THEATRE
KomduSkomdu
Spazju Kreattiv is hosting a one-man show penned by Miguel Formosa and Lee-N Abela which prods at exploitative political tendencies exacerbating the workforce.
Directed by Abela and starring Formosa, the play is being staged today at 7pm. For tickets, visit kreattivita.org.
KomduSkomdu is being staged with the support of Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and Arts Council Malta – Artivisti Programme.
Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks
Teatru Salesjan is presenting Richard Alfieri’s play Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks at Palazzo Parisio, in Naxxar this weekend.
Directed by Irene Christ, the play follows an elderly widow (Monica Attard) who hires a dance instructor (Joe Azzopardi) to give her six dance lessons at home. Coming from very different social backgrounds, their rapport is dynamic and antagonistic at first but soon develops into a rare friendship.
As a spin-off, the theatre is also hosting Six Dance Workshops exclusively for people aged 60+ in Sliema, Vittoriosa, Mellieħa and Birżebbuġa, facilitated by dance coach Pamela Kerr and to the music of Niels Plottard. The workshops are taking place every Thursday morning throughout November and December in community and parish halls, with a new dance style introduced every week. No previous experience is required.
Tickets for both the plays, taking place today and tomorrow at 7.30pm, and the workshops may be purchased online from www.showshappening.com/ or by calling on 7799 7000.
Monica Attard in Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks. Photo: Darrin Zammit LupiMy Fair Lady
An adaptation of the popular musical by Alan Jay Lerner, based on George Bernard Shaw’s book Pygmalion to music by Frederick Loewe, is being staged at the Don Bosco Oratory in Victoria today and tomorrow and on November 19 and 20.
Tickets can be obtained daily from 5 to 7pm from the oratory or by calling on 2155 6616 or 9948 7751. One can also book online via donbonscogozo.org.
Cast members and musicians of My Fair Lady during rehearsals earlier this week.HomeBound
The Hoi Polloi Academy is staging an original musical theatre piece set in a town where everything is controlled by technology. One day, however, a girl’s curiosity jeopardises the very foundations of this futuristic utopia.
The production is written and directed by Marco Calleja, with musical direction by Rebecca Attard and Mirabel de Gabriele and choreography by Hannah Spiteri and Maria Agius Muscat.
The show is taking place today at the University of Malta, Valletta Campus at 7.30pm. Tickets are available on showshappening.com.
Spring Awakening
Adrian Buckle, in collaboration with the Malta Drama Centre, is once again presenting the German classic play by Frank Wedekind at Spazju Kreattiv, in Valletta, this weekend.
Adapted for today’s audiences by Brad Birch and directed by James Grieve, the play is about a group of children growing up and the issues they face in society.
The cast includes Alex Weenink, Jamie Busuttil Griffin, Ann-Marie Buckle, Pia Zammit and Paul Portelli.
The play, certified 14+, is being staged today at 8pm and tomorrow at 7pm. For tickets, log on to kreattivita.org.
A scene from Spring Awakening, starring Pia Zammit (centre) and Paul Portelli, together with a young talented cast. Photo: Christine Muscat AzzopardiARTS
The Three Palaces: Early Opera and Music Festival
The festival, organised by Festivals Malta, is coming to an end today with the performance of the oratorio Il-Belt Rebbieħa by the late maestro Joseph Vella at St Lawrence parish church, Vittoriosa, tomorrow at 7.30pm.
For more information and tickets, visit festivals.mt/ttp.
MUSIC
APS Teatru Unplugged
The second night of the 23rd edition of Teatru Unplugged is being held at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta today.
This year’s line-up features Gabriella, This.Co, The Crowns, a trio made up of Renzo Spiteri, Charlie Busuttil and Fabrizio Fedele and the Rolling Stones tribute band Stoned.
The event is produced by the Manoel Theatre and Jon Shaw, and is under the artistic direction of Renzo Spiteri. It is hosted by Colin Fitz.
For tickets, click here.
The Manoel Theatre is once again hosting this year's edition of Teatru Unplugged. Photo: FacebookFILM
Anime Festival
The Eden Cinemas in St Julian's is once again hosting an Anime Festival.
