‘Just Forge Ahead And Be Fabulous’: Maltese NGO Launches Play Performed By Mixed Ability Actors
One Maltese association launched a play co-created and acted out by performers with mixed learning abilities.
The play, Is-Siġra tat-Tin is produced by the Opening Doors Association and was written by award-winning playwright Simone Spiteri. It was first staged last October, but with limited seating due to COVID-19 restrictions. Now it has returned for another weekend.
Lovin Malta sat with Angela Bettoni, who will be starring in the play as the lead.
“Is-Siġra tat-Tin is all about our dreams,” she said. “Wishes and desires that we all have, like everyone else. It speaks of our desire to be treated as equals.”
“Being included in society is a basic human desire. We have wants, needs, and wishes even though our paths are different.”
“Sometimes we feel completely alone in wanting to reach out for what we want, and in the absence of a bridge, you just have to forge ahead and just be fabulous.”
Angela, is a 20-year-old writer and performer with Down Syndrome who advocates for more inclusion in the performing arts in Malta.
It’s not the first time she featured with Lovin Malta, after she launched a video for World Down’s Syndrome Day championing the message of inclusion through skillful and impassioned dance.
Opening Doors is an NGO that provides opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities through training in the arts. They have over 40 participants in their core groups, of whom practice theatre, dance, and music. The activities are funded through project grants and private donations.
They host performances on a yearly basis, showcasing the work developed by their artistic leaders and trainees.
This year’s performance is powered by Culture Venture, Udjenza, Farsons Foundation, and the University of Malta Acting on the Margins: Art as a Social Sculpture.
You can learn and book your place at the event by clicking here