Following an agreement signed between the management of Pjazza Teatru Rjal and the Ministry of Education and Employment under its EducationPlus programme, Pjazza Teatru Rjal will be launching a series of evenings combining different musical and literary genres and styles entitled Iljieli fit-Teatru. The first in this series will be held tomorrow, 29 May at 7.30pm in the theatre's Green Room. The recently-refurbished hall, which may be accessed through the theatre's backstage entrance, will enable the venue to accommodate similar events and to maintain the theatre active all year round.
During the first from the Iljieli fit-Teatru series, violinist Reggie Clews - assistant concert master of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra - shall be performing a selection of Capricci by Niccolo Paganini while Norbert Bugeja, Leanne Ellul and Aleks Farrugia will read a selection from their literary works in Maltese and English. During the event the public will also be introduced to the poetry of Adrian Scerri. Admission to the event will be free of charge.
The agreement between Pjazza Teatru Rjal and the Ministry of Education and Employment will bring this national space closer to schools, opening its doors to school performances and offering - through job shadowing and placements - an opportunity for students to experience the theatre hands-on. This enhances the existing collaboration between Pjazza Teatru Rjal and the Ministry for Education and Employment, which collaboration started in 2016 when both entities worked together with the International Spring Orchestra Festival on Ritmi-KA, an educational percussion project involving about 50 students annually.
"With Iljieli fit-Teatru we are further promoting the theatre as space for the arts, where the theatre becomes a complex of different spaces active all year round, creating a space for a dialogue between the arts and provide opportunity for Maltese cultural voices to express themselves," said Charles Gatt, chairman of Pjazza Teatru Rjal during the signing of the agreement. Joseph Caruana, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Education and Employment added that "both entities are looking forward for Iljieli fit-Teatru to become part of the Maltese cultural calendar with the involvement of more artists, musicians and writers, particularly as a platform to introduce new talent to the Maltese public".