Malta touch in Euromed festival

Contact Dance Company and the percussion ensemble The Katambù Sound Factory have just returned from Portugal where they participated in the Euromed 2003 international festival.

During their week-long stay in Seixal and Fundao, they shared experiences with another 40 artistes from Tunisia, the UK, Spain, Portugal and Greece, with whom they collaborated and created performances, apart from presenting their own works.

The Katambù Sound Factory kicked off the festival with a bang, with their sounds from raw and recycled materials, composed and artistically directed by Renzo Spiteri, while Contact Dance Company's contemporary dancers Sandra Mifsud, Nicola Critien, Rachel Axisa and Giselle Calleja performed Tempest to the music of John Cage and choreographed by artistic director Francesca Abela Tranter.

They collaborated with a hip hop dancer from the UK and two young talented percussionists from Portugal, while the five-member group of The Katambù Sound Factory collaborated with talented Tunisian percussionists, the ethnic group Saraya, and the Portuguese Toca Rufar.

Leaders of the groups gave workshops to about 200 children in state schools and daily workshops were also held, in which Ms Abela Tranter was accompanied by Mr Spiteri's expertise on the djembe drum.

"The experience of living with musicians, dancers, actors and mime artists was tremendous. It is overwhelming to interact with so many different cultures at one time and return to Malta with a wealth of experience to be able to share," Ms Abela Tranter said.