THEATRE

The Gaza Monologues

Spazju Kreattiv is hosting The Gaza Monologues, an international project advocating for the rights of children in Gaza by Ashtar Theatre, on January 20 and 21 at 8pm.

The monologues, based on personal stories of a group of children from Gaza, have been performed across 80 cities in 40 countries. The actors will also share works written in the past weeks by children and young people experiencing war in Gaza.

The show, certified 12+, is produced by Toni Attard and directed by Jean-Marc Cafa. The cast features Simone Spiteri, Thomas Camilleri, Rebecca Camilleri, Philip Leone-Ganado, Antonella Mifsud and Robyn Vella.

The event is free, however, donations for Al-Harah Theatre’s work with children and young people in Palestine can be made through this link. One also needs to book tickets via kreattivita.org.

Read more about the project in this Times of Malta feature.

Bull

After the show's debut in Victoria, Gozo's Ringside Theatre Company is presenting the contemporary dark comedy written by Mike Bartlett, Bull, at Theatre Next Door in Magħtab between January 19 and 21.

Containing themes of power, ambition and bullying at the workplace, this raw, quick-paced drama is directed by Jayne Giordanella and features Edward Thorpe, Kelly Peplow, Alex Weenink and Bob Cardona.

Bull is suitable for an audience aged over 15. Read more about the show here.

For tickets, click here.

Little Women

The Giovanni Curmi Higher Secondary School is presenting its annual soirée from January 19 to 21.

This year, the school will perform the musical Little Women, based on the classic and popular novel by Louisa May Alcott.

Tickets are available from ticketline.com.mt.

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MUSIC

Valletta Baroque Festival

The Valletta Baroque Festival, organised by Festivals Malta, continues this week.

Among other concerts will be Salve Regina, a concert dedicated to sacred music inspired by the Virgin Mary on January 16, featuring the Abchordis Ensemble with Claire Debono at St Catherine parish church, Żurrieq; Goldberg Variations on Wind Instruments, featuring the wind section of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra at the Casino Maltese, Valletta, on January 17; the Bach Keyboard Concerts performed by the MPO under the direction of Michael Laus, at the Manoel Theatre on January 18, 19 and 20; and Picking Flowers in the Recorder’s Garden of Delights featuring recorder virtuoso Erik Bosgraaf at the Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa on January 19.

Towards the end of the week, on January 21, organist John Aquilina will perform a solo recital, Roma 1635-1716, at Our Lady of Victory church, Valletta; while harpist Keziah Thomas will perform Vivaldi’s Four Seasons at Lapsi church, St Julian’s.

The festival runs until January 28. For all the details, visit festivals.mt/vbf. Tickets are available from showshappening.com.

My Favourite Musical Theatre Classics

Classical and musical theatre singer Rachel Fabri and pianist Ramona Zammit Formosa will perform in a concert at Our Lady of Victories church, Valletta, on January 16 at 12.30pm.

The lunchtime concert, organised by the Barocco Faoundation and Din l-Art Ħelwa, will feature music from West Side Story, The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof, Cats, Sweeney Tood and Phantom of the Opera, among other musicals.

After the concert, patrons are invited for free to the cellar of the church to watch a short documentary about the building, its history and its restoration.

Entrance to the concert is at a suggested donation of €10. One can obtain the tickets prior to the concert from the venue itself or by e-mailing baroccobookings@gmail.com or calling 7968 0952.

The Film Prologue Music

Pianist Frank Bonnici will play film scores with original music from famous composers from the 20th and 21st century at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta on January 17 at 7pm.

For tickets, visit ticketline.com.mt. Read more about the concert here.

Syncopation

On January 18, The Jesuits' Church Foundation is presenting a recital of 20th and 21st century works for violin and piano, including works by Martinu, Kreisler, Joseph Vella, Pawlu Grech, and many other rarely heard Maltese composers, at its newly inagurated oratory in Valletta.

Violinist Pierre Louis Attard and pianist Milica Lawrence will perform.

The event starts at 7.30pm. Entrance is by free donation. Access to the oratory is from the side of the main church, from Archbishop Street.

The SPMO Harp and Wind Ensemble

The St Paul Metropolitan Orchestra musicians Annmarie Podesta, Noel Beck, Fiorella Camilleri and Peter Lyndley will perform in a concert at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta on January 19 at 7.30pm.

The programme includes works by Bizet, Navok, Saint Saens and Poston, among others.

Tickets are available from showshappening.com.

