For its 10th anniversary, ŻiguŻajg is going online and bringing theatre to homes everywhere for this historic pandemic-friendly edition. Times of Malta sits down with festival director Marta Vella and accessibility officer Paula Cassar to uncover just how accessible this edition of the beloved children’s festival really is.

There’s a lot of talk about ŻiguŻajg being the most accessible it’s ever been, even if, ironically, it cannot be accessed by a live audience. Can you tell us more about the festival’s commitment towards accessible shows for all?

Marta: The pandemic and lockdown specifically made us reflect about the true meaning of accessibility. The world was put at a standstill and populations at large were forced to stay indoors. The immediate response was to put everything online. We soon realised that our state for those few months was actually a permanent situation for many. We cannot forget the individuals who, for whatever reason, will not be able to make it to a show. Those people were at the core of our mission this year and, for the first time ever, the festival has had an accessibility officer on board.

Paula: Indeed. It’s ŻiguŻajg’s 10th anniversary, making it a big milestone in itself and it so happens that things got more interesting for us all as we were dealing with a global pandemic. This meant that, for the majority of us, our life had already been transferred onto an tronic platform in an attempt to carry on with everyday life. And the same could be said for children and their interaction with whatever was happening out there. As far as the festival is concerned, this was our key!

For the first time in ŻiguŻajg’s history, an accessibility officer was asked to step in to support each and every show’s access-for-all approach. Essentially, my role was to ensure that all 10 shows would be easily available and equally enjoyed by the target audience, irrespective of every individual child’s needs, developmental patterns and interaction with a screen. We had to make sure that whatever magical beauty our artists wanted to convey to their viewers is captured and enjoyed by them.

I am a paediatric occupational therapist by profession and my main area of interest is actually a child’s ability to process sensory information. Needless to say, this was a match made in heaven! As  a side note, our sensory experiences are considered as the pillars of human development. It is through our processing of sensory experiences that we are able to interact effectively with the world around us in a manner that allows us to automatically perceive any given situation we are in. Bearing all this in mind, I wanted to rope in as many of the eight sensory systems (yes eight, not five) as the foundation in the festival’s commitment to accessibility.

With an all-online festival, every show has been stripped down and thoroughly analysed from a sensory standpoint so that, ultimately, the viewers get to enjoy a multisensory immersive and interactive experience.

Performers (above and below) being filmed for the festival, which is being held online this year.

In what ways will these productions be more accessible?

Festival director Marta Vella. Photo: Lindsey Bahia

Marta: All shows have also been captioned in both Maltese and English. An additional facet of accessibility this year is the ticket. Whereas, before, each audience member needed to purchase one ticket per person, families can now purchase one ticket per household for any respective show. This is in support of our efforts to help families and audiences this year and make art more accessible too.

Accessibility officer Paula Cassar

Paula: If we had to look at the 10 productions and the means with which they will be presented to the audience, our main focus shifted to the viewer’s ability to access the information via the use of a screen. Now, for the majority of us, this is a simple task − you just sit in front of your television or tablet and you take it all in, right? However, if we had to analyse what it actually takes for children (and adults alike) to be able to engage through a screen, we would soon realise that there is an intricate and complicated scaffold of developmental ‘building blocks’ that enable us to enjoy such shows.

For instance, this primarily involves one’s ability to see what is on the screen, so, as is usually the case with artistic productions, the viewer’s visual sense is of major importance. That said, so are other sensory experiences, such as one’s ability to hear, one’s ability to be able to sit down and sustain one’s attention for the duration of the show, one’s ability to follow through and act upon verbal directions provided when the audience is required to be an active participant and the ability to move and coordinate one’s movements when the audience is encouraged to learn a choreographed dance sequence. The list goes on and on.

Keeping all of this in mind, coupled with the myriad  difficulties seen in children with special needs, careful consideration has been given to implementing sensory-driven adjustments, with our primary aim focused on reaching as much of the audience members’ needs as possible. These ‘sensory adaptations’ vary from the simple act of using a softer colour scheme to using subdued sound effects.

Every production is bilingual, meaning that, irrespective of whether you come from a Maltese- or English-speaking background, the child can enjoy the show in the preferred mother tongue. Additionally, shows will also be supported with subtitles.

A duo of performers practising their number.

How did you tackle the subject of accessibility with each production company?

Marta: Open communication with our artists and collaborators was key. It was about achieving that sweet spot of making their show as accessible as possible without compromising the show’s aesthetic. It is a tough balance to achieve. An important thing that we needed to keep in mind is that accessibility isn’t a one-size-fits-all equation. As much as we tried, we couldn’t tick all the boxes for everyone’s accessibility’s needs, so we spoke internally about what we wanted to achieve the most and focused on that. Having Paula on board made all the difference. Working with a professional in her field was an immense asset for the festival this year. I really do believe we have managed not to just elevate the standard of excellence in children’s theatre but also break down many walls to make a more accessible ŻiguŻajg.

Paula: There has been constant communication and back-and-forth discussions with the creative team for every single production. It was necessary for me to fully understand what the artists had in mind, particularly from an aesthetic standpoint, since it then allowed us to collaboratively come up with solutions which were individually tailored.

Every process commenced and revolved primarily around the age group of the target audience. This was an imperative step to be taken into account for the simple reason that recommendations provided had to be in-line with the chronological expectations for each cohort. Generally speaking, the younger audiences will enjoy a more sensory-rich experience. So will the older group but these have been adapted in ways which allows a more complex cognitively-driven engagement throughout the performance.

My involvement assisted the artists in identifying their audience’s developmental patterns and skills as well as the various needs that are typically seen in children with special needs. Together, I am positive that we have been able to bridge the gap, thus allowing us to provide a theatrical experience with the maximum potential of accessibility for all.

The 10th edition of ŻiguŻajg will run from tomorrow until November 29. For tickets and more information, visit www.ziguzajg.org or call on 2122 3200.