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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 SEPTEMBER 2023 4 CULTURE This article is supported by Arts Council Malta The Sabir Project for Improvizza! Malta Improv Festival "PRESENT improvisation shows that contribute to the promotion of intercultural di- alogue" This is the main ob- jective of the SABIR PROJECT RESIDENCY, hosted in Val- letta as part of the 2nd Edition of the IMPROVIZZA! Malta Improv Festival (which will be held from the 21st to the 24th of September). This objective takes into account the potential of improvisation as a perform- ing art on social, cultural, and artistic levels. Following a two-day artistic residency, the improvisers will welcome the audience at Spazju Kreattiv on Saturday, 23rd Sep- tember, at 8:00 pm to witness their improvised theatre show titled "We Are All Sabir." Sabir, formed in 2016, is a col- lective comprised of 15 impro- visers from 8 Mediterranean countries: Malta, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Tunisia, Alge- ria, and France. This Residen- cy has received support from the European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists (EFFEA), co-funded by the European Un- ion within the Creative Europe Programme. It is supported by three improv festival partners, including Improvizza! Malta Improv Festival (Malta), Tolfa- ma International Festival of Im- provised Arts (Italy), and Ma- dhia Improv Festival (Tunisia). The word Sabir refers to a lin- gua franca that was an unofficial blend of languages used in the Mediterranean basin between the 11th and 19th centuries for commercial transactions and di- plomacy. It was common among slaves and primarily based on Venetian and Spanish, bor- rowing from Berber, Turkish, French, Greek, and Arabic ter- minologies. The Sabir Project offers a chance to utilize social improv as a unique tool to en- hance the social empathy of our society, promoting a new model of united and inclusive diversity. It uses shared foundations as a springboard to encourage cul- tural diversity through the pow- er of improvisational theatre. The improvisers come from diverse backgrounds and spon- taneously create stories in the moment. They all hail from Mediterranean countries, each with distinct cultures and dif- ferent languages, yet sharing a strong historical and rooted connection. They believe that this diversity constitutes their most valuable heritage. As privileged individu- als capable of presenting stories on stage to a live audience, they hold a social and ethical respon- sibility to ensure these stories are inclusive and impactful, thus altering the narrative that per- petuates limiting stereotypes in favor of building powerful hu- man connections. Sabir is very excited to be or- ganising this residency in Malta, which, being geographically sit- uated in the middle of the Med- iterranean, perfectly symbolises the richness of the melting-pot that is the Mediterranean sea and encapsulates the cultural diversity that exists in the area, drawing us together to share our experiences. All SABIR partners will par- ticipate in a Residency at SPAZ- JU KREATTIV from the 21st to the 24th September, as part of a significant collaboration agree- ment underwritten by the pro- ject. Additionally, on Sunday, 24th September, from 10:00 am to 12:30 pm, members of the collective will conduct the work- shop "Active Re-acting: Improv for Life, Business, and Arts," de- signed to explore the enchanting world of improvisation from dif- ferent aspects