ARTS

Amora

Cirque du Soleil's heart-pumping show is ending its run at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta with the last two shows today at 4.30pm and 8.30pm.

The story centres around a clumsy but lovable character, Bruno, who, while gazing up to the skies of Valletta, sets eyes on a mysterious woman, Loulou. Captivated, he tries to climb up to her balcony to reach her… but she flies away and vanishes out of sight. He, thus, sets out on a quest to find her, meeting colourful new friends with extraordinary powers along the way.

For tickets, visit showshappening.com. For more information, check cirquedusoleil/amora.

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THEATRE

Kwijns

Spazju Kreattiv is producing a Maltese-style drag show until December 30. 

Written by Simon Bartolo and directed by Ray Calleja, the cast features Peter Carbonaro, Nicky Gambin, Aiden Abela, Antoine Cauchi and Nick Ebejer.

The event, certified 15+, is taking place today and tomorrow, and on December 22, 23 and 29 and 30. For tickets, log on to kreattivita.org.

MUSIC

In Terra Pax

KorMalta is renewing its collaboration with the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble with a concert of immersive musical masterpieces by Henri Purcell and Gerald Finzi, which are not often performed in mainstream concerts.  

Works by Giacomo Carissimi and Arcangelo Corelli, and the traditional Christmas carol and Marian hymn of German origin, Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, will also be performed.

The concert is taking place at St Theresa church, Cospicua, today at 11am. For tickets, visit showshappening.com.

Musical Tidings

The New Choral Singers are presenting their seasonl concert at the church of St Dominic & the Blessed Virgin, Rabat (next to Villa Messina), today at 7.30pm.

Under the direction of Mauro Farrugia, the choir will be accompanied by Gino Mule` Stagno on the organ and the TNCS Brass & Percussion Ensemble.

They will be performing carols from the 16th century to the present day. As in previous years, the audience will be invited to join the choir in song for some traditional favourites.

Entrance is free of charge and no reservation is required. However, a retiring collection will be held at the end of both performances.

For more information, visit the the choir's Facebook page. 

Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

The St Paul Choral Society will be performing Christmas music in between seasonal Bible readings at St Paul’s Pro Cathedral, Valletta, today at 6.30pm.

The choir will then repeat the concert tomorrow, December 19, at the Holy Trinity church, Sliema, at 7pm.

Entrance is free. A collection will be taken in aid of the churches. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

CHRISTMAS EVENTS

Christmas in the Capital

Valletta is hosting a programme of Christmas-related activities until the end of December.

There are Christmas trees in Freedom Square, Republic Street and Merchants Street, Christmas lights in Republic and Merchants streets, an artistic light installation in South Street and a crib next to St John's Co-Cathedral.

The programme, organised by the Valletta Cultural Agency, includes various music and artistic performances throughout the coming weeks, and will culminate with the New Year's Eve concert in St George's Square on December 31.

For details of the programme, visit vca.gov.mt.

The Magical Illuminated Trail

Verdala Palace in Buskett is once again hosting the Magical Illuminated Trail, featuring new and bigger attractions, light installations, projections and a new Christmas village. 

The magical after-dark adventure for all the family runs until January 7. Proceeds from the event will go towards the Malta Community Chest Fund.

For tickets, click here.

Other Christmas villages and attractions

Triton Square, in Valletta, is hosting Fairyland − Santa’s City, featuring favourite attractions such as Rudolph’s Wheel, an ice-skating rink and a Christmas market, as well as a World Cup Village. Santa’s City runs until January 6.

The Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre in Ta’ Qali has turned into Santa’s World Malta until January 1. Activities include an elf school and cinema, Santa’s House, live shows and entertainment by Danusan.

Other Christmas villages are taking place at the Artisan Village in Ta’ Qali (until December 24), the Salina National Park in St Paul's Bay (until today, December 18), Popeye Village in Mellieħa (until January 8) and the Malta National Aquarium in Qawra (until January 8). 

A jam-packed programme of activities is planned for the whole month at the Valletta Waterfront, and the Christmas Village Malta runs at the Ta' Xbiex Marina until January 6.

