MUSIC
It’s Bye 2022 – Merħba 2023: From Gershwin to Queen
The Mediterranean Conference Centre is today presenting an unusual end-of-year concert, consisting of arrangements of a number of the most iconic songs of the 20th century for choir, string quintet and piano.
The programme includes songs by Gershwin, John Lennon, Charles Aznavour, Paul Simon, David Bowie and Freddie Mercury, among others.
These will be performed by the Goldberg Ensemble and a quintet consisting of five of Malta’s top string players, directed by Michael Laus, who will also be playing the piano.
For tickets, visit showshappening.com.
THEATRE
Kwijns
A Maltese-style drag show, commissioned by Spazju Kreattiv, is being staged for one last time today.
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 is certified 15+. For tickets, log on to kreattivita.org.
A scene from Kwijns. Photo: Elisa von BrockdorffPentow bil-Malti: Addams Femili
Kumpanija Teatru Rjal is presenting its new panto in Maltese at the Catholic Institute, in Floriana, until January 8.
Written by Rodney Gauci, this year’s show is inspired by the popular and macabre, fictional characters of the Addams Family.
For more information, visit the Facebook page of Kumpanija Teatru Rjal. For tickets, log on to https://bit.ly/3CKI7hf.
Cast members of Addams Femili during a parade in Valletta. Photo: Facebook/Kumpanija Teatru RjalĊikku and the Chocolate Panto
After a two-year absence, Masquerade Malta’s panto is back at the Manoel Theatre with Ċikku and the Chocolate Panto, written by Malcolm Galea and directed by Anthony Bezzina.
The Masquerade Malta production tells the story of young Ċikku, a penniless young man who lives with his mother in a giant bajtra. Luckily, his fortunes change when he finds a coveted golden ticket to visit Willy Wonder’s famous Chocolate Panto along with a group of other winners.
Galea also stars as Dame Desserta.
Ċikku and the Chocolate Panto closes on January 8. For more information and tickets, visit teatrumanoel.com.mt.
Katherine Brown as Diva Devina in Ċikku and the Chocolate Panto. Photo: Justin MamoJack and the Beanstalk: A Rock’n’Roll Panto
FM Theatre Productions is staging its panto for one last time in Gozo.
A cast of actor-musicians are performing on stage with live instruments throughout the evening, while Edward Mercieca will play the role of Dame Fażola Bigilla.
The panto is being held at the Astra Theatre, in Victoria, at 2.30pm. For more information and tickets, visit www.tnd.com.mt.
Edward Mercieca as Dame Fażola Bigilla in Jack and the Beanstalk: A Rock 'n' Roll Panto. Photo: FM Theatre ProductionsCHRISTMAS ATTRACTIONS
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.
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. Santa’s City runs until January 6.
The Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre in Ta’ Qali has turned into Santa’s World Malta until Sunday, January 1. Activities include an elf school and cinema, Santa’s House, live shows and entertainment by Danusan.
Other Christmas villages are open at 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 at the Valletta Waterfront, and at the Christmas Village Malta at the Ta' Xbiex Marina until January 6.
In Gozo, the Magro Brothers are hosting The Magro Christmas Family Fest at the Savina Artisan Centre, Xewkija, until tomorrow.
For more information, click on the links above.
Children performing at the Valletta Waterfront. Photo: Facebook/Valletta WaterfrontCribs
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 January 8 from 9.30am to noon and from 4.30 to 7pm. There is also a bazaar in the adjacent hall during the same opening hours.
Il-Qala tissaħħar bil-presepji
A crib exhibition is being held at the Qala parish centre until January 8. It is open from Monday to Saturday from 5 to 7pm and on Sundays and public holidays from 10am to noon and from 5 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 today, December 30. Opening hours are from 9.30am to 7pm. Entrance is free.
Cribs on display at Palazzo Ferreria. Photo: FacebookGħaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepju Għawdex-Malta 1985 exhibitions in Victoria
The Għaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepju Għawdex-Malta 1985 is holding two exhibitions for Christmas – a crib exhibition, mainly by children, at the Gozo Ministry in Victoria, until January 6 and a crib display by Gozitan and Maltese artists at St Augustine’s convent, also in Victoria, until January 8.
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 Sunday, 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.
VISUAL ARTS
Biblical Inspirations
Anthony Calleja's exhibition of his atest works at art..e Gallery in Victoria closes today.
As the title suggests, Calleja draws his inspiration from biblical texts, which he then recontextualises the narrative in his own distictive style. In other paintings, Calleja makes references to significant events that shaped or impacted on his personal life.
Some of the works construe parallels with the artist’s religious altarpieces that are to be found around Malta. At the same time, Calleja challenges himself and constantly experiments with different forms of compositions, as well as an array of media and techniques.
For more information, visit the gallery’s Facebook page.
An untitled artwork by Anthony CallejaArtsy 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.
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.
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.
La Vie by Frank PortelliDon 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 Sunday, 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.
Catch a Glimpse by Christine Porter Lofaro'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, visit the gallery's Facebook page. Also read this Times of Malta review.
[attach id=1268665 size="large" align="left" type="image"]Works by Catherine Cavallo on display at Il-Kamra ta' Fuq. Photo: Facebook/Il-Kamra ta' Fuq[/attach]
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.
A painting by Rachel Galea on display at Il-Ħaġar Museum. Photo: Reno RapaSights 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
Sunetti: Minn Fomm u Qalb il-Poplu
Malta Libraries is holding an exhibition on Maltese sonnets at the National Library of Malta in Valletta.
It is open to the public, free of charge, until tomorrow. One may visit today between 8.30am to 4.30pm and tomorrow from 8.30am to 12.30pm.
The exhibition catalogue and a sonnet written specifically for the occasion and printed on silk (limited edition of 100) are available for sale from the Reading Room.
Dumnikani 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 from Tuesday to Sunday from 9am until 4.30pm. It will be closed on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
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. It will be closed on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.
A diving suit that belonged to Honor Frost on display at the Archaeology Museum. Photo: Heritage MaltaShe 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.
The exhibition runs until January 22.