This year's ŻiguŻajg Festival 2023 promises to be a captivating and enchanting experience for children and young audiences. Taking place between 10 and 19 November, this 10-day extravaganza will offer a diverse array of 16 projects that will leave audiences spellbound.
ŻiguŻajg, Malta's much-anticipated children's and young people's arts festival, is set to mesmerise its visitors with a spectacular line-up featuring both local and international projects, including two films. Here is a sneak peek into some of the fascinating projects that will grace the festival's stages.
Starting with the youngest ones, the 0-4 age category welcomes its youngest audience members with four delightful projects designed to engage and captivate the senses.
Meet me a tree invites attendees on a multisensory journey through the life of a tree. This beautiful and relaxing experience incorporates opera classics by Schumann, Delives and Handel, among others. The show provides a tranquil space for new parents, caregivers and their babies to unwind and have fun. In A ladder to the stars, young viewers will embark on a whimsical journey with meeting Olive, a cheeky little girl with a wish to dance among the stars. In this charming puppet show, as the universe grants her wish, the audience will soar through the skies, meeting the sun, moon, stars... and even a hot air balloon! Coming all the way from Australia, The boy and the ball delves into the theme of friendship, exploring how children use play to discover and make friends during their first encounters at kindergarten or preschool. Furthermore, Tgħanniqa Xewkija completes this enchanting category. A Maltese musical with original songs by Walter Micallef, which makes it a celebration of song, imagination, creativity and a little magic.
Moving onto the festival's 5-7 age category, The witch's class promises an enchanting and interactive experience as Ween the witch needs a hand in her cooking lessons. Children will get to assist with potion-making and engage in various magical activities. Travel bug challenges convention and turns everyday objects into something extraordinary, transforming the familiar into the unexpected. With a cast of mixed ability, this show will provide a sensory feast for the audience. Then there's Bonġu bejt, a dynamic non-verbal performance that combines circus arts, live music, acrobatics, humour and imaginative absurdity. All the way from France, Fall and float is a high energy dance and physical theatre piece filled with balloons!
Moving on to the 8-10 age category, our programme offers an intriguing selection sure to stimulate and engage young minds. Gulliver promises a world of puppetry and surprises, with little Lilliputians, a tiny Gulliver, a crazy King and a spooky visitor. All the way from the UK, this show incorporates physical theatre and sea shanties to take the audience on a long and magical journey with Gulliver himself. Possible worlds happening in Space A at Spazju Kreattiv, is a visual arts exhibition delving into social and natural landscapes. It fosters learning, awareness and shared perspectives. Workshops linked to the exhibition are taking place during the festival.
Phora 10XS is a dance piece that will transport audiences to a captivating futuristic world. Oktomora takes place on a magical twilight dream island, addressing both children and adults with a message of tenderness and support. The Dreamcatchers explores the realm of dreams, where dreamcatchers interact with a blind boy who can see in his dreams, making for an intriguing and thought-provoking experience. Trouser girl - An opera for young audiences is the perfect introduction to opera!
ŻiguŻajg's programme will also feature two films - Rosa and the stone troll (U) and The secret kingdom (PG). These films promise to take viewers on thrilling adventures that will leave a lasting impression.
Of course, ŻiguŻajg has even more surprises in store, but we wouldn't want to give everything away! We invite you to join us and experience the magic for yourself. Get ready to embark on a journey of wonder, imagination and inspiration at the ŻiguŻajg festival, where the magic of storytelling comes to life!
For more information and tickets visit www.ziguzajg.org