not so
young) audiences with a very useful overview of what happened and when – enabling them to
put history lessons into context. Relying on the performers’ energy and charisma, this play is
highly transportable and versatile.
• Touring Company: 3 members
• Maximum audience: 200 people
• Minimum performance area: 4m x 4m x 4m
Contact
info@moreorlesstheatre.com
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SEE-QUATIC
Recommended Age: 3+
30min per show
MOVEO DANCE
COMPANY AND REDTAPE
DANCE COMPANY
Non-verbal
www.moveodancecompany.com,
www.redtapedance.com
See-Quatic is an explorative dance journey which exposes children to a magical underwater
experience. The performance evokes and stimulates the senses and provides children
with unique, yet challenging experience. The children are invited to interact with their
surroundings, allowing for viewing from different perspectives and an immersive experience.
The performance, through the holistic linking of music, movement and visuals, suggests
different viewpoints allowing children to be creative and construct their own stories. Based
on children’s thematic interests, See-Quatic provides an immersive surreal experience
through the art of dance.
• Touring Company: 7 members
• Maximum audience: 30 people
• Minimum performance area: 10m x 10m
Contact
moveodancecompany@gmail.com, redtapedance@gmail.com
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Recommended Age: 12+
40min per show
REDTAPE DANCE
COMPANY
English
www.redtapedance.com
“RedTape not only thrives on innovation but offers a distinctive outlook which is nothing short
of engaging” Times of Malta
Technology wouldn’t exist without the human being, but are we arriving at a point where
human beings can’t exist without technology? This project explores the positive and negative
effects that technology has brought upon us. The interdisciplinary performance takes the
form of a physical dance piece with spoken word and interactive projections, original music,
digital animation and photography. It presents allegories that present visions of the future
and play on the hopes and anxieties surrounding technology.
• Touring Company: 9 members
• Maximum audience: 150 people
• Minimum performance area: 8m x 8m
Contact
redtapedance@gmail.com
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Recommended Age: 7+
35min per show
THE
RUBBERBODIES
COLLECTIVE
English
www.rubberbodiescollective.com
High up in the clear blue sky, Mrs Stork flies a mischievous little egg to its nest far away.
As they rest, the egg grows impatient and decides to sneak away, only to end up in the
clutches of the hungry thief with an appetite for eggs! Mrs Stork is distraught when she
wakes up alone the next day, but a valiant man with a flying machine who happens to be
flying by hears her cries and offers his assistance. Will Mrs Stork and the flying man find the
poor egg in time?
The Rubberbodies Collective presents a visual treat with a performance including puppets
and animation which transports children into a world of adventure.
• Touring Company: 6 members
• Maximum audience: 100 people
• Minimum performance area: 5m x 5m x 5m
Contact
jimmy@rubber-bodies.com
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Recommended Age: 7-11
30min per show
The performance can be repeated
immediately as soon as a new
audience is ushered in the space.
English, Maltese, Italian and can
be devised and translated into host
language
SOUNDSCAPES
www.soundscapes.com.mt
“Zahra shows considerable prowess as a composer of atonal music, able to convey moods
that range all over the place, always in support of the stories” RootsWorld
Ħrejjef – Maltese folktales is a captivating interdisciplinary production which brings together
traditional stories, shadow puppetry, contemporary music and digital animation. At its core
lies a collection of four Maltese folktales, presented in the style of a traditional storyteller
accompanied by a live piano recital that acts as a soundtrack to the stories.
• Touring Company: 3 members
• Maximum audience: subject to size of screen and amplification
• Minimum performance area: 4m x 6m
Contact
info@rubenzahra.com
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KIRANA
Recommended Age: 10-14
45min per show
Any Language
SOUNDSCAPES
www.soundscapes.com.mt
KIRANA is an interdisciplinary performance that has been designed to connect children with
professional artists. Four professional artists from Malta travel to an international festival
and conduct a 5-day workshop with the children of a particular city. The children contribute
directly to the performance with their own rhythms, movements and language. Some of
the scenes are supported by digital animation projections which breathe life into artworks
created by children. KIRANA introduces children to a wide range of new artistic experiences:
from contemporary music to percussion workshops, digital animation and light painting.
• Touring Company: 4 members
Contact
rubenzahra@gmail.com
77
#BABYDADDY
Recommended Age: 14+
90min per show
Maltese and English
STUDIO 18
www.studio18malta.com
Matt is seventeen. He is popular, smart, and also cocky at times, but likable nonetheless. He
dreams of one day becoming a world class photographer, but right now all that matters is
getting his exam results and being promoted to second year sixth form, after which he’s all
set to enjoy the summer of his dreams.
