ŻiguŻajg

The arts festival for children and young people comes to an end today.

The hybrid festival has featured collaborations with local and international artists and creatives, and presented a wide variety of live and online art, dance and theatre shows.

One of these is The Wild Swans, a musical about courage, betrayal, perseverance and love, aimed at children aged 8 to 10. 

This timeless fairy tale transports the audience to the world of Princess Eliza and eleven wild swans as they journey together to overcome a spell cast by an evil Witch Queen. This production comprises 16 original songs together with spoken dialogue, written by Maria Mifsud and based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The accompanying libretto and songbook have been published by the National Literacy Agency.

The Wild Swans is being staged for one last time this morning at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta at 10am. For more information and today's programme, visit www.ziguzajg.org/.

Malta Book Festival

The five-day cultural event dedicated to books and reading is wrapping up today.

The programme included more than 100 major events aimed at the public, children and their families, and publishing industry professionals, such as book launches, book presentations, performances, workshops and conferences.

The festival is being held at the MFCC in Ta' Qali. For all the details, visit the National Book Council’s website https://ktieb.org.mt/ and Facebook page and look up the event on Facebook.

Amora

Contemporary circus company Cirque du Soleil is back in Malta with another original show, this time combining acrobatics and heart-pumping performances to celebrate love.

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.

Shows are taking place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta  until December 18. For tickets, visit showshappening.com. For more information, check cirquedusoleil/amora.

THEATRE

A Kick in the Baubles

MADC is staging the Christmas comedy A Kick in the Baubles by Gordon Steel over two weekends at the MADC Playhouse.

Directed by new MADC chairman Steve Casaletto, the play tells the story of another peaceful Christmas in the Bauble household. However, Frank is dreading the arrival of his snobbish in-laws, who always bring a single bottle of wine for the entire festivities. Add a couple of larger-than-life neighbours and free-flowing drinks and the stage is set for a car-crash Christmas.

The cast is led by John Montanaro, Maxine Aquilina, Francesca Briffa and Stephen Oliver.

The play is being staged this weekend and on December 2 to 4, at 7.30pm. For tickets, visit madc.com.mt.

Iġri Neħles

Staġun Teatru Malti is presenting a drama on the subject of abortion at the Manoel Theatre this weekend.

Written by Marta Vella and directed by Jameson Cucciardi, Iġri Neħles stars Louise Doneo, Anthony Ellul, Stephanie Sacco, Jonathan Azzopardi, Shelby Aquilina, Francesca Scerri Emerson Bonello and Maria Laura Vella Clark.

It is certified 14+. For tickets, log on to teatrumanoel.com.mt.

Il-Fidwa tal-Bdiewa

On the 50th death anniversary of literary giant Ninu Cremona, Teatru Malta and The New Victorians, in collaboration with the Fondazzjoni Ċelebrazzjonijiet Nazzjonali (FCN), are reimagining Cremona’s classic play Il-Fidwa tal-Bdiewa.

Composed and directed by The New Victorians, and adapted by author Clare Azzopardi, the multidisciplinary, audio-theatrical production features live music and is being performed for one last time today at Ximenes Redoubt, Salina Bay, Naxxar.

For tickets, log on to showshappening.com.

Klassi Għalina: The Roadshow

The cast of the popular TV comedy show Klassi Għalina is bringing more funny sketches during the last of six shows at the City Theatre, Valletta, from today to Sunday at 8pm. For tickets, click here.

Vjola

On the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, 4Jays theatre company is staging a play on domestic violence in Żejtun.

All proceeds from Vjola will go towards Fondazzjoni Sebħ, which provides residential services to children, women survivors of violence and their children as well as a community service offering support to individuals and families.

The play in Maltese, suitable for an audience aged over 12, is being held today and tomorrow at the Jesus of Nazareth Institute, in Żejtun. 

Tickets are available from Helman Stationery in Żejtun, by calling on 7929 4560 or by registering via https://forms.gle/T3hCNqD4HGrMNBGd9. Today's show is fully booked.

More information is available on the 4Jays Facebook page.

MUSIC

Gaulitana: A Festival of Music

Update: This event has been postponed due to the inclement weather

KorMalta will perform for the first time in Gozo today in a concert of sacred works titled Sacrae Cantiunculae at Għarb’s Visitation basilica. The concert forms part of Gualitana: A Festival of Music, which runs until December 4.

The choir, conducted by Riccardo Bianchil, will presents sacred works from the Renaissance to the contemporary.

The concert starts at 7.30pm. Entrance is free. For more information, visit gualitanus.com or the choir's Facebook page.

DANCE

Malta Open Dance Spectacular 2022

The event, which started in 2002, sees international wheelchair and able-bodied dancers from Malta participate in ballroom, Latin American and freestyle matching with partners from Germany, Austria, Ukraine, England, the US, Slovenia, The Netherlands, Belgium, Poland and Slovakia, among other countries.

A mixed international team match is the final highlight on the Sunday evening. The event is taking place at the Malta Basketball Training Pavilion, Ta’ Qali. More details are available on the event’s Facebook page.

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FILM

Month of European Film

The Eden Cinemas in St Julian's is today showing the 2021 Serbian film The Only Way Out as part of the Month of European Film. Certified 15, the film will be shown in its original language with English subtitles.

Across Europe, partner cinemas in 35 countries from Reykjavik to Athens, from Lisbon to Bucharest, but also including small towns and networks, are highlighting European films, presenting special programmes, events and dedicated retrospectives for four weeks.

The Month of European Film kicked off on November 13 with the European Arthouse Cinema Day and the European Film Academy’s Young Audience Award. Instead of a uniform catalogue, each participating cinema is creating a unique programme according to their expertise and catering to their audience’s taste. The Month of European Film culminates on December 10 at the 35th European Film Awards in Reykjavik, Iceland.

