THEATRE

Is-Snin li Tħoss

Following successful runs at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival and Soho Theatre in London, the theatrical production Age is a Feeling is being staged in Maltese at the Spazju Kreattiv theatre in Valletta between February 16 and 25.

Written by Haley McGee and translated and acted by Clare Agius, Is-Snin li Tħoss tells the story of one person’s life from their 25th birthday onwards. 

Inspired by real-life interviews, the play wrestles with the endless chances to change course while we’re alive, and the joys and tragedies of getting older.

For tickets, visit kreattivita.org. 

Plastic and Chicken Bones

An award-winning solo show about the future of the human race will be staged at Blue Box Theatre in Msida from February 16 to 18.

Where will our species be in a thousand years’ time – and what would a time traveller from the future have to say to us − are some of the questions tackled in Plastic and Chicken Bones.

The play, suitable for an audience over 14 years of age, is written by and stars Malcolm Galea, and is directed by theatre veteran Denise Mulholland. 

For tickets and more information, visit https://www.malcolmgalea.com/. For tickets, click here.

Also read this Times of Malta interview with Galea.

Giulietta: An Auction Through Time

The Busli Collective is presenting an original and modern take on the Shakespearean classic Romeo and Juliet at the Sala San Duminku in Merchants Street, Valletta, from February 16 to 18.

In this production, written and directed by Rowena Zammit, the heiress of the Capulet family invites the audience to join her as she auctions off the remaining artefacts from her infamous foremother, Giulietta.

Tickets are available from showshappening.com.

The project is supported by Arts Council Malta.

Frank u Jien

The life and work of modern art pioneer Frank Portelli is being celebrated at his old art studio in Attard from February 15 to 25.

Curated by Andrew Borg Wirth and written by Maria Theuma, the interdisciplinary piece showcases Portelli’s work through a series of performances, letting audiences experience fragments of his personal archive.Frank u Jien is based on the experiences shared by art historian Isabelle Elizabeth Borg, archiving student Natalie Formosa and the collaboration of Portelli’s family.

The performance, directed by Becky Camilleri, stars Michela Farrugia and Monique Dimech Genuis and visuals by Charlie Cauchi.

Frank u Jien runs until February 25 but all performances have been sold out.

Lovesong: L-Għanja tan-Namra

Lovesong, the renowned play by Frantic Assembly, is set to be staged in Maltese at Theatre Next Door in Magħtab from February 16 to 25.

Produced by FM Theatre Productions and performed in Maltese, Lovesong: L-Għanja tan-Namra follows the intimate journey of Billy and Maggie, now in the mature stages of their relationship. Though many years have passed, their past still lingers on in the present.As the story of the couple unfolds, the play flashes back to the seminal moments experienced early on in their relationship.

The play is written by Abi Morgan, with translation and direction by Simone Spiteri. Veteran actors of stage and screen Josette Ciappara, Marceline Galea, Mark Mifsud and Lino Mintoff will play the roles of Billy and Maggie in different stages of the relationship. 

Performances on February 18 and 25 will have surtitles in English. For tickets and more information, visit www.tnd.com.mt.

This project is supported by Arts Council Malta.

Read more about the play in this Times of Malta preview.

Daqsxejn ta’ Requiem lil Leli

Theatre Anon is transforming Immanuel Mifsud’s novel about the life of an ordinary man into a theatrical piece celebrating life and creativity.

Daqsxejn ta’ Requiem lil Leli is being staged at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta on February 15, 17 and 18.

Backed by an eight-piece chamber orchestra, Leli, represented by a life-size puppet, relives the main chapters of Leli’s life during his last moments on Earth.Douglas Comley, Sandra Mifsud, Jacob Piccinino, Liliana Portelli, Paul Portelli and Pierre Stafrace make up the human cast.

Certified 7+, the drama premiered at the Malta International Arts Festival in July 2018 and is part of Theatre Anon’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

Tickets from teatrumanoel.mt.