However, on the day his results are due, he receives another piece of information: his exgirlfriend is pregnant. The next nine months will prove challenging on a number of levels
- Matt must now face his family and friends (old and new), his ex-girlfriend, a great deal of
multitasking and ultimately… parenthood!
• Touring Company: 14-15 members
• Maximum audience: 250-300 people (dependent on performance area)
• Minimum performance area: 5m x 8m x 4m
Contact
workshops.studio18@gmail.com
79
Recommended Age: 13+
60min per show
TEATRU MANOEL
YOUTH THEATRE
English
www.teatrumanoel.com.mt
“Director Denise Mulholland steered these young people towards high technical standards
and run a tight enough ship not to have a single badly-paced scene” Times of Malta
How does a group of teenagers deal with the death of a friend? Some of them deny, some get
angry, some bargain, some sink into depression- but all of them club. Focusing on a group
of teenagers dealing with the aftermath of a tragic accident, this original piece has been
created by the members of Teatru Manoel Youth Theatre. Using a mixture of dance, music,
physical theatre and original material scripted by the actors CLUB explores the world of
today’s cyber-teenager. It deals with consequences and asks the question ‘How far would you
go to belong?’
• Touring Company: 15 members
• Maximum audience: 200 people
• Minimum performance area: 5m x 5m x 5m
Contact
admin@teatrumanoel.com.mt
81
THE THREE
SUNSETS
Recommended Age: 7+
70min per show
TEATRU MANOEL
YOUTH THEATRE
English
www.teatrumanoel.com.mt
Somewhere not far from here is a forest. It isn’t hidden, it isn’t secret and it’s there for
everyone to see. But nowadays, people, especially children, don’t go for walks like they used to…
they stay at home and watch TV, chat online, or play Candy Crush. So, over the years, this
forest has become a bit of a secret, and it is quite lonely for the two people who live there The Old Man and The Girl. Neither of them has aged in a very long time, nor have they made
any memories of their own. They never leave the forest. They are the custodians of all the
memories in the world. Every memory ever created in the world is kept here, filed within the
eccentric system known only to The Old Man. But now something frightening is happening memories are being stolen. When one memory is stolen, hundreds of other memories
disappear as a consequence. If this is not resolved by the end of just three sunsets, there will
be no memories left in the world and so The Girl sets out to retrieve the lost memories, but
what she finds is far beyond her expectations.
• Touring Company: 20-30 members
• Minimum performance area: 9m x 9m x 5m
Contact
admin@teatrumanoel.com.mt
83
IR-RITORN
(THE RETURN)
Recommended Age: 8+
60min per show
Maltese and English
THEATRE ANON
www.theatreanon.com
Six actors retell Homer’s epic poem in sixty breath-taking minutes mixing drama with
humour and tragedy with slapstick in a tale of perseverance, cunning and courage in the face
of danger....perhaps the greatest adventure story of all time!
• Touring Company: 6 members
• Maximum audience: 250 people
• Minimum performance area: 8m x 8m x 8m
Contact
info@theatreanon.com
85
Recommended Age: 10+
40min per show
Non-verbal
This performance, which is inspired by the Egyptian myth of Neith – goddess of water and
creation, is built on the idea of water being the ultimate primordial source.
Neith: Performing Our World invites an audience of adolescents with profound and multiple
learning disabilities into a space that engages them three-dimensionally as Earth and the
elements emerge around them. This serves as a platform for a multi-sensory experience
of rhythm, texture, sound, and colour. The performance experience is facilitated in an
interactive way for every teenager present to be given their own individual space and time to
engage with the creative experience.
• Touring Company: 3 members
• Maximum audience:10 young people (incl. 5 wheelchair spaces) + 10 accompanying persons OR
12 young people (incl. 3 wheelchair spaces) + 10 accompanying persons OR
14 young people (max. 1 wheelchair space) + 10 accompanying persons.
• Minimum performance area: 6.5m x 6.5m x 2.7m
Contact
loughirlando@gmail.com
87
*etnika
(touring band)
BANDs
REPERTOIRE
Mariette
Airport Impressions
*etnika
*etnika (touring band)
Kantilena
Kantilena
KażinSka
KażinSka
Għera
Plato’s Dream Machine
Can’t Stop the People
The Rifffs
Trania
Trania
89
MARIETTE
60-90min per show
AIRPORT
IMPRESSIONS
English
www.airportimpressions.com
As one of the most successful bands to have emerged locally in recent years, Airport
Impressions have clocked up countless radio hits along the way, among them Borderline,
Walk With Me, and more recently Hymns of June and Berlin. The journey of Airport
Impressions has brought with it some great experiences, including numerous local awards.