Christmas Under the Bridge is being held once again in Labour Road, Marsa, until Friday, December 23. For tickets, click here.

Villa Rundle Gardens in Victoria is home to another market which closes today  and the Magro Brothers are hosting The Magro Christmas Family Fest at the Savina Artisan Centre, Xewkija, until the end of the month.

This weekend, Gudja is going back in time in Milied ta' Dari and Marsaskala is having its own festive celebrations in Milied Skaliż.

For more information, click on the links above.

Cribs 

Mechanical crib in Żejtun

The mechanical crib at the Jesus of Nazareth Institute in Żejtun, which has been operating since 1947, will be open to the public again this year until Janury 8 from 9.30am to noon and from 4.30 to 7pm. There will also be a bazaar in the adjacent hall during the same opening hours.

Mgr Bishop Emmanuel Galea had envisioned the creation of this crib, which was the first of its kind in Malta, while Paul Pavia handled the mechanical work. At present, Pavia's nephew Joseph, takes care of the crib's upkeep.

The clothes of the figurines (pasturi) were the handwork of the Sisters of the Missionary Congregation of Jesus of Nazareth of the time.

Il-Qala tissaħħar bil-presepji 

A crib exhibition is being held at the Qala parish centre until January 8. It is open Monday to Saturday from 5 to 7pm and on Sundays and public holidays from 10am to noon and from 5 to 9pm. On Boxing Day, doors will be open from 10am to 9pm.

Għaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepju Malta exhibition

The Għaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepju Malta is holding its annual exhibition of cribs at Palazzo Ferreria (in front of Pjazza Teatru Rjal) in Valletta, until December 30. Opening hours are from 9.30am to 7pm. Entrance is free.

Cribs and more at Mosta cultural centre

The Razzett tal-Markiż Mallia Tabone is hosting the 24th edition of its Christmas exhibition, featuring various cribs and other Christmas-related artworks until January 1. Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 5.30 to 8.30pm and Saturday and Sunday also from 9.30am to noon. Entrance is free.

Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem

The 13th edition of the popular Nativity Village is open until January 8. Opening days: today from 11am to 2pm (morning, children’s edition); Christmas Day, 4 to 7pm; December 26, from 2.30 to 7pm; December 27 from 4 to 7pm and December 30, from 4 to 7pm.

It will then be open on New Year's Day from 3 to 7pm and on January 8, from 2.30 to 7pm for the re-enactment of the Adoration of the Magi.

For more information, visit the event's Facebook page.

MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS

Christmas bonsai exhibition in aid of Puttinu Cares

The Bonsai Culture Group Malta, a registered voluntary organisation, is again holding its annual Christmas bonsai exhibition for charity, with proceeds going to Puttinu Cares.

The exhibition is being held indoors at the clubhouse in Notre Dame Arch Street, Floriana. It is open to the public today from 9am to 2pm.

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VISUAL ARTS

Mediterranean Dreams 2

Following his exhibition titled Mediterranean Dreams, Kenneth Zammit Tabona presents the second chapter in his idyllic depictions of our country’s way of life.

The over 30 watercolour works are 'fuoridentros' in which gardens, pockets of landscapes, chapels, watchtowers and Montgolfiers are observed through open windows, thus bringing the outside in.

Mediterranean Dreams 2, curated by Charlene Vella, Mdina, is on display at Xara Palace in Mdina until December 22. Part of the proceeds from sales will be donated to Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

Consult the artist’s Facebook page for more information.

Nuances

An exhibition by Carmel Bonello and Peter Seychell is open at Gemelli Framing in Ta' Qali.

The title of the exhibition essentially defines a spectrum of inspirational sources, especially so when the whole enterprise is that between two artists who have an identifiable and very personalised style of expression.

Bonello is a veteran of the local art scene; with expressionism finding its way very earlier on into his oeuvre. He explores the world around him in full colour, black lines delineating the composition.

Seychell is a relative newcomer to the local art scene. However, his impressive intricate paintings have captured the attention of the art-loving public. 

Nuances runs until December 23. Consult this Facebook group for opening hours and more information.

