Actors with learning disabilities will reveal their dreams and fears in a theatrical performance at St. James Cavalier this weekend.
Even with all the work that’s been done to raise awareness and education about the needs and wants of people with learning disabilities, society still insists on making access to life’s pleasures harder for those who do not fit into its conventional norms.
Young adults with learning disabilities still struggle to fit in, and are given very few opportunities to develop their emotional and artistic needs.
Opening Doors is an NGO that supports the creative development of people with learning disabilities.
“It is is the home of a theatre group that is made up of 10 incredible young actors and actresses; ten young men and women who, despite their learning disabilities, despite the hardships that they have to face in life, and despite the resistance they have had to fight, have somehow still managed to forge ahead and make their artistic dream come true,” explained Opening Door’s chairman Toni Attard to the media this week.
“It is often mistaken for a drama school but it’s not. It’s a theatre group like every other, except that it caters of people with learning disabilities. The ten actors and actresses that form part of the group have been working together for the past five years, and since then, they’ve performed in three shows, and have also travelled to Belgium and London to perform in front of a foreign audience.”
Supported by the Malta Arts Fund and St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday the group will be performing its fourth show at St James. Meta Stejjer Nohlom is a performance of short stories each set in a different environment. The narrative taps into the ineffable quality of dreams and that short moment betweensleep and waking up when we’re still unable to make out what is reality and what was only a dream.
Directed by Aldith Gauci and in collaboration with Zizza and Danjeli, the performance unfolds between the actor’s actions and live music.
The group’s first performance held in March 2010 was called L-Iljuni Kkonvertit which was based on a narrative contributed by Steve White, also an Opening Doors actor.
The second performance was called Jien u Ahna and was held in November 2010. This performance was devised by the group and developed the Opening Doors aesthetic. They worked with music and scenes created through improvisation on the theme of communication. It explored what it meant to communicate, to fail to communicate and the in-betweens.
The latest and third performance was held in the beginning of last year. This marked a new development in the work of this group. Called Bejn it-Triq u Jiena, the performance included persons without learning disabilities.
The work was presented, devised and performed inclusively and explored themes about romance, relationships, the outwardly social, and the inner dynamic. Emotional expression and comic nature of the work was shown high appreciation by the audience.
Previous productions were directed by Lou Ghirlando, assisted by Aldith Gauci, Ann Fenech and Roxanne Cole.
Ticktets for Meta Stejjer Nohlom are available from www.sjcav.org or by sending an email to [email protected] or by calling 2122 3200. Tickets cost €8 (culture card and SMART card accepted).