We are all Sabir – An Improvised Theatre Performance
As part of the Second Edition of the Malta Festival of Ideas
We Are All Sabir is a multilingual improvised theatre performance featuring six artists from Malta, Italy, France, Greece, Turkey, and Morocco. They are part of the SABIR Project Collective, an international network of improvisers from across the Mediterranean who use theatre to foster dialogue and understanding.
On stage, the performers create unscripted stories that cross borders of language and culture, tackling social and political themes with humour, humanity, and empathy. Each show is unique, shaped in the moment by the diverse voices of the ensemble and the shared experience with the audience.
Taking its name from Sabir, the historic lingua franca of the region, the project embraces diversity as a creative force and turns improvisation into a tool for empathy, reflection, and peace-building.
The People Behind Sabir
Simone Ellul
An actress and director from Malta, Simone discovered improvisation around 12 years ago and has never looked back. She has performed and taught at many international festivals. She loves grounded, authentic theatrical improv and uses her skills as an intimacy director to help improvisers explore intimacy safely.
Adil Lfal
Adil Lfal is a Moroccan improviser, actor, and coach, as well as the founder of Impact Maroc. He leads workshops and performances for both adults and children, while also representing Moroccan improv at international festivals across Europe and Africa. With extensive stage experience, Adil blends humour, creativity, and cultural exchange to engage and inspire diverse audiences.
Alessandra Antonelli
Alessandra first stepped on a stage when she was three years old and has never looked back. She explores the stage from different angles — as actress, improviser, set and costume designer, and trainer — building solid foundations in order to overturn them with lightness. For her, collaboration with others is always a journey of discovery and connection.
Heyfa Liman
A Tunisian-born improviser and performer based in Paris, with 15 years of experience in improv, including 7 as a trainer. She co-directs the Wonder Impro Festival, a feminist and inclusive event promoting gender equality. She also performs with “Impro Sexe et Genre”, a troupe that challenges gender stereotypes through socially engaged improvisation.
Kıvanç Ozdemir
Based in Istanbul, Turkey, Kıvanç is an improviser with over 15 years of experience. A member of AZOT, he has performed at international festivals and translated the Theatresports guide into Turkish.
Mihalis Sachas
Starting his improv journey 10 years ago in Athens, Greece, and now based in Rome, he explores the stage by building playful characters and meaningful relationships. With experience in international festivals, he brings energy and curiosity to every show, diving with his teammates into new worlds and exciting stories.
Musician
Brad Cardona
A Maltese multi-instrumentalist, sound designer, and performer, Brad has over 11 years of musical experience, spanning voice, guitar, piano, and traditional instruments. A graduate in music from the University of Malta, he has worked as a sound designer for numerous theatrical productions and performed on stages ranging from X Factor Malta to local competitions and concerts. Passionate about blending performance with exploration, Brad continues to expand his artistry through both live shows and creative projects that push the boundaries of sound and storytelling.
What’s the Festival of Ideas?
This year, the Festival of Ideas 2025 envisions to be a pivotal platform promoting a multidisciplinary space for reflection, dialogue, and co-creation of innovative and creative ideas revolving around the theme of peace. Recognising the interwoven relationship between culture, dialogue, and peace, Reimagining Tomorrow: Possibilities for Peace aims to re-centre our collective efforts towards the promotion of diplomatic relations, inclusive communities, and peaceful co-existence with our environment.
The unprecedented flare-up of armed conflict, violence, and the death of innocent civilians, and the rapture of whole generations and families robbed of their most precious asset, the right to life, is a reality governments across the world cannot keep on ignoring. The invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the genocide of the Palestinian People under decades of Israeli occupation, and the increase in armed conflict by military groups in Africa are just a few examples.
These are loud alarm bells calling us to rekindle our language, policies, and resources towards the realisation of human rights, restorative justice, reconciliation, and peacebuilding. Furthermore, the missed targets of the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030, and the rise in political nepotism surrounding climate change action and man-made pollution, have contributed to negatively impact humanity’s transition towards just and peaceful environments.
The year 2025 provides an opportunity to reflect, discuss, and renew collective efforts towards non-violent solutions and the development of a more just and peaceful future.
The Festival of Ideas will feature five thematic forums over one week. Distinguished speakers will address diplomacy, international human rights law, artistic expression, environmental heritage, and community activism.
This year’s Lectio Magistralis will be delivered by Prof. Todor Todorov, Bulgarian philosopher and fiction writer. In addition, satellite events and artistic performances have been curated to complement the discussions.
The Festival of Ideas is a family-friendly event, inviting participants of all ages and backgrounds.
Tickets at €10 from https://booking.teatrumanoel.mt/websales/show/139794
For more info and a full list of events visit https://festivalofideas.mt
