Creative boot-camp for performing arts | Creative Island Workshops

The recently wrapped up creative summer camp for performance artists was organised by Creative Island and held between June and October.

The workshops were very successful, with encouraging feedback from all participants who attended. The workshops succeeded in exposing performers to new opportunities that are not available in Malta and to equipped them with diverse and original tools to enhance their theatrical performances.

The workshops held were in the following subjects:

• Mime
• Comedy in performance
• Puppetry
• Commedia dell' Arte
• Stand up Comedy

The workshops attracted a very diverse range of participants, many with a theatre/dance background. A large portion of the students were clown doctors who found the workshops very helpful to the work. Many participants were either students or new to performance and the case of all the workshops, the tutors designed the workshops to target all levels.

"I feel that these workshops have opened many creative doors to the people who attended as well as strengthening the skills that they already had. The participants left the workshops inspired, energetic and satisfied," Creative Island founder Nichole Cuschieri said.

"These workshops were also a very rewarding experience for the organization, in terms of organising workshops that are of a high quality with excellent tutors, in a comfortable space with good lunch and refreshments. The tutors and the participants were all very encouraging and requested for opportunities like these to continue in the future," Cuschieri added.

Some testimonials from participants

Comedy in performance workshop

"The Comedy in performance workshop was fantastic... not only did it create numerous 'eureka' moments but it was a great laugh as well as pushing me in in ways I wanted to be pushed. it really left me feeling positive. Great job!"

Steve Hili

Puppetry workshop

"The puppetry workshop weekend was affordable, extremely informative, hands on, interactive and lots of fun. I shall be applying the basic skills and information taught to us in one of my projects where shadow puppetry will be the medium used in a a cross media installation that I am currently working on. I have requested a follow up if possible."

Anna Grima

"I was doing the puppetry workshop with you and I enjoyed a lot, the teacher I really like him and his art with the puppetry. I met nice people and I particularly enjoyed doing shadow theatre and I suppose that, you will like to listen that, I am working in a project about shadow theatre. "

Patrica Lorenzo Toral

Commedia dell'Arte workshop

"I enjoyed the Commedia dell'Arte workshop very much. As I had mentioned to you, I attended CDA lectures offered to the public last year and this year I am following my BA in Theatre Studies so this particular workshop was important for me to attend. I was not disappointed. Paola's instructions were accurate. She conducted the workshops in a pleasant and professional way. I now understand that its so different working with a CDA mask. The different ways of posture and movement are not the same as in a traditional text based play. The eyes and voice are so important too."

Liz Borg Cardona

Standup Comedy workshop

"Logan's workshop showed us, through specially devised mind-warping games, how easy it is for anyone to bring out their creative and funny self."

Aldo Cauchi Savona

For more information, log on to Creative Island.