For tickets and more info, click here.

MISCELLANEOUS EVENTS

Christmas in the Capital

Valletta is hosting a programme of Christmas-related activities this festive season.

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.

Swejjaq u l-Fiera tal-Milied

San Lawrenz is inaugurating the new Christmas Decorations and Christmas festivities with the participation of Ċangura Folk Group and BrassTubes.

One can also enjoy traditional games, street performers, stalls selling Christmas items and traditional Christmas food.

The event is taking place in San Lawrenz Square from noon onwards.

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VISUAL ARTS

Q’eros: Beyond the Clouds

Italian photographer Alessandro Bergamini's exhibition at Il-Ħaġar Museum and Community Cultural Centre in Victoria is closing today.

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 are accompanied with some 30 photos documenting a 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/.

Yours and Mine

A father-daughter exhibition by Tony Calleja and Diane Agius Calleja at Rabat’s Wignacourt Museum is closing today.

Diane uses watercolours to create evanescent, poetic landscapes and cityscapes, while her father, Tony, exploits the direct and fresh possibilities of acrylic and a multi-thematic approach. This contrast of media and themes is a characteristic of this collaboration.

Check the museum's Facebook page for more information.

Introspection

Known for his abstract works, Gerald-John Micallef, who is also a priest, ventures to the representational in an exhibition at Ir-Razzett tal-Markiż Mallia Tabone in Mosta.

Introspection includes a number of very spiritual, earthy works, evoking the oeuvre of Maltese modern pioneer Antoine Camilleri. However, the exhibition also includes a series of colourful abstracts.

Besides, the paintings are accompanied by contemplative poems, written in Maltese, all of them penned by the artist and that have never been published. 

The exhibition closes today and is open from 10am to noon and from 6 to 8pm. Consult the venue’s Facebook page for more information.

Also read this Times of Malta interview.

Aftermath

After Brussels and the European Parliament last month, the Maltese Parliament is now hosting Aftermath, a joint exhibition by the creative duo of Etienne Farrell and Mark Mallia.

Setting off from the war in Ukraine and its impacts on Europe and beyond, while tapping into Jean Paul Sartre’s collection of essays The Aftermath of War, this body of work focuses on the repercussions created by the onset of war for the common citizens.

Aftermath runs until tomorrow, November 28. Consult the event’s Facebook page for more information.

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.

On display are the first plans of the hotel, photos of the construction process, the original decor and of distinguished guests who stayed at the hotel, among others.

The exhibition runs until the end of the month.

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 Wednesday, 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.

Normal Deviance

Two artists, Mark Schembri and Nuntia, who are long-term partners in life, are for the first time exhibiting together. Their collection is a portrayal of their distinctive personalities, expressed through their respective modes of expression.

Nuntia has been widely defined as a psychological artist with dark undertones. Her paintings convey a muted struggle between serenity and a lurking darkness. Schembri has been in the art scene for 23 years and has held more than 15 solo exhibitions. He is an eclectic and versatile artist whose style is often flamboyant with characteristic explosions of colour and movement. His tone can range from playfully ironic to scathingly sarcastic, especially when he turns the spotlight onto the failings of our contemporary society.

Normal Deviance is open at Art by the Seaside, 65, Triq il-Mina tax-Xatt, Senglea, until Thursday, December 1. Visiting hours are as follows: Tuesday to Friday from 5 to 9pm, and on Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 1pm and 5 to 9pm.

Resilience – Thriving Through Adversity

An exhibition at Fort St Elmo, in Valletta, is showcasing creative projects by Aġenzija Sapport service users from all day centres, with the assistance of support workers. 

The theme of Resilience was chosen to to reflect the strength of service users in facing setbacks such as prejudice, negative stereotypes and discrimination. 

Various items are on display. The artists used different media including acrylic and 3D painting on canvas, encaustic art (using wax), wood and iron, papier-mache, photography (produced on canvas, photo albums and board), clay installations and quilling techniques.

The exhibition is open until Saturday, December 3. Opening hours: 9am to 4.30pm. For tickets, click here.

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 Sunday, December 4.

Consult the project’s Facebook page for more information.

Also read this Times of Malta review.

Commemorating Antoine Camilleri (1922-2005): A Hundred Years from his Birth

Heritage Malta is commemorating the 100 years since the birth of Antoine Camilleri, the modernist pioneer of Maltese 20th-century art, with an exhibition at the Camerone at MUŻA, Valletta.

Several of Camilleri's artworks and personal items will be on show. 

MUŻA will also be the venue of a discussion about the artist today at 6.30pm. Camilleri’s family as well as the many who knew the artist will be present to share their memories regarding him. Admission is free of charge, on a first- come, first-served basis.

The exhibition runs until December 7.

Gabarrón: 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.

Legends

Alfie Borg is presenting a collection of contemporary works by Hudson founder and chairman Alfie Borg is presenting a collection of contemporary works at Kettles cafeteria at The Brewhouse in Mrieħel.

HIs mixed-media works depict all-time legends from the world of art, sport, music, film and social history, who have inspired Borg in different stages of his life.

All the proceeds from the sale of the art pieces will go towards the Hudson Foundation which seeks to ‘give a voice to the voiceless’ and focuses on supporting abandoned dogs, children and Mother Earth. The foundation is now seeking to continue its work in supporting animals and disadvantaged children as well as to realise initiatives to help the environment.

Legends runs until December 7.

[attach id=1257351 size="large" align="left" type="image"]An artwork by Alfie Borg inspired by John Lennon.[/attach]

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.

OTHER EXHIBITIONS

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.

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. 

whatson@timesofmalta.com