Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1537507
8 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 16 JULY 2025 CULTURE CONNECTING Silent Voic- es is an artistic collaboration led by BILOURA Intercultural Arts Collective (Italy) togeth- er with WomanUp (Bulgaria), Artpolis (Kosovo) and Dance Beyond Borders (Malta) - the lo- cal coordinators of the project. The Foundation aims to raise awareness around the urgent and often silenced issue of fe- male sexual exploitation in Mal- ta. Through accessible events; including performances, work- shops, a film screening, and an education pack, we aim to break taboos, challenge stereotypes, and invite the public into mean- ingful engagement with this complex topic. Rooted in collaboration, the project encourages actionable reflection and offers tools for individuals to better understand the local and global contexts of prostitution and human traf- ficking. By involving performing artists, experts, organisations, and audiences, the project aims to create inclusive spaces that raise awareness, encourage discussion, and inspire action. This approach, known as Artiv- ism, brings artists together with those already working on the cause, building alongside them. By working with key stakehold- ers and offering different ways for people to participate — whether by attending, creating, or learning — the project sup- ports engagement and empow- erment as steps toward social change. Different Activities for 'Connecting Silent Voices' 1. Main Performance – Silent Voices Tuesday 22 July, 7:30pm, Valletta Campus Tickets: www.dfm.mt/artivism The main event of the project, Silent Voices, launches Dance Festival Malta's Artivism Plat- form. This performance ex- plores the female body as a site of trade, pleasure, and pain; revealing how patriarchal sys- tems intersect with economic vulnerability. Created through intercultural collaboration and grounded in women's testimo- nies from four continents, it offers a raw, research-based re- flection on global female sexual exploitation. Following the performance, a panel discussion will be led by Angele Galea, with speakers from academic, legal, and social fields including Prof. Marce- line Naudi, Maria Borg Pellica- no, Dr. Lara Dimitrijevic, Beth Cachia, and Angie Rottenstein- er. Together, they will explore the Maltese context of female sexual exploitation and invite public dialogue. 20% of ticket proceeds will go to Dar Hosea, a local NGO supporting women involved in prostitution with care services, legal aid, and advocacy. 2. Workshop – Creating Art for Change: An Artivism Workshop Wednesday 16 July, 6pm, Dance Studios, University of Malta Register here: https://forms. gle/CxbFoVJokCsJAmNR8 Led by Emilia Figiel and Bilou- ra, this creative workshop invites performing artists into a space of reflection and co-creation. The focus is on ethical practices in socially engaged art and how through a process of question- ing, exchanging and co-creating we can drive social change. 3. Private Workshops for Women Supported by Dar Hosea The project will offer private creative workshops in dance, music, and storytelling for wom- en using Dar Hosea's services, creating space for expression and empowerment. 4. Film Screening – Transborder Rape: Film & Discussion Sunday 20 June, 5:30pm, St Patrick's Salesian School, Sliema Register here: Registration link This powerful documentary, created by the Observatory on Gender in Crisis, follows wom- en seeking asylum who face vi- olence and sexual exploitation during their journey. It gives voice to those silenced by fear and injustice. A discussion will follow, in collaboration with Moviment Graffitti and guest Regina Egle Liotta Catrambone, exploring what we can do to respond to these human rights abuses. Led by Biloura Intercultur- al Arts Collective, Connecting Silent Voices is a winner of the Perform Europe Grant, the in- novative funding scheme for the European performing arts sector supported by the Euro- pean Union. Locally coordinat- ed by Dance Beyond Borders, it involves the collaboration with local organisations Dar Hosea, Moviment Grattiffi and Ob- servatory on Gender in Crisis; together with various experts including: Emilia Figiel, Angele Galea, Prof. Marceline Naudi, Maria Borg Pellicano, Dr. Lara Dimitrijevic, Beth Cachia and Regina Egle Liotta Catrambone. It is generously supported by Dance Festival Malta, Dance Studios School of Performing Arts of University of Malta, St Patrick's School and Mark Baja- da of Bajada Lyons Group - Ig- nazio Hotel. Photo: Biloura Collective Connecting Silent Voices: an international collaboration Connecting Silent Voices is an international project led by Biloura Intercultural Arts Collective, coordinated locally by Dance Beyond Borders, with Dar Hosea and Moviment Graffitti, raising awareness of global sexual exploitation and trafficking.