Their last single, Berlin, has also earned the band international recognition. Their latest
album Mariette perfectly captures the band’s versatility as it embraces pop and rock as
much as it does country and indie folk, perfectly blending these genres. The live performance
of Mariette also includes other previously released material along with the possibility of
acoustic sessions.
• Touring Company: 5 members
• Maximum audience: 1,000 people
• Minimum performance area: 5m x 7m x 0.5m
Contact
johann.schembri@gmail.com
91
*ETNIKA
60min per festival show
90min per club show
*ETNIKA
(TOURING BAND)
Maltese
Etnika
Some 15 years ago, a small but enthusiastic group of friends on the Mediterranean island of
Malta strived to revive the Maltese roots music. The unlikely yet irresistible result
was enchanting – music that challenged people’s perception of their own musical identity.
*etnika are all about diversity, which is why their 6-piece band format consists of an
unlikely mix of artists and characters that play different instruments. The Maltese flute, oud,
biambo, double bass, Flamenco footwork and Maltese lullabies all feature in the
band’s performances.
• Touring Company: 6 members
• Minimum performance Area: 6m x 8m x 1.2m
Contact
etnikamalta@gmail.com
93
KANTILENA
60min per show
Maltese
KANTILENA
www.kantilenamalta.com
Kantilena presents a brand of modern and contemporary folk with traditional roots. The
band consists of four core members: violinist James Baldacchino, accordionist Albert Garzia,
vocalist and pianist Alessandro Lia, and vocalist and guitarist Drinu Camilleri. “Kantilena’s
music is fundamentally Maltese,” explains Baldacchino. “However we are also inspired by
various sources, including music from other countries and cultures. We’ve been told a few
times that our music sometimes reminds people of Jewish music or Balkan or Sicilian.”
• Touring Company: 4-6 members (dependent on setup)
• Minimum performance area: 6m x 5m
Contact
kantilena.malta@gmail.com
95
KAzINSKA
60min per show
Mostly Non-verbal/Maltese
KAŻINSKA
KazinSka
KażinSka is a band as well as an ongoing project embracing Maltese roots by
combining traditional music and culture with a more contemporary sound as well as a
comedic approach.
The music of KażinSka, as the name suggests, focuses primarily on ska music as well as
on the traditional banda marches. KażinSka, however, gives its own interpretation of the
banda marches’ melodies incorporating these into ska, reggae, samba, jazz, R&B and other
styles. This creates a joyous atmosphere synonymous with the ‘Festa Maltija’, yet with a
contemporary sound. KażinSka play mostly instrumental music with sporadic lyrics uttered
in association with the particular tune.
• Touring Company: 8 members
• Minimum performance area: 6m x 5m
Contact
justin.galea@gmail.com
97
60min per show
PLATO’S DREAM
MACHINE
Maltese
Plato’s Dream Machine
Plato’s Dream Machine has successfully re-invented Maltese music with a contemporary
twist. Led by singer-songwriter Robert Farrugia Flores, their semi-organic electronic sound,
set on top of drone riffs and beats, are fused with poetic lyrics sung in the Maltese language.
This is a testament that Maltese music is not only alive and kicking, but also evolving and
flourishing as a genre. Għera, released in 2014, charts the band’s journey through relatively
new terrain in the local scene.
The band’s aim is to directly take on this music tradition and provide an outlet for it to
maintain an ever-growing following in this day and age.
• Touring Company: 5 members
• Maximum audience: 300 people
• Minimum performance Area: 7m x 4m x 1.5m
Contact
farrugia.flores@gmail.com
99
CAN’T STOP
THE PEOPLE
75min per show
English and Maltese
THE RIFFFS
www.therifffs.com
Can’t Stop the People sees the re-emergence of The Rifffs, a band which was at the forefront
of the local alternative music scene during the 1980’s. Originally established in 1979, the
5-piece group captured the imagination of the island’s youth at the time through their active
touring which eventually lead to them securing a record deal with an independent UK record
label and the subsequent release of their single Dance Music for the 80’s Depression.
Written by the band’s front man, Ray Mercieca, Can’t Stop the People revolves around
negative feelings that stem from everyday life whilst also addressing social issues related to
that negativity. However, the music is delivered through the infectious and fun medium of Ska
which continues to be the group’s main form of expression.
