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Prof. Isabelle Gatt leads Theatre Lab on the Practice of Presence

How do performers learn to inhabit a space with authenticity, focus, and awareness? These questions were at the heart of To Be or Not to Be: The Practice of Presence, a theatre lab session led by Prof. Isabelle Gatt for a group of Maltese and international participants within the wider programme at Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School.

Structured as a practical exploration of presence in performance, the workshop guided participants through a series of breath based and physical exercises designed to develop concentration, grounding, and responsiveness. Through movement, stillness, rhythm, and spatial awareness, participants explored how presence is cultivated not through “acting” in a conventional sense, but through attention to the body, breath, impulse, and others within the space.

Working within a theatre laboratory environment, the session encouraged experimentation and observation. Exercises highlighted the relationship between inner awareness and external communication, demonstrating how subtle shifts in breath, posture, and focus can transform both the energy of the performer and the dynamics of the ensemble.

Isabelle Gatt, Associate Professor of Applied Theatre and Drama Education, drew on research and practices linked to physical theatre, devised performance, and ensemble work. Her approach emphasised theatre as a living and relational practice, where presence becomes central to creativity, collaboration, and meaningful exchange.

The workshop was delivered primarily in English, with certain moments translated into French in response to the linguistic and cultural composition of the group. Participants from Malta, Finland, Germany, and Tahiti contributed to an intercultural atmosphere in which communication often extended beyond words into movement, rhythm, and shared embodied experience. The session worked on awareness and trust, inviting participants to reflect on what it means to truly “be present” both in performance and in relation to others.

Prof. Gatt’s yearly invitation continues to offer participants a valuable opportunity to engage deeply with contemporary theatre practices that foreground embodiment, awareness, and human connection.

Photos  - Credit - by Haydon Xerri, Cynthia Genovese