One Piece: Red is showing from today both English dubbed and in Japanese with English subtitles.
For tickets and more information, click here.
One Piece: RedDANCE
Mediterranean Open Dance Festival 2022
The Mediterranean Open Dance Festival 2022, organised every year in Malta, hosts more than 500 dance competitors in different disciplines and categories.
This year’s event will be held on November 12 and 13 at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Golden Sands. For more information, look up the event’s Facebook page.
MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS
Pop-up Science Park
The EU-funded project Varcities - Green Cities are Healthier Cities is organising a pop-up science park in the busy Rue D’Argens, in Gżira, today from 4pm onwards.
They will be taking over car parking spaces, transforming them with vibrant greenery and hands-on activities for people of all ages. Among others, there will be an air pollution workshop hosted by the Earth Systems Association from the University of Malta, and scientific and environmental activities for children. The JustNature Project will have its own stand at the event.
More pop-up events are being held in the locality in the coming weeks, including a pop-up music park on November 19 and a pop-up art park on November 26.
For more information, look up the event’s Facebook page.
The event will feature experiments and more. Photo: Facebook/JustNatureInternational Photography Convention
The Malta Institute of Professional Photography – MIPP is hosting a two-day international photography convention suitable for all skill levels, from beginners to professionals.
Tutorials and workshops are being given by internationally recognised photographers, who will be sharing insight from their years of experience working in the field.
For more information, visit https://convention.mipp-malta.com/.
Il-Fiera l-Kbira ta’ San Martin f’Ħal Tarxien 2022
The locality of Tarxien is celebrating the feast of St Martin with two days of activities.
Today there will be a concert by Freddie Portelli, a dinner, a display of artisan works, a car show, bingo and a children’s area.
Tomorrow, other singers including JoMike & Lydon, Tiziana Calleja, Benny and Tonia, Lisa Gauci and X-Tend, will perform. Donations and proceeds from a cake sale will go towards Dar Bjorn.
For more information, visit the event's Facebook page.
VISUAL ARTS
White on Black
Richard England's exhibition of works on paper at ART..e Gallery of 1, Library Street, Victoria, is closing today.
Titled White on Black, the exhibition investigates the artistic aspect of an architect who has become synonymous with modernism.
Consult the gallery’s Facebook page for opening hours.
Works by Richard England on display at Art..e Gallery in Victoria. Photo: FacebookGroundwaters
A collective exhibition featuring outsider art – an umbrella term coined for individuals producing art outside the culturally established centres – is closing today at the Valletta Contemporary Gallery.
Titled Groundwaters, this exhibition is the first one in Malta to explore the perspectives of individuals who are somewhat marginalised, through their own design or otherwise, and who create work on the fringes of the mainstream.
Curated by Gabriel Zammit, it features the works of Anonymous, Emma Attard, Adrian Camilleri, William Driscoll, Emma Johnson, Salvina Muscat and Joe Vassallo. It includes ex-voto paintings, West African Bocio fetish dolls and other objects which have their roots in religion, magic and ritual.
The gallery is open from from 2 to 7pm. For more information, visit www.vallettacontemporary.com/.
Also read this Times of Malta interview with the curator.
Early Light
A solo exhibition of oil on canvas works by Tonio Mallia is open at Gallery 23 in Balzan until tomorrow, November 13.
One may view the exhibition by appointment or tomorrow from 9am to 12.30pm. For more information, visit the Gallery 23 Facebook page.
Also read a review of the exhibition here.
Setting Moon by Tonio MalliaE..scapes
The title chosen for the collective exhibition by Wallace Falzon, Patrick Galea and Lawrence Pavia is a play on words, offering different perspectives that the viewer is invited to investigate.
One can consider the collection as ‘escapes’ from the discomfort of the mundane; escapist narratives expressed through artistic expression.
E..scapes is hosted by Obelisk Gallery, 234, Main Street, Balzan, until November 15. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 4 to 7pm and Saturday from 10am to 2pm.
Read this Times of Malta review of the exhibition.
