Tim Robbins’ Greek vaudeville, Singaporean literary sensation, and a party celebrating menstruation. Thursday at Malta Festival promises to be fascinating.

“Period Celebration Party is an opportunity to talk openly about issues that are still considered taboo. The event will change the narrative around menstruation. Periods should not be something to be ashamed of, but rather celebrated.” With these words begins the description of one of the most intriguing events at this year’s Malta Festival. The Period Celebration Party, initiated by Monika Kozub, has previously been held in Berlin and London, and now it’s time for Poznań. From 5:00 PM at Pawilon, Malwina Mango will share her knowledge about the female body. Later, Poważne Dziewczyny will play music for dancing. The dress code? All shades of life-giving red.

A few hours earlier, at noon, Malwina Mango will lead a workshop on Cerrada at the Polish Dance Theatre. Cerrada is an ancient art of wrapping various body parts with special rebozo scarves, which has numerous health benefits. Registration for this event is closed.

At the same time, at 5:00 PM in the Festival Club, there will be another session of the “Women Talking” series. Michał Nogaś’s guest will be Amanda Lee Koe, whose debut collection of short stories, Ministry of Moral Panic (published in Poland by Tajfuny in 2020), caused quite a stir and much admiration. The author has been praised for her uncompromising language and bold portrayal of contemporary Singapore.

Simultaneously, at the UAP Atrium, a debate titled “Taming Menopause” will take place. Psychologist Katarzyna Miller, sexologist Alicja Długołęcka, actress Katarzyna Warnke, along with group trainer Anna Samsel and doctor, gynecology and endocrinology specialist Katarzyna Skórzewska, will dispel all doubts and debunk the myths surrounding menopause.

An hour later, you should definitely head to Kino Muza for a screening of a documentary, though not a biographical one, about Andrzej Seweryn. Directed by Arkadiusz Bartosiak, this film captures one year in the artist’s life—a year full of challenges during which Seweryn, without missing a beat, acts, directs, and runs a theater.

And since we’re talking about esteemed actors with a passion for directing, we must mention one of the most important figures at this year’s Malta Festival: Tim Robbins. This Oscar-winning American actor, recognized for his role in Mystic River, will visit Poznań with the performance “Topsy Turvy”. While Robbins himself doesn’t act in the play, he is responsible for the direction, script, and music. As noted on the Golden Globes Association website: “The Actor’s Gang makes theater relevant to society, bringing back the ancient idea of the stage as a shared sacred space, presenting the work of innovative theater artists.” The performance will take place at 7:00 PM at Aula Artis.

At the same time, at Teatr Nowy, you can see “Closed Rooms. An Unfunny One-Act Play”. Directed by Ukrainian-born Maria Bruni, this play tells a powerful story about the tense, war-torn relationship between a young Polish man and a young Ukrainian woman.

We started today’s newsletter with news about dance, and we’ll end it the same way. At 7:00 PM in the Festival Club, Tash LC, a London-based DJ of African descent, will perform. During her performances in clubs and on stations like BBC and NTS, she boldly incorporates afro-jazz, highlife, kuduro, and gqom—music that might still seem exotic in Poland but has been conquering dance floors worldwide for years.

Constant features of the program include morning hatha yoga sessions, afro dance, screenings of selected episodes of “The Domino Effect” at Kino Muza, and various eco-friendly activities in the Green Energy Zone. Detailed information about all events can be found in the “Program” section and the official Malta Festival 2024 app, available on iOS and Android devices.