Thomlyn’s Tantalising Tales

TOI TOI, the Manoel’s learning programme, is staging a new puppet show for children aged 5 to 8, on February 17 and 18.

The basic plot sees Thomlyn, the teller of tantalising tales, and Archibald, the assimilating assistant, embark on an epic adventure and the audience will help them overcome obstinate obstacles, defeat villainous villains, and reach a commendable conclusion.

Visit teatrumanoel.mt for tickets.

Little Prince

The classic tale The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, is being brought to life by Theatre Anon at the Manoel Theatre from February 16 to 18.

Reimagined through a newly devised script adapted by Jes Camilleri, the story follows a young prince on his journey across various planets throughout space, addressing themes such as love, loneliness, friendship and loss.

This production, which mixes animation, puppetry and live action, was first commissioned by the ŻiguŻajg International Arts Festival for Children and Young People 2021 and is part of Theatre Anon’s 30th anniversary celebrations.

Tickets for Little Prince, certified 7+, are available from teatrumanoel.mt.

MUSIC

A Symphony to the Jungle

The Malta Philharmonic orchestra, directed by Aurelio Belli, is performing in an original adapted orchestral live concert of Guns n’ Roses at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta on February 17 at 8pm.

The orchestra will be accompanied by singers Mikaela Attard, Moira Stafrace, Yorika Attard and Kersten Graham plus a surprise performer.

Musical arrangements are by Wayne Grima, while artistic direction is by Renald Bezzina. 

Tickets from showshappening.com.

Għawdex Inħobbok Concert 2024

A concert celebrating love, featuring the 20-piece Versatile Brass orchestra, is being held  in Victoria’s Independence Square (It-Tokk) on February 17 from 9pm onwards.

Għawdex Inħobbok will also include performances by Cash & Band and special guest Ivan Grech, and will close with a deejay set by JJOY.

The event is being organised by the Ministry for Gozo in collaboration with Fevasi. Entrance is free.

Niġi Għandek

Fr Karm Debattista, MSSP is launching his 10th musical album with a concert at St Agatha Auditorium in Rabat on February 17 at 7pm.

Tickets from showshappening.com.

Vocal and instrumental concert

International tenor Gabriel Arce and soprano Claire Caruana are performing in a concert by the King’s Own band club at the Catholic Institute in Floriana on February 17 at 8pm.

The band will be under the direction of John Galea.

Tickets can be obtained against a donation of €10 from the King’s Own Philharmonic Society premises in Valletta. 

Framlingham College Choir in Vittoriosa

Framlingham College Choir will be giving a concert of sacred music at St Lawrence parish church, Vittoriosa, on February 18, at 7pm.

Framlingham College is an independent boarding school in Suffolk, England, that prides itself of two choirs, Cantus and Cappella Lumina. The Cantus is a large non-auditions choir, while the Cappella Lumina is a smaller elite chamber choir. They sing a range of music and perform regularly throughout the year in concerts, services and competitions.

The concert at St Lawrence will include sacred and light music, including Bob Dylan’s The Times They Are a Changin, arranged by Adam Podd, and Rollo Dilworth’s adaptation of Charles H. Gabriel’s I Sing Because I'm Happy. It will also feature Agnus Dei by Bob Chilcott, one of the world's premier composers and choral conductors in Britain today.

Entrance is free of charge and everyone is welcome. For more info, call 9945 3440.

DANCE

ŻfinDays 2024

ŻfinMalta is celebrating contemporary dance with a double bill at the Valletta Campus Theatre between February 16 and 25.

These include Cantata, choreographed by Mauro Bigonzetti, and Aringa Rossa .10 by Ambra Senatore.

Cantata is Bigonzetti’s personal quest to read and recover the traditional musical heritage of Southern Italy, while Aringa Rossa .10, first staged in 2014, takes Senatore’s compositional style to the extreme, constantly shifting the pieces of an ever more astonishing puzzle.

Tickets are available from showshappening.com.

