Toni Attard
Festival Director
Nota tad-Direttur/Director’s note Din is-sena Malta qed tiċċelebra numru ta’ anniversarji importanti li minnhom ħarġet l-istorja tal-ġenerazzjonijiet tagħna. L-ebda waħda minn dawn l-avvenimenti storiċi ma ġiet esperjenzata mill-ġenerazzjoni kurrenti ta’ tfal u żgħażagħ. Anke l-aktar ċelebrazzjoni “żagħżugħa” – dik li mmarkat is-sħubija ta’ Malta fl-Unjoni Ewropea – hija biss memorja vaga ta’ tfulija mhux daqstant imbiegħda. Ħafna mit-tfal u ż-żgħażagħ tagħna jitwieldu f’repubblika ħielsa, independenti u bla konfini. Żigużajg jiċċelebra din il-libertà u jispira udjenzi żgħażagħ biex joħolqu u jinvolvu ruħhom fl-arti. Flimkien qegħdin nibnu nazzjon kreattiv u naqsmu ma’ nies ta’ kull età l-esperjenza unika ta’ teatru, żfin, mużika, ċirku, film u arti viżiva. Nittamaw li dawn il-mumenti jispiraw u jisfidaw l-udjenzi żgħażagħ tagħna biex jikkontribwixxu aktar lejn identità kulturali li qed tevolvi; mhux biss bħala ġenerazzjoni futura iżda wkoll bhala aġenti tal-bidla ta’ żmienijietna.
This year, Malta is celebrating a number of important anniversaries that shaped the story of our generations. None of these historical events have been experienced or witnessed by the current generation of children and young people. Even the “youngest celebration” marking Malta’s accession into the European Union remains a vague memory of a not-so distant childhood. Most of our children and young people are born in a free, independent and ‘borderless’ republic. Żigużajg celebrates this freedom and inspires young audiences to create and to engage in the arts. Together we are building a creative nation and sharing with people of all ages the unique experience of theatre, dance, music, circus, film and visual arts. May these moments inspire and challenge our young audiences to contribute further towards an evolving cultural identity; not simply as our future generation but as today’s agents of change.
Araw il-Belt Valletta tinbidel f’festa ta’ arti, ħossu l-eċitament ta’ mijiet t’artisti millEwropa u aqsmu dawn l-esperjenzi malfamilji u l-ħbieb tagħkom. Grazzi talli se tkunu udjenzi meraviljużi u talli tagħmlu lil Żigużajg vjaġġ maġiku għal kull min iħossu żagħżugħ fl-ispirtu.
Witness Valletta transform into a festival city, feel the excitement of hundreds of performers from across Europe and share these wonderful festival moments with your families and friends. Thank you for being great audiences and for making Żigużajg a magical journey for all of us, young and young in spirit.
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