Kantamagħna – A Singers’ Festival

DCapitals Big Band is presenting the fifth edition of Kantamagħna – A Singers’ Festival at the Astra Theatre in Victoria on January 20 at 7.30pm.

The festival will see 24 singers (aged 10 to 35), who were selected through auditions held last November, performing with a live 18-piece big band, under the direction of George Apap.

The finalists will be divided in three categories according to their age group. 

Kantamagħna is presented with the support of The Cultural Heritage Directorate within the Ministry for Gozo; Victoria local council, Distinct Homes Ltd, and SISU Tours. 

Entrance is free and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

FILM

Médecin de Nuit/The Night Doctor

The French Film Days cycle of films at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta continues with Médecin de Nuit (The Night Doctor) on January 17.

The film is about a doctor who tries to extricate himself from the stressful work of treating drug addicts, the homeless and the destitute in difficult neighbourhoods at night.

The screening starts at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from kreattivita.org.

The French Film Days are presented by the Alliance Française Malte-Méditerranée.

Dutch National Ballet: Giselle

On January 21, Spazju Kreattiv is screening a performance of Giselle, one of the oldest works of classical dance, by the Dutch National Ballet.

The ballet’s plot follows a young peasant girl named Giselle who falls in love with Albrecht, a nobleman already betrothed who hides his true identity from her. When she learns the truth, she becomes mad and dies. Against her own will, Giselle joins the Wilis, vengeful spirits of jilted brides who condemn Albrecht to dance until he dies of exhaustion.

The main roles are played by former Bolshoi Ballet principals Olga Smirnova and Jacopo Tissi, who fled Russia and joined the Dutch National Ballet.

The screening starts at 6pm. For tickets, visit kreattivita.org.

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MISCELLANEOUS

Ġurnata ma' tal-films

The Malta Film Commission is organising an open day on the set of the upcoming movie Gladiator 2 at Fort Ricasoli and the Malta Film Studios on January 21 from 8am to 5pm.

The fort also served as the backdrop for the set of the first Gladiator film which was released in 2000.

Among others, visitors will be able to admire a replica of the Colosseum, the elliptical amphitheatre symbolic of the Roman empire.

Entrance is free.

L-għodwa taċ-ċitru fil-Kalkara

The Kalkara local council is hosting a citrus festival in the gardens of the Franciscan Capuchin convent in Triq Santa Liberata on January 21 from 9am to 1pm.

One may also take the opporunity to visit the the Gladiator film set nearby (see Ġurnata ma' tal-films above).

The local council is organising a bus which will pick up people at the town's bus stops and take them to the convent and Fort Ricasoli. 

For more information, visit the Kalkara local council page.

Citrus Festival 2024

Lija is holding its annual festival dedicated to citrus fruit at its main square on January 21 from 9am to 4pm.

The event is organised by the Lija local council. Look up the event on Facebook for more information.

VISUAL ARTS

De Novo

Sylvana Debono is holding her debut exhibition at Gemelli Art Gallery in Ta' Qali.

While not new to the public sphere, this is Debono’s first contribution to the artistic world as a mixed media artist.

Debono looks at the world around her in a new way; not only is she a new kid on the block artistically, but she also brings a freshness of outlook to the current artistic milieu.

Her pieces range from unusually large pieces to small, intimate works such as those featuring creatures great and small.

De Novo, at the Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta’ Qali, is on until January 27.

Reflections

A collective exhibition by Tomas Hed, Kristina Huxley and Jane Birchall is being held at Arthall Gozo in Victoria.

Hed is presenting (mis)conceptions of our daily mayhem but also delves into the unknown that somehow we all feel inhabits us. Black canvases open up spaces that escape the usual scenery and allow narratives to be discovered and interpreted. Using Goya as a reference for some of his paintings, he also explores the limitations of a world made up of our senses and the surrounding darkness.

Huxley participates with two paintings, Cataclysm I and Cataclysm II. At first sight, one might consider her paintings calm and still, but at a second glance, they become catalysts for debate, reactions and interactions. In other words, one can feel the transience in the permanent surface of the canvas.

Birchall is presenting her Lava Collection, ceramic works whose textures and colours remind oneof the natural beauty of Gozo; intense, arid and overwhelming. Each piece is hand built in stoneware with multiple layers of glaze and several firings. They are named after an area or an event it is associated with. 

The exhibition runs until January 28. For more information, including opening hours, visit the gallery's Facebook page.

New Forms

In a bold departure from the traditional gallery setting, James Vella Clark is exhibiting his latest collection of abstract expressionist works at FORM's home showroom in Valley Road, Msida.