FILM

Lux Audience Film Screenings 2024

The film screenings of the LUX Audience Award, organised by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy, are being shown at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta from February 9 until March. The award promotes cultural diversity and provides tangible support to European cinema and the arts.

The five finalist films are subtitled in the 24 official EU languages, and free screenings are organised by the European Parliament in all 27 EU countries. In Malta, they are being screened in collaboration with the European Parliament Office in Malta.

One can vote for their favourite film by April 14 and be in the chance to win a range of prizes, including a trip to the European Parliament in Brussels to attend the LUX Audience Award ceremony on April 16. All the screenings are open to the public and are free of charge.

For bookings, visit kreattivita.org.  One can rate the films at https://rating.luxaward.eu/en/.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Carnival celebrations

Carnival celebrations in Malta and Gozo run until Tuesday.

The main activities in Malta are being held in Valletta and they will come to end with a grand finale on Tuesday, February 13, when all the competition floats will parade along St Anne Street, Floriana. For all the details, visit festivals.mt/karnival.

Meanwhile, Għaxaq is holding its traditional spontaneous carnival from February 11 to 13 from 7.30pm onwards.

Activities in Gozo are being held mainly in Victoria. There will be a carnival parade on February 12 and 13 (grand finale) from 5 to 11pm. The parade starts at the beginning of Republic Street and culminates at Independence Square, where a dancing spectacle with the participation of dance companies and carnival groups ensues. There will also be humorous sketches, triumphal floats, local bands and grotesque masks. 

Nadur is holding its spontaneous carnival until February 13. For more information, log on to visitgozo.com.

Karta Festa

Esplora Interactive Science Centre in Kalkara is celebrating carnival with an event revolving around paper and featuring hands-on activities and playful exploration until February 14.

Visitors will have the chance to immerse themselves in the art of tinkering and making, while exploring the science behind traditional artistic crafts. One will also discover the art of paper crafting, from DIY paper-making to intricate papier-mâché and large-scale paper constructions.

Visitors will also learn about the art of upcycling by learning techniques to transform unusable paper into practical items. 

Tickets can be bought from the reception desk on the day of the visit on a first-come, first-served basis, or buy them online from showshappening.com.

Chinese New Year celebrations in Valletta

The China Cultural Centre in Malta is celebrating the Chinese New Year in Valletta with two events on February 17.

From noon to 12.40pm, the public can enjoy a Hanfu Parade with Chinese and Maltese volunteer models parading down the streets in Hanfu, the traditional attire of China. The parade will start from the China Cultural Centre at 173, Melita Street and continue to Republic Street, St George Square, the Parliament building and end at the Triton fountain.

Between 2 and 4pm, the public is invited to the China Cultural Centre in Malta for an afternoon filled with cultural delights, including sipping on authentic Chinese tea, crafting lanterns, printing a copy of traditional Chinese New Year painting, writing with an art teacher a new year calligraphy artwork and even trying on a Hanfu costume.

Entrance is free but a donation of €2 per person is suggested in aid of the Malta Community Chest Fund.

Tour of St Catherine’s Monastery

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar is organising a tour of the underground world lying beneath St Catherine’s Monastery in Valletta on February 17.

Participants will meet at St Catherine’s church in Republic Street at 2pm, and then visit its monastery, which was built in 1575 to take care of orphans during the time of the Knights of St John. The quarry dug to provide stone for the monastery was then turned into a stunning underground complex.

During the guided tour, participants will visit the ribbed vaulted rooms, the nuns’ bedrooms and kitchens, the nuns’ crypt and the peaceful central garden, stepping back in time and immersing themselves in the cloistered nuns’ lives.At the end of the tour, FAA will be offering tea/coffee, along with sandwiches and cakes specially prepared by volunteers.  

Tickets are available from https://ticketengine.faa.org.mt. Non-members can also become members to avail themselves of pre-booking.

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VISUAL ARTS

Flourish

Michelle Gialanze, aka Mixa, is presenting a solo art exhibition at Art by the Seaside Gallery in Senglea.

