New dance project exploring Malta’s cultural identity launches crowdfunding campaign

The ‘Inter - Identity’ performance project will highlight the benefits of cultural integration and diversity, and is crowdfunding to support production costs

A new dance project aimed at tackling the issue of cultural discrimination has launched a crowdfunding campaign on local platform ZAAR to raise funds to support the production.

Using an innovative merge between dance and materials linked to a variety of different cultural and ethnic groups, ‘Inter - Identity’ seeks to demonstrate the benefits of integrating diverse cultures into Maltese identity and society.

‘Inter – Identity’ is the work of choreographer Patsy Chetcuti and architect and dancer Jade Farrugia, in collaboration with Moveo Dance Company. Although the project is already endorsed by Valletta 2018, the team has launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise the €3,000 required to cover all production costs, including stu- dio time, artist fees, theatre expenses and equipment, props and set, costumes and promotional material.

“We believe that ‘Inter – Identity’ will have a huge impact when it comes to creating awareness of cultural racism, which is a relevant and debatable issue here in Malta and in most other Westernised countries,” explains Ms Chetcuti. “We really want to exhibit a performance of high quality that will make our supporters and local audiences proud, and that Malta will be confident and happy to send overseas.”

To help the dancers show the importance of sharing knowledge and experiences between such different cultures, they will work directly with people from the varying ethnicities and cultures, ensuring that each group’s individual strengths are highlighted and paralleled to a personal resource within the performance.

“Each culture owns a natural resource pertinent to that specific country, and the audience is introduced to both the possibilities of that resource as well as its limitations when used alone,” continues Ms Farrugia. “Each performer represents a different culture and, in sharing the resources together, they create a new, collective culture that sustains them all. This will be juxtaposed with the one dancer that has chosen not to invest in this relationship.”

The team chose ZAAR to appeal for local support. The project offers a number of rewards to their backers should the campaign’s target be reached, including special mentions on social media, performance tickets, VIP access, a dance workshop and even corporate sponsorship.

Visitors are invited to visit www.zaar.com.mt/projects/interidentity/ to make a donation or to learn more about the ‘Inter – Identity’ performance, which will be held at Palazzo Pereira, Republic Street, Valletta on 20 September 2018.