- Description
- FAQ
- Backers
Project Description
What is Pandora?
With our mission of creating theatre for young adults in mind, once again we sought to develop a performance that can inspire and educate other young and budding theatre enthusiasts. With our forthcoming show ‘Pandora’, however, we decided to take a deeper look into the uncanny and relate such a narrative to a local, Maltese context.
Thus, after months of vigorous research, we developed our titular character, Pandora, a 16-year-old girl from a working class family. Pandora grew into a very rigidly conservative and religious family – a mindset strengthened by the family’s death of their second-born son, a boy named Neal. This event helped Pandora realize that she is unlike other people: from a young age, Pandora did not view death the same way other people did. Rather than seeing death as a tragic and melancholic event, Pandora viewed death as a mere transition from one state to the next; an event that does not have to warrant the tragic facade it is given.
Because of this, Pandora grew up being told that she wasn’t normal and needed to change – by both family and friends alike. This led to our protagonist becoming marginalized and closed off to the world as she struggled with society’s conventions of normalcy.
Our performance shall thus see Pandora go through a journey of self-acceptance, wherein meeting a group of whacky and unconventional 20-year-olds, helps her rethink such notions of normalcy. One can thus call ‘Pandora’ a story of acceptance and growth, as we see our protagonist develop and change into a self-actualized teenager who, although aware of her flaws, is accepting of her unique self.
Who is our target audience?
Our performance will most certainly appeal to teenagers and young adults, people who are currently going through the ‘discovery stage’ of their lives, finding and learning new aspects of their life which they probably never discovered before and showing that it’s okay to be different and to question everything and everyone around you.
Our role in the production.
Each member of the collective has an important role that they hold to contribute towards our upcoming production. We always divide the work according to our strengths within the performing arts industry.
- Benjamin Abela will be writing the script for ‘Pandora’ and handling the budget for the show
- Brendon Thearle will be directing ‘Pandora’ and is helping out with marketing
- Gianluca Mifsud is in charge of our marketing strategy and production manager
- Annalise Ebejer will be performing in ‘Pandora’
Although we have our designated roles, as a collective we are constantly supporting each other and giving our feedback towards anything being done, making sure that everyone is constantly on the same page and equally contributing towards the production.
What we want out of this show.
From this piece, our aim is to show that every teenager should feel safe enough to challenge society’s norms and ask questions about life, so as to find their own meaning to it. Each person should accept themselves the way they are, and be confident enough to set foot in the world as nothing less as themselves. Apart from this, we want to encourage young people to see the theatre as a place where they can see their thoughts come into being and inspire themselves from it. Theatre should be a platform for young adults to experiment and grow within limitless bounds and this is what we, the Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective, strives for.
So, what is Ħassle Mejjet?
Formed in late 2017, opening its doors in 2018, Ħassle Mejjet Theatre Collective (in short, Ħassle Mejjet) was formed to devise and create theatrical productions to by up-and-coming theatre novices, both original and devised content as well as previously written work by some well-known playwrights.
Ħassle Mejjet is more or less a social and personal experiment to learn new, innovative ways of bringing ideas from people who began their training in the arts many years prior, learn from mistakes and aim to reach high!
The Ħassle Mejjet Team is consisted of Benjamin Abela, Annalise Ebejer, Gianluca Mifsud and Brendon Thearle, four theatre students and novices in the ever-growing theatre industry and making new and original content for the ever-expanding theatre scene.
Why should I help?
Making theatre is never easy, especially original work created by young people. Supporting young artists in creating theatre can help us further create even better productions in the near future and to keep the theatre collective on it’s feet whilst also supporting this production in any means you can.
Although we have an amount of our budget being provided to us by our wonderful sponsor; APS Bank – however, we still need a bit more. Your contribution will help us fund:
- The theatre venue’s fees
- Lighting and sound equipment costs
- Staff fees
- Set and prop costs
- Marketing and PR
- Licensing fees
- Emergency funds – just in case something happens in the process!
None of the contributions (including any extra funds we receive from this crowdfund) you provide here will go into the pockets of the theatre collective’s members but instead are helping to fund this production!
Final Run
Your support will mean the absolute world to us and you will be helping fund work created by young people for young people!
So, from the bottom of our hearts, thank you!
Project FAQ
How much does the whole project cost?
The whole project costs (roughly) around 1,500 EUR (incl. VAT) with:
- 500 EUR going to the theatre venue
- 435 EUR (approx.) for staff fees
- 300 EUR allocated for set and props (which can also be allocated to emergency funds)
- Licensing fees, additional fees and costs (including marketing and PR)
Any excess funds will be saved as emergency funds just in case anything happens in the process!
You stated that APS Bank will be providing a substantial amount, why are you asking for an additional 550 EUR then?
Although we cannot thank APS Bank enough for supporting us and ultimately theatre work by young creatives, we still need the additional 550 EUR to help us secure a financially stable production, as stated previously, making theatre ain't cheap!
Why is the ZAAR campaign remaining open a week after the last show?
The reason as to why the ZAAR campaign will be remaining open a week after the last performance, which is Sunday 20th October, is to allow audience members who have seen the performance to still donate and receive a cool reward in the process if they want to
When and where is Pandora being shown?
Pandora will be shown on the 18th, 19th and 20th of October 2019 at Teatru Manoel Studio Theatre, Valletta
What is the age classification of Pandora?
The show is classifed as 15+ and contains some strong language and scenes involving drug use
How long is the show?
The show's duration is approximately 1 hr and 15 mins
How can I help this project become a success?
- Make a direct donation contribution - any donations will make us extremely happy and one step closer to making Pandora a full reality
- Share the campaign video and crowdfunding page with your friends, family, dogs, cats, horses and anyone you know on social media - it will mean the world to us!
When and how will I get my reward?
Once the campaign is over, we will contact you via email with details on how and when you will be receiving your well-earned reward, as well as, any additional information we may need from you! Give us a few days however to get back to you, as we will need to process all the necessary details
Does purchasing a reward automatically entitle me to a ticket?
Unfortunately no, tickets are not provided to any ZAAR backers and none of the rewards listed will entitle you to a complimentary ticket as this will be a breach of a contractual agreement between us and the theatre venue. If you do wish to purchase a ticket, you may do so by visiting the booking website or by visiting the box office (in the specified business hours found on their website). If you want to know more about the show, you can visit our event page
What happens if the projects fails it's goal?
Unfortunately, these things happen and although we don't wish for this to happen, if it does happen, ZAAR will refund every single backer as soon as possible and we will not receive anything - it's a tough town baby!
What happens if the project exceeds it's intended goal?
We will be eternally grateful and will mean that the production will be ten times better than what we are aiming it to be and any exceeded funds we receive will go straight into funding this production!
I have more questions, where do I contact you?
We will be more than happy to hear you out, so please don't hesitate to email us ([email protected]), message us on Messenger or through our website
I want to know more about you guys, where do I find said information?
You can either visit our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages or visit our website