Themed New Forms, the 16 large new paintings on canvas seek to ignite a conversation about the intersection of art and living spaces, inviting viewers to rediscover how art can seamlessly integrate into personal spaces as a daily reminder of the enduring beauty in our lives.

The exhibition runs until the end of January. For more information, read this Times of Malta review.

Across the Harbour

Academic, classicist and Faculty of Arts member Carmel Serracino steps into a new realm as he showcases his first solo exhibition, Across the Harbour.

Through the watercolour exhibition, Serracino hopes to share his love for Cottonera, where he was born, raised and still resides, and convey the beauty that lies in its streets, architecture and the grandeur of the Grand Harbour.

The collection features land and streetscapes, some of which were painted en plein air and others that were conceived entirely in the studio.

The exhibition, curated by Charlene Vella, is open throughout January 2024 at the Palm Court Lounge, The Phoenicia Malta.

Nucleus

A collective exhibition of six artists is being held at Art Galleries of the Malta Society of Arts seat Palazzo de la Salle in Valletta.

The exhibition, coordinated by Caroline Miggiani, features the work of Jeni Caruana, Debbie Caruana Dingli, Anna Galea, Anna Grima, Tonio Mallia and Kenneth Zammit Tabona. Their wish is inspire a younger generation to set up a watercolour society in Malta.

Nucleus runs until February 1. Opening hours: Mondays to Fridays: 9am to 7pm and Saturdays: 9am to 1pm. The venue is closed on Sundays and publis holidays. Free entrance

For more information, click here.

Moodscapes

Fabio Borg is presenting his latest collection of works at Il-Kamra ta' Fuq in Mqabba.

In this exhibition, he is approaching abstract expressionism, signalling a departure from his well-known landscapes and treescapes.

Instead of drawing inspiration from tangible landscapes and photographs, Borg relies solely on his inner vision. The result is a series of works conveying inherent moods and emotions, characterised by intense, unrealistic colours and bold lines.

Executed primarily on paper, these works utilise acrylic, oil pastel, and pencil besides his signature acrylics.

Curated by Melanie Erixon, Moodscapes is on until February 4. For more information, including opening hours, visit the gallery's Facebook page.

Human(kind)

A thought-provoking exhibition by G. Luigi Rossi, a German artist residing in Malta, is being held at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.

Through a combination of symbolism, abstract landscapes and vibrant colours, Rossi delves deep into the core social issues affecting our society, offering viewers a unique perspective on conflicts, social injustice and the fragile relationship between humanity and nature.

As regards the latter topic, Rossi symbolically captures the destructive consequences of humanity’s exploitation of the planet, urging viewers to reflect on the urgent need for sustainable practices and a deeper reverence for the natural world. Meanwhile, his expressive use of colours and poetic imagery offers a glimpse into an ideal world where beauty, harmony, and positivity prevail.

The exhibition is on until February 11. Entrance is free. There will be a curatorial tour on February 10 at noon. To join, register here.

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.

OTHER EXHIBITIONS

The Crib’s Journey with St Francis

A Christmas crib exhibition, a joint collaboration between Heritage Malta and Għaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepji Għawdex Malta, has been launched at the Grand Master’s Palace, under the auspices of President George Vella.

Titled The Crib’s Journey with St Francis, this exhibition forms part of a string of initiatives around the globe, organised by the International Friends of the Crib Federation, celebrating the 800th anniversary since the first crib was created by St Francis in Greccio, Italy. 

On display are some 60 cribs by Maltese and foreign artists, crafted out of different materials, including papier-mâché, glass and jablo. 

Heritage Malta published an informative full-colour catalogue about this exhibition, with a general introduction about Christmas traditions and the Maltese crib, and a limited edition and numbered 15-figure nativity set.

The exhibition runs until January 21. All profits will be directed to the Malta Community Chest Fund. Entrance is through Merchants Street.

Civil Splendour

An exhibition at the Malta Postal Museum & Arts Hub is giving visitors a rare opportunity to view at close quarters the exquisitely tailored and embroidered civil uniforms worn by high-ranking British and colonial officials at state occasions in the 19th and 20th centuries.

Among others, Civil Splendour shows all five grades of the uniform worn in the 19th century as well as their evolution into the foreign service uniform in the 1950s. The latter is still worn today by ambassadors and the marshal and vice-marshal of the diplomatic corps.

The exhibition is being held at the Malta Postal Museum, 135, Archbishop Street, Valletta, until January 27. Opening hours are from 10am to 4pm from Monday to Friday, and from 10am to 2pm on Saturdays.

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 going 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 2024: 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