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.

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.

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 by an ensemble of artists at Ximenes Redoubt, Salina Bay, Naxxar, today and tomorrow.

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.

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.

MUSIC

Gothic Hymns

The Malta Philharmonic is presenting a programme of 20th-century music in the neo-gothic Robert Samut Hall in Floriana today at 7.30pm.

Resident conductor Michael Laus will take on the dual role of director and soloist in Martinů’s Harpsichord Concerto. The programme also includes Schnittke’s Hymns and Copland’s rearranged orchestral suite Appalachian Spring.

For tickets, log on to showshappening.com.

Malta International Organ Festival

An organ and cello concert by organist Matias Giesen of Germany and cellist Thomas Wall of Austria will be held at St Theresa church, Cospicua, today at 7.30pm. Entrance is free.

The festival runs until December 6. For more information and tickets, visit www.maltainternationalorganfestival.com/ and ticketline.com.mt.

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ARTS

ŻiguŻajg

The arts festival for children and young people features a jam-packed programme for all ages.

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

ŻiguŻajg runs until tomorrow, November 27. For more information, visit www.ziguzajg.org/.

Malta Book Festival

The largest local cultural event dedicated to books and reading in Malta is being held for the second year running at the Malta Fairs and Convention Centre (MFCC), Ta’ Qali, until tomorrow, November 27.

The programme features 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.

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.

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.

Alice in Wonderland

The Brigitte Gauci Borda School of Dance is presenting an adaption of Lewis Carroll’s whimsical novel The Adventures of Alice in Wonderland at St Agatha Auditorium, Rabat, on Saturday, November 26.

There will be two shows, at 3 and 7pm. For tickets, click here.

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FILM

Month of European Film

The Eden Cinemas in St Julian's is today showing the 2022 Norwegian drama drama War Sailor, as part of the Month of European Film. The Maltese co-produced film, certified 15, 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

Malta Artisan Markets

The Christmas edition of the Malta Artisan Markets is being held at Palazzo Parisio in Naxxar today from noon to 10pm.

Malta’s top artisans will be showcasing and selling their products, including homeware and accessories, handcrafts and mixed media artworks, in the palazzo’s grand ballroom and the rooms upstairs, as well as in the garden and conservatory.

Entrance to the market is free. For more information, visit the Malta Artisan Markets Facebook and Instagram accounts and maltaartisanmarkets.com.

Christmas in the Capital

Valletta is hosting a programme of Christmas-related activities as part of Christmas in the Capital programme.

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.

VISUAL ARTS

YFES

Jo Dounis's exhibition YFES at Gemelli Framing in Ta' Qali closes today.

YFES, 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.

Log on to the exhibition’s Facebook page for more information.

Q’eros: Beyond the Clouds

Il-Ħaġar Museum and Community Cultural Centre in Victoria is hosting an exhibition by Italian photographer Alessandro Bergamini until tomorrow, 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/.

Yours and Mine

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

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.

Yours and Mine, hosted by Rabat’s Wignacourt Museum, runs until tomorrow, November 27. 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 runs until tomorrow, November 27 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 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 November.

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.

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 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.

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 on display 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.

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 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 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 are on show. 

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.

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, range from landscapes and seascapes to florals and abstracts, and 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.

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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.

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