Ruben Zahra

The KIRANA children’s opera project has been touring since 2014. Presented in 18 different countries, this project has been  part of international festival programmes as well as part of the season of major opera houses. KIRANA is an interdisciplinary performance that has been conceived and designed to connect children with artists towards a collaborative creative process. Three professional artists from Malta travel to any country and conduct a 5-day workshop with the children from the host city. The creative output of the workshops is integrated into the performance so that the children contribute directly to the performance with their own rhythms, movements and language. The story of KIRANA is inspired by the creation myths of different cultures, mainly the legends from China, India, Babylon and Mesopotamia. Some of the scenes in this mythological journey are portrayed through digital animation based on artworks created by children. The music of KIRANA is composed for piano and percussion and performed live by professional musicians. The children complement the soundtrack with a series of music improvisations. KIRANA introduces children to a wide range of new artistic experiences: from contemporary music to percussion workshops, digital animation and light painting.