Here & There
Mona Vella is presenting a collection of recent plein air paintings at the Malta Postal Museum & Arts Hub in Archbishop Street, Valletta.
Inspired by Malta's rugged cliff faces and the varying moods of the sea, these watercolours attempt to capture atmosphere and time as experienced by the artist.
Here & There runs until November 19. The museum is open from Monday to Friday between 10am to 4pm and on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm.
One of the artworks by Mona Vella on display at the Malta Postal Museum & Arts Hub in Valletta. Photo: Facebook/Malta Postal MuseumShadows and Light − The Wilfrid Flores Archive
Christine X Art Gallery of 17, Tignè Street, Sliema, is hosting the first exhibition dedicated to the work of Wilfrid Flores, an important photographer who passed away in 1981.
Curated by photographer David Pisani, Shadows and Light − The Wilfrid Flores Archive investigates the various themes of this pioneer in Maltese photography.
The exhibition runs until November 22. For more information, visit https://www.christinexart.com/ or the gallery's Facebook page.
Also read this Times of Malta interview with the curator.
Seħer il-Baħar
A visual art exhibition at the Malta Society of Arts discloses Anna Galea’s latest evocative artistic exploration of the sea.
The artist explores the mystery and mesmerising elements of the waters surrounding the Maltese islands through different experimental watercolour and oil painting techniques. The collection weaves together her figurative and abstract interpretations.
Seħer il-Baħar, curated by Roderick Camilleri, runs at Palazzo de la Salle, Valletta, until November 24. Opening hours: Mondays to Fridays: 8am to 7pm and on Saturdays: 9am to 1pm. For more information, visit artsmalta.org or the society's Facebook page.
Read more about the exhibition here.
Abstract Trio
An exhibition showcasing the works of three abstract artists, namely Louis Casha, Lucio Dubini and Vincent Cassar, is open at the Volunteer Centre in Triq Bartolomew in Rabat.
From the geometrical abstractions of Casha to Dubini’s interactions of lines, shapes and material and on to Cassar’s freedom in execution, the exhibition explores the possibilities of abstraction via different routes.
Abstract Trio runs until November 25. Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 5 to 8pm; Saturday and Sunday from 10.30am to 1pm and from 4 to 8pm. Other hours are also available by appointment. Log on to the exhibition’s Facebook page for more information.
Figure With Mix of Geometric Shapes by Louis CashaYFES
Jo Dounis is presenting a new body of work at Gemelli Framing in Ta' Qali.
YFES is the Greek word for textures (hinting at the artist’s many years of her living in Greece) emphasises the current way forward for Dounis.
From the smooth and flowing finish of fluid art which Dounis is mostly known for, the artist is pursuing a completely different direction in technique. She explores a variety of textures to create tactile works which portray an idyllic place or space in time. No human figures are present, and these pristine landscapes, seascapes, spaces or atmospheres, created from the artist's imagination and harmonious manipulation of colour and light, emit a surreal feeling of being transported into an alternative, Utopian world.
YFES, curated by Melanie Erixon, runs until November 26. Log on to the exhibition’s Facebook page for more information.
What is Europe to You?
A photographic exhibition at the German-Maltese Circle, in Palazzo Messina, Valletta, is the result of an artist's need to understand how European citizens feel about Europe.
Lisa Borgiani has been visiting the principal European cities and capitals since 2019, asking the inhabitants she photographs a simple question: "What is Europe to you?".
The exhibition, which runs until November 30, sees 30 selected photographs and 200 black and white self-portraits of the project's participants.
Each visitor is invited to participate in the project in two ways: at the exhibition they can use the WEYWALL digital platform to print and exhibit their own self-portrait accompanied by a comment expressing their feelings about Europe, or they can write a phrase about Europe on a brightly coloured Post-It, which they can then stick on a dedicated wall.
For more information, visit https://www.whatseurope.eu/ and the project's Instagram account.
Q’eros: Beyond the Clouds
Il-Ħaġar Museum and Community Cultural Centre in Victoria is hosting an exhibition by Italian photographer Alessandro Bergamini until November 27.
