The Poetics of Confrontation: Fadhel Jaibi and the State in Pre-Revolutionary Tunesia

This paper analyses the poetics of confrontation used by theatre director Fadhel Jaibi,particularly through his performance Yahia-Yaïh-Amnesia. It uses Michel DeCerteau's conceptof 'tactic' and 'strategy' from his book, The Practice of Everyday Life, as a framework for analysisin order to show how Jaibi used performance as his tactic to oppose the regime's strategies inpre-revolutionary Tunisia, creating thereby a poetics of confrontation to challenge both theregime and the people who were subjected to it. It shows how Jaibi constructed the elementsunderpinning his poetic sof performance by fusing the texts produced by Jalila Baccar with thephysical work of the actors, playing particularly on rhythms of speech, action and sound. Itexplains how Jaibi integrated these elements into a politics of confrontation which includedthe audience. It discusses how, through his artistic work, Jaibi obliged the audience to confrontthe prevailing repressive reality as well as society's acceptance of the existing political situationand social norms. His poetics of confrontation targeted a change in perception, which rejectedthe limits imposed by the regime and coercive social forces in favour of democracy,anticipating and accompanying the social upheaval provoked by the Tunisian revolution in2011

Theatre in Malta : amateur practice and professional aspirations

This article provides a general outline of theatre in Malta where the small size of the archipelago (316m ) makes it difficult to develop professional theatre. It evaluates the issues theatre faces when confronted by political constraints that affect cultural policies and outlooks. It looks at the growth of theatre education in Malta that has raised standards and demand for professionalization of theatre. Productions in English and Maltese are discussed, and the changes in attitude and the emergence of new authors are highlighted. The article also considers the disadvantage of the lack of proper theatre criticism and how this can contribute to raising standards and attendance.peer-reviewe

Carnival in Gozo : waning traditions and thriving celebrations

The aim of this paper is to show how the celebration of Carnival in Gozo can be inscribed into a more general revitalization of public celebration that is occurring in Europe. I show how carnival reflects and is influenced by economic and social development in Gozo. Villages have ceased to remain tightly knit agricultural communities, they have become integrated in more complex ways with the wider society. This change has in turn affected the type of celebration itself. Ritualistic patterns are being abandoned, or persist only because they are backed by the authorities. By contrast, the current expansion of public celebrations in Europe can be witnessed by the revitalization that occurs in the types of carnival that encompass new forms and new meanings. These not only generate new interest, but also penetrate the more rigid forms of celebration. I focus here on the three prevalent forms of carnival in Gozo, which are to be found mainly in Xaghra, Rabat and Nadur.peer-reviewe

The poetics of confrontation : Fadhel Jaibi and the state in pre-revolutionary Tunisia

This paper analyses the poetics of confrontation used by theatre director Fadhel Jaibi, particularly through his performance Yahia-Yaïh-Amnesia. It uses Michel DeCerteau's concept of 'tactic' and 'strategy' from his book, The Practice of Everyday Life, as a framework for analysis in order to show how Jaibi used performance as his tactic to oppose the regime's strategies in pre-revolutionary Tunisia, creating thereby a poetics of confrontation to challenge both the regime and the people who were subjected to it. It shows how Jaibi constructed the elements underpinning his poetic sof performance by fusing the texts produced by Jalila Baccar with the physical work of the actors, playing particularly on rhythms of speech, action and sound. It explains how Jaibi integrated these elements into a politics of confrontation which included the audience. It discusses how, through his artistic work, Jaibi obliged the audience to confront the prevailing repressive reality as well as society's acceptance of the existing political situation and social norms. His poetics of confrontation targeted a change in perception, which rejected the limits imposed by the regime and coercive social forces in favour of democracy, anticipating and accompanying the social upheaval provoked by the Tunisian revolution in 2011.peer-reviewe

Capitalising on culture? Malta and the European capital of culture

Cultural mapping involves the identification and classification of cultural spaces, activities, and resources. First launched in Britain in the late 1990s, it was described as shorthand for a whole series of analytic methods for collecting and presenting information on the range and scope of the creative industries‘ (BOP Consulting 2010: 11). 1 This methodology is a useful means of visualising and communicating the cultural assets of a particular area and is considered a useful tool for cultural planning and policy-making, although it is acknowledged that arts and culture present a more complex picture than is captured through this type of exercise (Deveau & Goodrum 2015: 64). Cultural mapping uses both qualitative and quantitative methods of assessment to identify and describe local resources, in order to ensure the inclusion of all sectors of the community (Bianchini, Ghilardi 2007: 281). In recent years, it has been adopted in Malta in order to satisfy the demand, from within the cultural sector, for an informed framework in planning arts and cultural facilities on the national level. It is also intended to reflect the local councils‘ contribution to the sector.peer-reviewe

Ljubiteljsko gledališče na Malti

This article gives a short survey of amateur theatre practice in Malta. It demonstrates that the theatre system is based almost entirely on amateur practice, as Malta does not have the audience capacity and the administrative infrastructure to support professional theatre, and only a handful of persons make a living solely from theatre. However, the development of theatre education during the last thirty years has improved the quality of acting and staging and provided more scope for tackling challenging performances with regard to both content and mise-en-scène. The article looks into the different varieties of amateur theatre-making, taking into account issues such as the differing use of the two main languages of the country: Maltese and English. It discusses the importance of community identity as well as the role the Catholic Church has played in the development of theatre. The authors examine the challenges faced by contemporary amateur theatremakers in the light of the changes occurring in society and the new choices that these changes determine. New Western theatre styles are not only influencing both playwrights and performers, but have also changed the expectations of contemporary spectators concerning the way the performance presents social and political issues.peer-reviewe

Spazji teatrali : a catalogue of theatre space in Malta and Gozo : 2016 edition

Our idea was to create an in-depth study to evaluate the state of every theatre building in Malta and Gozo, irrespective of whether this was functioning or not, or whether it was a community theatre or in a school building. The study was to supply detailed information about the main characteristics of every theatre building that would be of general interest, and of particular use to anyone wishing to perform there, as well as a preliminary appraisal of the actual building itself. [excerpt from the Introduction]peer-reviewe