Flourish celebrates the enduring beauty of nature, both in the present day and past. Through a diverse selection of artworks, the exhibition aims to create a positive and uplifting experience for visitors, highlighting the inherent grace and splendour of the natural world even when it is no longer alive.

Flourish runs until February 16. For more details, including opening hours, visit the venue's Facebook page.

Also read this Times of Malta review.

Glasshouse

In the third phase of The Glasshouse Project, Gilbert Calleja, Jesmond Vassallo and Robert Zahra delve into the mechanics of creative production to come up with an exhibition of 2D and 3D works at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.

Drawing metaphorical parallels between artists’ studios and the lab-like conditions of glasshouses, the project explores creation as an ongoing organic process − germination, growth, reproduction and decay.

Through diverse media, image-making techniques and innovative forms of presentation, the exhibition reflects on the consumption and evolution of artworks from conception to ciculation or return to the artist’s studio.

The chosen subject matter includes interior spaces, the human figure and the relationships between architecture, objects and natural elements. This exploration aligns with the concept of art as a transformative process within a space – a site, a laboratory, a glasshouse – where the individual undergoes a reciprocal transformation.

Glasshouse is on until February 25. Entrance is free.

Through the Eye of a Needle

An exhibition of large-scale textile works by Stefan Spiteri is on display at  the Malta Society of Arts on February 8.

Through the Eye of the Needle, the culmination of a two-year project, draws on ideas ranging from nature to the state of society, Maltese traditions and the artist's hope for the future. 

The exhibition, curated by Andrew Borg Wirth and designed by Lyanne Mifsud, also features an installation of works by the artist’s mother, Speranza Spiteri.

There will be an artists' tour on February 24 and a closing performance by Claire Tonna and Tom Armitage on February 28 at 7pm. The exhibition runs until February 29. For more information, click here.

Also read this Times of Malta interview with the artist.

Africa: Land of Icons

A solo exhibition by award-winning wildlife photographer Johan Siggesson is open at Christine X Gallery in Sliema until February 29.

Titled Africa: Land of Icons, this immersive exhibition showcases Siggesson’s photographs that not only captivate but also inspire a profound appreciation for the beauty and significance of African animal wildlife.

Accompanying the visuals are informative displays, shedding light on the conservation efforts, ecological significance and cultural importance of the showcased species.

Opening hours: Monday to Saturday from 10am to 1pm and from 4 to 7pm.

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

SOLUS

Renowned artist Ann Jenkins embarks on an emotive journey into the world of solitude with her latest solo exhibition, SOLUS, hosted at Gemelli Art Studio in Ta’ Qali.

The collection of oil paintings explores the profound sentiment of solace, capturing the essence of sanctuary either in complete isolation or within evocative environments. 

Jenkins’s diverse portfolio includes figurative works, seascapes, and landscapes and SOLUS showcases her mastery of various techniques.

The exhibition is open to the public Monday to Friday (9am to 2pm) and Saturdays (9am to noon) until the end of February at Gemelli Art Studio.

Beyond Flawless: Embracing the Imperfect Beauty of Humanity

A German artist and model who has made Malta her home is showcasing paintings in her debut solo exhibition that is a commentary about flawlessness in general and the female form in particular.

In Beyond Flawless, Lena Maria Ludes presents a series of paintings of women, or so they seem at first glance. On closer inspection, one realises that these women are largely artificial, with chrome faces and bodies, taking on the semblance of robots.

The artist aims to promte the fact that humans are inherently imperfect and the exhibition aims to serve as a call for a more compassionate, understanding and empathetic world that recognises the beauty of imperfection and appreciates humanity.

Beyond Flawless, curated by Charlene Vella, runs at the Phoenicia Malta’s Palm Court Lounge until the end of February.

Room For Speculation

Peter Seychell’s latest collection of works is on at Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq in Mqabba.

