As part of the 2024/2025 programme, Spazju Kreattiv is launching the innovative and diverse theatrical project titled Skeċċ - The national festival of short plays, which will be held from 5 to 7 June.

This new festival will feature short and original theatrical productions that have never been performed before. Each play, lasting between 10 and 20 minutes, will be in Maltese or English and will explore contemporary themes and cultural diversity. Audiences will have the opportunity to watch all the plays in a single evening. The selected productions will be presented three times over the course of three days in different spaces within St James Cavalier, Valletta.

The main aim of this festival is to serve as a key platform for new voices and emerging talent while encouraging creativity and fresh perspectives in the theatre sector. The festival will include a mix of experienced writers as well as newcomers to the theatrical field. In this way, the initiative will provide space for both seasoned actors and directors and those taking their first steps in theatre. This will ensure that, while the desired level of quality is maintained, there is also room for those who have never had the opportunity to use their skills, and, in doing so, the festival will achieve its core objective of showcasing new perspectives and voices.

Joseph Galea, the director of the Skeċċ Festival, stated that: "Like other major initiatives organised by Spazju Kreattiv, Skeċċ should establish its place in the country's artistic calendar. As the National Centre for Creativity, Spazju Kreattiv is undoubtedly the ideal venue to curate such a festival through its various spaces. We hope that this festival will leave a lasting legacy, with more writers and creative groups in the coming years who will begin their journey here and continue to advance in the theatre scene."

The director of Spazju Kreattiv, Daniel Azzopari, stated that: "Through this new project, Spazju Kreattiv remains at the forefront in providing opportunities for emerging artists to develop their skills within a professional framework that opens doors for them in the sector. Furthermore, the festival allows for the engagement of new audiences who can relate to these initiatives. In this way, Spazju Kreattiv's programme will serve as a point of reference where one can experience topical and relevant themes and subjects that spark greater interest in the arts and culture."

Out of 26 submitted applications, the following six plays were selected by a jury of experts: L-istatwa by David Aloisio, Raġel fuq L-Irġiel by Karl Schembri, Sweet Sixteen by Josue Formosa, Unspoken Bonds by Stefan Galea Debono, Qas Jekk Jinżlu l-Allat by Clint Chircop and Il-Wieħed u Sebgħin by Brandon Terribile.

For more information visit www.kreattivita.org