• Touring Company: 10 members
• Maximum audience: 1,000 people
• Minimum performance Area: 5m x 7m x 5m
Contact
rayvin@therifffs.com
101
TRANIA
60-75min per show
Maltese
TRANIA
Trania
Formed in 2008, Trania is a contemporary ethnic and world music group that plays Maltese
and Mediterranean music. Its main aim is to revive and promote contemporary Maltese folk
and traditional music through the use of various rhythmic styles from the Mediterranean
basin. As a result, the merging of modern and traditional instruments has given the band’s
music a truly unique sound.
To date, the quartet has performed at a number of local festivals, the Mood Indigo festival in
India and also in Varna, Bulgaria. Trania released a music CD of original compositions
in 2011. The band’s repertoire features instrumental and Maltese language compositions.
• Touring Company: 4 members
• Minimum performance area: 5m x 7m
Contact
waltvella@gmail.com
102
LIST OF
COMPANIES
*etnika
Facebook: Etnika
etnikamalta@gmail.com
Airport Impressions
www.airportimpressions.com
johann.schembri@gmail.com
Gabi Sultana
www.gabisultana.com
gabisultana@gmail.com
Aleateia Theatre Group
www.aleateia.com
loranne.vella@gmail.com
Hopping Donkey
seanbriffa@gmail.com
Ars Vitae Ensemble
Facebook: Ars Vitae Ensemble
art.agius@gmail.com
Berne
www.berneofficial.com
soundslikeberne@gmail.com
Cygna
www.cygnamusic.com
info@cygnamusic.com
Flying Crumbs Theatre
www.cookiebully.com
veestiv@gmail.com
Kantilena
www.kantilenamalta.com
kantilena.malta@gmail.com
Każinska
Facebook: KażinSka
justin.galea@gmail.com
Laughing Matters
www.moreorlesstheatre.com
info@moreorlesstheatre.com
The Daphne Lungaro Folklore Group
info@cds.com.mt
Joseph Lia
www.josephlia.com
joseph-lia@hotmail.com
Dù Theatre Group
www.dutheatre.com
dutheatre@gmail.com
Mighty Box
www.mightyboxgames.com
marvin@mightyboxgames.com
103
More or Less Theatre
www.moreorlesstheatre.com
info@moreorlesstheatre.com
The Rubberbodies Collective
www.rubberbodiescollective.com
info@rubber-bodies.com
Moveo Dance Company
www.moveodancecompany.com
moveodancecompany@gmail.com
Sarah Vella, Annekatrin Kiesel,
Hendrik K. Kar, Sinja Maucher
sessav@gmail.com
Nadine Axisa
www.nadineaxisa.com
nadine.axisa@gmail.com
Soundscapes
www.soundscapes.com.mt
rubenzahra@gmail.com
Neith: Performing Our World
loughirlando@gmail.com
Studio 18
www.studio18malta.com
workshops.studio18@gmail.com
The Nisġa Project
Facebook: Nisġa Project
sultanafrancesco@gmail.com
Plato’s Dream Machine
Facebook: Plato’s Dream Machine
farrugia.flores@gmail.com
Red Tape Dance Company
www.redtapedance.com
redtapedance@gmail.com
The Rifffs
www.therifffs.com
rayvin@therifffs.com
Teatru Manoel Youth Theatre
www.teatrumanoel.com.mt
admin@teatrumanoel.com.mt
Theatre Anon
www.theatreanon.com
info@theatreanon.com
Trania
Facebook: Trania
waltvella@gmail.com
The Valletta International
Baroque Ensemble
spiteri.sarah@gmail.com
ORGANISING CULTURAL ENTITIES
The Valletta 2018 Foundation is responsible for the implementation of Valletta’s title of
European Capital of Culture 2018. Through creativity and artistic expression, the title will
enable social, economic, cultural and environmental changes that will have a lasting legacy
in Valletta and around Malta.
www.valletta2018.org
St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity champions Malta’s cultural aspirations, supporting
the contemporary arts scene while acknowledging our country’s heritage and local culture.
www.sjcav.org
ŻiguŻajg International Arts Festival for Children and Young People showcases professional
work, specifically designed for children and young people, at a high level of excellence.
The Festival is produced by St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity.
www.ziguzajg.org
Arts Council Malta is Malta’s national agency for the strategic development of the cultural
and creative sectors. It is also the national funding body and is supporting Malta Showcase
as part of the new internationalisation programme.
www.maltaculture.com