Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/587664
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 18 OCTOBER 2015 42 This Week If you're on a quiet rocky shore and hear a persistent pss-wss-wss-wss! pss-wss-wss-wss! you are probably sharing space with a Common Sandpiper (it's of course also possible someone set off your car alarm but let's stick to the topic). You probably won't spot it because it's small and its dark speckled back will merge with the rocks on the foreshore. But if you can sit awhile and happen to be carrying binoculars, a slow scan of the shoreline might bring this bird into view. Although camouflaged it is thankfully also rarely still, constantly bobbing its tail and poking among the rocks with its rather long bill. The Common Sandpiper (M: Pispisella) is one of several wader species that visit our islands. It's not a resident bird, usually staying a few days to rest and refuel before resuming its journey north or south depending on the season. But in protected areas like Għadira and Is-Simar nature reserves one or two sometimes stay over entire months. So here's for more protected areas. 476. COMMON SANDPIPER GREEN IDEA OF THE WEEK 379: FIND OUT MORE – WWW.FOEMALTA.ORG/LINKS/TTIP Visit Friends of the Earth's website for more information about our work, as well as for information about how to join us. You can also support us by sending us a donation - www.foemalta.org/donate Text Victor Falzon Photo Aron Tanti ŻiguŻajg returns for its fifth edition FROM a wild circus show to a play about anorexia, from music celebrations to intimate pieces and from serious themes such as im- migration and the effects of modern technol- ogy to whimsical shows for the very young, ŻiguŻajg International Arts Festival for Chil- dren & Young People is back for a fifth edition that promises to be as imaginative, provoca- tive and tremendously fun as ever. "As a mother, I feel that ŻiguŻajg has con- sistently filled a gap in the cultural sector by focusing exclusively on children. I appeal to schools and parents to attend this festival to encourage our young ones to interact with creativity and culture from a young age", said Michelle Muscat at this morning's launch of the festival programme at St James Cavalier. Culture Minister Owen Bonnici and Educa- tion Minister Evarist Bartolo were also present at the launch. Żigużajg is held under the pa- tronage of the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Michelle Muscat. "Around 16,000 children and parents are ex- pected to attend the 29 performances from 12 different countries which will be held as part of this year's festival. Running between 16-22 November, the festival celebrates diversity and is the only one in Malta which puts chil- dren and young people firmly at its centre," said Culture Minister Owen Bonnici. Education Minister Evarist Bartolo added that: "The arts open up a freer space where young people can think, imagine and ques- tion, outside the formality of the educational system." Artists from Commonwealth countries such as the UK, Canada and Australia will team up with some of the best Maltese artists to create a programme which includes theatre, shadow puppetry, music, circus acts, street parades and dance. For seven days, 150 creatives will create a dreamlike world where gigantic char- acters fly over crowds, sounds create colours and artists can breathe life into a lump of clay. With topics tackled including disability, di- versity, immigration, social media and loneli- ness amongst others, the festival encourages children to engage with serious issues rather than escape them. Such issues are tackled with great intelligence and sensitivity by top artists who often work alongside social pro- fessionals to ensure productions that reflect the complexities of a child's world. Locally, ŻiguŻajg is known for its proactive commissioning approach which, in the past few years, has helped foster a repertoire for children which remains even after the week- long festival is over. This year, in fact, part of this repertoire is being shown during the first edition of the Malta Showcase, a body of work which has been selected for its high quality and which is available to tour internationally. ŻiguŻajg director Toni Attard said: "Placing the arts at the heart from a young age helps children to access this creative freedom early, to think about the world and to help them make sense of their own and other's experi- ences. Ultimately, we are very aware of the responsibility of ensuring excellence in these experiences - young audiences deserve noth- ing but the best." Tickets are out now; all tickets for the morn- ing school programme are free; tickets for the public shows are €2 each. For more informa- tion, log on to www.ziguzajg.org, https://www. facebook.com/ziguzajg PHOTOGRAPHY BY ELISA VON BROCKDORFF Il-Volpi by Trevor Zahra