Eight of the photos on display won Bergamimi the Travel Photographer of the Year award in 2021 and five more were included in the book Humanity, which was chosen as the best photographic book for 2021 in the International Photography Awards.
They will be accompanied with some 30 photos documenting the demanding Peru expedition earlier this year among the Q'eros community in the Andes. Visitors will be able to follow the filming on their mobile.
All the material is included in the exhibition catalogue, published as Il-Ħaġar GEMS 21. Also available are copies of Humanity, an assortment of photos highlighting peoples around the world.
The museum is open every day from 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free. For more information, visit heartofgozo.org.mt/.
Award-winning photos by Alessandro Bergamini on display at Il-Ħaġar Museum.Celebrating Our History − A Photographic Exhibition
This month, The Phoenicia Malta turns 75 years old. As part of its celebrations, a photographic exhibition is being held at the Palm Court Lounge.
The exhibition includes the first plans of the hotel, photos of the construction process, the original decor and of distinguished guests who stayed at the hotel.
The exhibition runs until the end of November.
A collection of charcoal drawings and hand-crafted objects
A collection of charcoal drawings and objects by self-taught and self-proclaimed anti-social artist CO-MA is opening today at Green Shutters of 27, Triq San Franġisk, Floriana.
The artist's work has no frills but contrasts living in the world of black and white. He is also a “collector of nice things” which are broken down into their primary parts and find themselves in the new objects he builds. The result are pieces that are at once functional, intriguing and otherworldly.
The exhibition runs until December 3. For more information, see www.coma-artist.com and follow Lily Agius Gallery on Instagram and Facebook.
Inaction is a Weapon of Mass Destruction
Artist Darren Tanti is presenting an art project meant to shed light on the mediatic processes used to spread information about war and its effects on the viewer.
The work reflects the artist’s preoccupation with fabrication, editing and twisting of information people outside the conflict zone might be subjected to.
The project is meant to provoke viewers by a number of analytical, ironic, and at times, cynical works based on factual, fictional images and theoretical work. Different experts from journalism, film, art, education and the military fields will also contribute to the project via a number of talks and workshops.
Inaction is a Weapon of Mass Destruction, curated by Melanie Erixon is open at Space C, Spazju Kreattiv, Valletta, and at Il-Kamra ta' Fuq, Mqabba, until December 4.
Consult the project’s Facebook page for more information.
Remove the Veil by Darren Tanti. Photo: Andrew E. ZarbGabarrón: The Colours of Hope
Spazju Kreattiv is hosting an exhibition by Spanish artist Cristóbal Gabarrón dedicated to the United Nations, with his work focusing on the universe of peace, parliamentarism, freedom and human rights.
Apart from the main exhibition, the project also includes a public installation at St George's Square, Valletta, entitled Universo de Luz (Enlightened Universe), and an AMBIT event at Ġgantija Temples, Xagħra, that brought together artistic creations on biodiversity and the values of integral heritage that will travel the five continents.
The exhibition, curated by Rupert Cefai, runs until December 11. For more information, visit kreattivita.org.
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.
The exhibition will be accompanied by two lectures on the subject. The second one will see Olvin Vella looking into ‘Is-sunett ta’ Buonamico li għosfor mitt sena ilu’ (the sonnet of Buonamico which disappeared 100 years ago) on December 1 at 6pm.
The exhibition will be open to the public, free of charge, until the end of December. One may visit between Monday and Friday from 8.30am to 4.30pm and on Saturdays 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 weekly from Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 4.30pm.
Some of the exhibits on display at the Inquisitor's Palace in Vittoriosa. Photo: DOI/Jason BorgHonor Frost’s Malta: A Pioneer in the Centre of the Mediterranean
An exhibition highlighting underwater archaeologist Honor Frost’s connection to Malta has opened 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. The museum is open daily from 9am to 4.30pm.
The exhibition launch coincides with the second edition of the ‘Under the Mediterranean’ conference, being held in Malta until Sunday, November 6. The conference is organised by University of Malta, in collaboration with the Honor Frost Foundation and Heritage Malta.