Experiments in Entropy

The second law of thermodynamics states that as energy is transformed, it incrementally dissipates and tends towards loss, decay and waste. This is the process of entropy; a process of mutual construction and demolition. It applies to societies and to systems, as it does to the natural environment, and has generated curiosity since its peak in art production in the 1960s.

Ten architects, who collectively started architecture school a decade ago, have been asked to investigate trajectories of this narrative in their daily grind and the result is on show at the Valletta Contemporary in Valletta until December 24 and from January 11 to February 18. It is curated by Andrew Borg Wirth.

Look up the Valletta Contemporary Facebook page for more information.

Versatility

Veteran artist Joseph Barbara is exhibiting an array of his works, dating back to 2000, at Wignacourt Museum in Rabat.

The artist is renowned for recycling plastic mineral bottles to construct sculptures that deliver an environmental message. This exhibition, however, also includes his paintings which range from ones that have a strong pop-art imagery, featuring mostly ballroom dancers, to others having an oriental theme and on to multi-thematic collages.

Versatility runs until December 28. The museum is open daily from 9.30am to 5pm, with last entry at 4.15pm.

Artsy Christmas

Christmas-related artworks and more by a number of artists are on show at the Art by the Seaside gallery in Senglea until the end of the month, following an extension.

The collective exhibition, as the name indicates, is linked to the Christmas season, having a wide range of hand-made arts, from candles, to jewellery to Christmas decorations and obviously wall hanging works.

Participating artists include Kevin Attard, Dave Calleja, David Debono, Rebecca Ranieri, Thomas Scerri and Kevin Sciberras, among many others.

Refer to the venue’s Facebook page for more information.

Don Heywood: Artist in Residence at the Phoenicia

Don Heywood, a distinguished British painter specialising in portraits and wildlife studies, is currently exhibiting at the Palm Court Lounge of the Phoenicia Hotel.

The artist is presenting paintings related to the seven important migratory birds that are found on the Maltese islands, these being the hawfinch, the goldfinch, the linnet, the greenfinch, the siskin, the serin and the chaffinch.

Also included in this exhibition are three large paintings of two endangered species of wild animals, the snow leopard and the polar bear.

The exhibition, curated by Louis Laganà, runs at Phoenicia Malta until January 1.

Art at the Corinthia Palace

The Corinthia Palace Hotel in Attard is hosting a collective exhibition of contemporary artworks by 13 local and international artists.

The paintings are from the Allura Art collection and range from landscapes and seascapes to florals and abstracts. They include new and previously unseen work.

The artists taking part are Andrew Borg, Christine Porter Lofaro, Jo Dounis, Kevin Sciberras, Debbie Bonello and Rosette Bonello from Malta and Christopher Saliba and Bob Cardona from Gozo. Foreign locals include British-Maltese painter Andrew Smith, Bulgarians Vania Goshe and Bogdan Dyulgerov, Natasha Dadush from Russia and Marianne Ogden from the US.

The exhibition runs until January 8. More information about the exhibition is available here.

100 years – Commemorating Frank Portelli’s Art and Life

A small retrospective exhibition dedicated to artist Frank Portelli, one of the pioneers of Maltese modernism, is on at the Camerone, MUŻA, Valletta until January 8.

The oeuvre of Portelli, who was born 100 years ago, is at times very personal, like in his masterpiece La Vie, while at others he experiments with his version of cubism, which he termed as ‘crystallised cubism’. 

100 years – Commemorating Frank Portelli’s Art and Life is a collaboration between MUŻA (Heritage Malta) and Frank Portelli’s family.

'The tree is saying things, in words before words' 

Catherine Cavallo, a contemporary painter who lives and works in Malta, is presenting her latest collection at Il-Kamra ta' Fuq in Mqabba.

Her work is rooted in observations of the everyday, and looks to both the pockets of serenity and the upheavals that life presents for her inspiration. This is evident in her evocative figure compositions which are influenced both by daily life and by current world situations.

The exhibition runs until January 8. For more information and opening hours, visit the gallery's Facebook page.

I Landed. Malta

Spazju Kreattiv and the Marlands Project have collaborated on a new exhibition featuring works by French artists Edgar Sarin, Lucy Orta and Max Fouchy and Maltese counterpart Sheldon Saliba.

