Maltese children take part in Italian theatre festival

A group of Maltese children accompanied by drama teacher Victor De Bono have represented Malta in Marinando, an international theatrical event in Italy.

With over 400 children participating, the festival's aim was to increase the awareness of what the sea can offer.

Through theatre and video projects, the children were exposed to environmental and ethical issues connected to the use of the sea.

Over a week, the children enjoyed various cultural events and excursions while also taking part in theatrical workshops.

Organised by the Italian Ministry for Agriculture, Malta was invited to take part alongside 17 different schools competitively selected from all over Italy.

This year, the festival celebrated its 10th anniversary and Malta, together with Tunisia, was the only non-Italian participant.

Using Maltese, the group of six Maltese children presented the legend of San Dimitri to all the Italian students. With the help of large props they had brought over from Malta, they were able to use puppetry and choreography to overcome the language barrier.

The Italian village of Ostuni in Puglia provided a setting that complemented the inspirational scope of the festival.

The members of the group, aged between 11 and 14, were: Jenise Darmanin, James Camilleri, Nicholas Martin, Andre Agius, Terrell Vella, and Jessica Ellul.