Coryse Borg speaks to Anna Formosa who has been working as an applied drama practitioner in England and Malta for the past 12 years. Abroad, she has worked on projects with organisations such as the Barbican Theatre in Plymouth and Creation Theatre Company in Oxford. Locally, with the support of arts funds such as the Malta Arts Fund and President's Awards for Creativity, she created platforms for various projects and was also involved with Żigużajg Arts Festival for Children and Young people as well as with Opening Doors and other organisations. Her latest venture is the Valletta 2018 project 'Darba Waħda', which brings together the elderly and children - giving them the opportunity to share, learn, create and have fun together.
Anna's journey started many years ago when she was a performer with the local Aleateia Theatre Group. Her passion and strong belief in the arts led her to leave her job in pharmacy to further learn and research different ways of using drama in the community. She moved to England where she earned a distinction in a Master's degree in Applied Drama from the University of Exeter in 2005.
"Applied drama means using various drama techniques and exercises, such as improvisation, storytelling, arts and crafts, music and dancing, for the purpose of education or social cohesion or intervention through creative projects," Anna explains, "In the UK I learnt from and worked alongside people of extensive experience in this field. I have never looked back since."
When Anna speaks about Darba Waħda, her eyes light up.
"This project is all about challenging stereotypes and re-connecting generations through stories and games. Elderly people have a wealth of information and experience that makes them valuable members of our communities. Children, on the other hand, in their simplicity and youthfulness, are inspirational," she says.
Darba Waħda builds bridges between the generations. Carefully-designed workshops empower the participants to share memories, ideas and thoughts, building a strong sense of community. Old and young are brought together in a creative and safe environment where they are encouraged to explore their communality through a series of fun activities such as drama, storytelling, arts and crafts and other art forms.
"The creative platform is set up to enable tradition and culture to be passed down from one generation to another. It is about legacy, building friendships, learning new things, discovering new aspects. It is about discovering the children in us and having fun together in the most simple, most effective way. Ultimately Darba Waħda is about igniting passion in people!" she smiles.
As a child Anna used to spend a lot of time with her grandmother whom she found fascinating. Years later, while she was working in Oxford, she met a lonely elderly lady in the park and it was she who sparked off the idea of her creating projects with elderly people. Her first intergenerational project was held in Oxford thanks to a grant by the Oxford Arts Council. When she returned to live in Malta, she started working on different applied drama projects some of which were with elderly people. It was this experience that encouraged her to create a intergenerational project in Malta.
This particular project allows for fascinating stories from the past to be told... something that children rarely get the opportunity to listen to these days.
"For example, last year the children learnt that in Birkirkara there were many cinemas, one of which had a retractable roof. They were absolutely fascinated. They learnt about the old Maltese colour-coded buses. They learnt how to play traditional games... most importantly, they all laughed together," she says, "Some parents have told us that it had a great impact on their children's development and that the children were eager to come to the Darba Waħda sessions week after week."
Valletta 2018 has partnered up with Anna Formosa on Darba Waħda due to its validity to Maltese communities. This project comes at very exciting times when the Valletta 2018 programme is becoming more intense, giving access to cultural events and experiences to people from across the ages across Malta and Gozo encouraging everyone to participate. Malta's cultural legacy has grown through the ages and we are all part of it, irrespective of age.
Creative platforms such as Darba Waħda give the possibility to look beyond stereotypes, engaging both the mind and senses of all the participants through creativity bridging gaps. They also stimulate positive attitudes towards aging. When done well, intergenerational projects benefit elderly people as well as children and promote good health and well-being as well as community cohesion.
"Nowadays, we are living longer, healthier lives. We have many elderly people who are full of knowledge and wisdom, and also have the benefit of time and potential to be active members of our community. In such a framework it is important to investigate the role of intergenerational dialogue and learning," Anna concludes.
Darba Waħda is now about to go in its third season and it is planned to go to many more communities across Malta and Gozo. This season caters for people coming from Siġġiewi, Żebbuġ, Żabbar, Marsaskala, Żejtun, Mqabba, Qrendi, Kirkop, Safi, Żurrieq and Birkirkara. Projects will be taking place in Kirkop, Birkirkara, Żabbar, and Siġġiewi. Free transport is available.
Darba Wahda is a Valletta 2018 project. For more information please visit the Facebook page Darba Waħda or www.valletta2018.org. To participate in the project, contact your respective local council.