In Room for Speculation, Seychell incorporates the exhibition venue as an integral part of his conceptual framework to present a collection of works centred around nature − an untouched, pristine nature, far removed from human influence.

This new body of work serves as a continuation of this theme, inviting viewers to engage in contemplation and speculation regarding how and why humans are exploiting and destroying their natural habitat, and consequently, themselves.

Peter will be again collaborating with Ecovis to raise funds during this exhibition. The artist will be donating 10 per cent of sales to Shawn Mifsud who is trying to raise enough funds to get bionic prosthesis after having lost both arms and both legs. Ecovis will be donating the same value raised by the artist.

The exhibition, curated by Melanie Erixon, runs until March 3.

OTHER EXHIBITIONS

Pawlu Curmi ‘Il-Pampalun’: Il-Bniedem, Il-Leġġenda

Festivals Malta is dedicating this year’s carnival activities to Pawlu Curmi ‘il-Pampalun’, often described as the ‘King of Maltese Carnival’, who died last year at the age of 92.

As part of this tribute, an exhibition titled ‘Pawl Curmi ‘Il-Pampalun’: Il-Bniedem, Il-Leġġenda’ is being held at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta until March 3.

Born in Valletta on December 12, 1930, ‘Il-Pampalun’ was the 12th child out of 13, and from a young age, showed a particular interest in carnival. As a young boy, he used to help out his father Giovanni with creating carnival floats and grotesque masks. His career evolved as he began to touch upon elements related to dance, choreography and much more.

Beyond carnival, ‘il-Pampalun’ had various interests and left a colourful legacy behind him. 

The exhibition is researched and curated by Mario Coleiro.

Let Me Be Myself The Life Story of Anne Frank

The University of Malta Library in collaboration with The Tayar Foundation is hosting the exhibition Let Me Be Myself - The Life Story of Anne Frank until March 21.

The exhibition consists of 34 panels, each containing key images and texts about the world that surrounded Anne Frank, from the rise of Hitler to the persecution of the Jews and World War 11. It also gives an account of her life: from her birth in 1929 up to her death in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in 1945.

The library is open Monday to Friday from 7am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 12.15pm. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Entrance is free.

Fare Convito: The Archaeology of Banqueting in Hospitaller Malta (16th to 18th century)

A range of maiolica and porcelain vessels, used both for display and for serving food during formal banquets in Hospitaller Malta, is on display at the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa.

The exhibition, entitled Fare Convito: The Archaeology of Banqueting in Hospitaller Malta (16th to 18th century), delves deeply into how food, art and politics came together in the ritual of baroque banqueting – the formal and communal sharing of food and drink – between the 16th and the 18th century in Malta.

During that period, under the Order of St John, Malta imported many aspects of the European dining culture, mainly from Renaissance Italy and from Rococo France. An especially striking feature was the Convito – the formal banquet – which provided a theatrical backdrop for political discussion and intrigue. 

They include two late Renaissance plates belonging to Cardinal Farnese’s famous credenza, a Chinese Ming porcelain import to Malta, important examples of South Italian heraldic plates, and a wide range of French and North Italian faience, including examples in the Rococo style of Moustier.

The exhibition runs until March.

In the Footsteps of the Hospitallers: 900 Years of Chivalry, Faith & Charity

The National Library of Malta in Valletta is hosting an exhibition about the Knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta (SMOM).

By means of maps, documents, printed works and objets d’art, In the Footsteps of the Hospitallers traces the story of the Order, starting from their humble beginnings in Jerusalem during the mid-11th century.

The exhibition, curated by Maroma Camilleri, is dedicated to the memory of a prominent Maltese member of the Order of Malta, the Bailiff Fra’ John Edward Critien, Grand Prior of Rome, who passed away on December 3, 2022.

It will remain open during library hours until March: Monday to Friday: 8.30am to 4.30pm; Saturdays: 8.30am to 12.30pm (every third Saturday of the month, the library opens from 8.30am to 3.30pm. Entrance is free.

whatson@timesofmalta.com