Guest artist Sarin explored the island during his art residency in Malta as part of the Marlands project. His immersive, multilayered art project is the result of productive dialogues with islanders specialising in craft, culture and science.

During this exhibition, one can also take a trip to other Mediterranean islands through the artists’ work: Orta will take visitors to the Balearic Islands, and Max Fouchy to Sicily.

I Landed. Malta is curated by Elena Posokhova and Vince Briffa.

After the exhibition closes on January 8, it will move on to Catania, Sicily; Palma, Mallorca; Nicosia, Cyprus and Mallorca, Spain. For more information, click here.

Expressions

An exhibition by Rachel Galea at Il-Ħaġar - Heart of Gozo Museum features 31 of her latest works inspired by Gozo’s landscape. 

The exhibition runs until January 10. The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free.

For more information, click here.

Sights and sites

A new exhibition by Silvio John Camilleri at the King’s Own Band Club in Valletta investigates contemporary reality in which the ugliness of roads and pristine countryside have to co-exist as a dichotomy in Malta’s way of life.

Yet, the artist deciphers beauty even in the most inauspicious of locations, such as in the geometry of the road network and its juxtaposition with trees, streetlights and general urban elements.

Sights and Sites, curated by Fleur-Marie Ebejer, is on until January 11. Refer to the artist’s Facebook profile for more information.

OTHER EXHIBITIONS

Duminkani fil-Palazz: Home & Temple

An exhibition at the Inquisitor's Palace in Vittoriosa tells of the special relationship between the palace and the neighbouring Dominican Order, especially in the post-war years.

Enemy war bombing in 1941 had left the Dominican community without a convent and a church, and they found temporary refuge beyond Vittoriosa. But they were called back by the need to fulfil their spiritual and educational mission among their people.

Eighty years ago, in August 1942, the Dominicans asked for temporary shelter at the Inquisitor’s Palace and, for almost two decades, the palace became the community’s home and temple.

The exhibition runs until January 8. The Inquisitor's Palace is open weekly from Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 4.30pm.

Honor Frost’s Malta: A Pioneer in the Centre of the Mediterranean

An exhibition highlighting underwater archaeologist Honor Frost’s connection to Malta is open at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.

Besides honouring Frost’s considerable legacy, the exhibition aims to offer a snapshot of Frost’s work in Malta through illustrations, artefacts and even some of her diving equipment.

The exhibition runs until January 15. Entrance is free of charge. One may visit the museum daily from 9am to 4.30pm. 

She Said Darling with a 'K': Reimagining Katya Saunders

Spazju Kreattiv is dedicating an exhibition to the life of Katya Saunders, three years after her death.

The exhibition, which features a catalogue of photos, clothes and memorabilia, highlights the different facets of one of the first transgender women who broke boundaries in terms of sexual diversity and inclusion in Malta.

The exhibition, curated by Charlie Cauchi and Romeo Roxman Gatt, is also complemented by the launch of Saunders's official biography, penned by Ramona Depares, Kayta: Easy on the Tonic, which will take place on January 6.

Unseen and Unheard: Stories of Women Under Fire

The Storm Petrel Foundation is presenting an archival exhibition that sheds light on overlooked or previously unrecorded war narratives and microhistories from Malta and elsewhere.

It brings together items and artefacts drawn from different collections, with a primary focus on wartime experiences of women and girls.

The exhibition was inspired by a series of conversations between the NGO and Robert Attard, who had found a collection of letters written by a young German woman during World War II, some of which will be on display in the exhibition.

The exhibition is organised across five different rooms at the Storm Petrel Foundation’s premises in Attard, with each room representing a different era or focus.

The Storm Petrel Foundation has collaborated with Simon Cusens, Kim Dalli, Sharp Shoot Media, Media Coop, Tayar Foundation for Jewish Heritage in Malta, Sarah Chircop and Giuliana Fenech, Heritage Malta, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna and Palazzo Falson.

The exhibition runs until April 14. Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 5 to 8pm and on Saturdays from 10.30am to 1pm. For more information, visit the foundation's Facebook page.

whatson@timesofmalta.com