THEATRE
Ċikku and the Chocolate Panto
Masquerade Malta’s panto is back at the Manoel Theatre with Ċikku and the Chocolate Panto, from January 2 to 8. On Monday, and on Saturday, there will be two shows.
Written by Malcolm Galea and directed by Anthony Bezzina, the show tells the story of young Ċikku, a penniless young man who lives with his mother in a giant bajtra. Luckily, his fortunes change when he finds a coveted golden ticket to visit Willy Wonder’s famous Chocolate Panto along with a group of other winners.
Galea also stars as Dame Desserta.
For more information and tickets, visit teatrumanoel.com.mt.
Pentow bil-Malti: Addams Femili
Kumpanija Teatru Rjal is restaging its panto in Maltese at the Catholic Institute, in Floriana, from January 6 to 8, with two shows on the 8th.
Written by Rodney Gauci, who also plays the dame, this year’s show is inspired by the popular and macabre, fictional characters of the Addams Family.
For more information, visit the Facebook page of Kumpanija Teatru Rjal. For tickets, log on to https://bit.ly/3CKI7hf.
Cast members of Addams Femili, including Rodney Gauci as the Dame. Photo: FacebookThe Comedy Knights: Ten Years of Laughter
The Comedy Knights are back for their 10th anniversary show at Sir Temi Zammit Hall, University of Malta Msida Campus, until January 8.
There will be shows on January 2, 4, 6, 7 and 8. Tickets are available from ticketline.com.mt.
Chris Dingli and the rest of the cast of The Comedy Knights: Ten Years of Laughter. Photo: FacebookMUSIC
Yuletide Blessings
Soprano Charlene AquilinaSoprano Charlene Aquilina and piano accompanist Lydia Buttigieg will be performing a repertoire of Christmas and seasonal songs during a concert at Our Lady of Victory church on January 3 at 12.30pm.
The programme includes two Ave Marias, one by Giulio Caccini and the other by Luigi Cherubini, followed by Christmas-related songs such as Max Reger’s The Virgin’s Slumber, followed by Pietro A. Yan’s Gesù Bambino, Franz Gruber’s Silent Night and Adolphe Charles Adam’s O Holy Night.
Buttigieg will provide musical interludes with a medley of Maltese Christmas songs and Hark the Herald Angels Sing by Charles Wesley.
Barocco Foundation, in collaboration with Din l-Art Ħelwa, is hosting the event. 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 baroccomalta@gmail.com or calling 7968 0952.
Kunċert tal-President għas-Sena l-Ġdida
The annual concert, presided over by President George Vella, is taking place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta on January 8 at 7pm.
The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing under the baton of Alan Chircop. Soprano Gillian Zammit will also be taking part.
For tickets, log on to showshappening.com.
Festive Rock & Pop at the Astra
The Gozo Youth Wind Band and Orchestra is presenting a rock and pop concert at the Astra Opera House in Victoria on January 6.
Taking part will be Cash & Band, established rock and pop singers Sarah Bonnici, Kurt Cassar, Rachel Fabri and Neville Refalo, and the Piccole Stelle Choir under the musical direction of Joseph Grech
The concert starts at 8pm. For more information and tickets, visit www.teatruastra.org.mt/.
The Gozo Youth Wind Band & Orchestra. Photo: FacebookFILM
Happy Chinese New Year Film Festival 2023
Spazju Kreattiv, in collaboration with the China Cultural Centre in Malta, is presenting a festival of Chinese films from January 7 to January 24.
Showing during the festival are the 2019 films The Bravest, The Climbers, Looking Up, The Wandering Earth and The Captain.
For more information and tickets, click here.
A scene from the 2019 Chinese sci-fi adventure film The Wandering Earth.FESTIVE ATTRACTIONS
The Magical Illuminated Trail
The Magical Illuminated Trail is on for one last week, and is open at the Verdala Palace in Buskett on January 2, 6 and 7.
The magical after-dark adventure features new and bigger attractions than previous years, light installations, projections and a new Christmas village.
Proceeds from the event will go towards the Malta Community Chest Fund.
For tickets, click here.
Illuminated structures at the Magical Illuminated Trail. Photo: Facebook/Illuminated Trail MaltaChristmas villages
Fairyland − Santa’s City is being held in Triton Square, Valletta, featuring favourite attractions such as Rudolph’s Wheel, an ice-skating rink and a Christmas market. Santa’s City runs until January 6.
Other Christmas villages are open at Popeye Village in Mellieħa (until January 8) and the Malta National Aquarium in Qawra (until January 8).
A jam-packed programme of activities is planned at the Valletta Waterfront, and at the Christmas Village Malta at the Ta' Xbiex Marina until January 6.
For more information, click on the links above.
A bird's-eye view of Fairyland − Santa’s City in Valletta. Photo: Visit MaltaCribs
Il-Qala tissaħħar bil-presepji
A crib exhibition is being held at the Qala parish centre until January 8. It is open from Monday to Saturday from 5 to 7pm and on Sundays and public holidays from 10am to noon and from 5 to 9pm.
Mechanical crib in Żejtun
The mechanical crib at the Jesus of Nazareth Institute in Żejtun, which has been operating since 1947, is open to the public again this year until January 8 from 9.30am to noon and from 4.30 to 7pm. There is also a bazaar in the adjacent hall during the same opening hours.
A section of the mechanical crib. Photo: FacebookGħaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepju Għawdex-Malta 1985 exhibitions in Victoria
The Għaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepju Għawdex-Malta 1985 is holding two exhibitions for Christmas – a crib exhibition, mainly by children, at the Gozo Ministry in Victoria, until January 6 and a crib display by Gozitan and Maltese artists at St Augustine’s convent, also in Victoria, until January 8.
Celebrating the Epiphany
Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem
The 13th edition of the popular Nativity Village will be open for the last time on January 8, from 2.30 to 7pm for the re-enactment of the Adoration of the Magi.
For more information, visit the Facebook page of the Għajnsielem local council and the event's Facebook page
Re-enactors taking part in the Adoration of the Magi event.Tre Re
The Kummissjoni Żgħażagħ Fontana is presenting the first edition of Tre Re (Three Kings) on the parish church parvis on January 8 from 10.30am to 1pm.
The family event will include holy mass followed by the arrival of the Three Kings. Afterwards, children can engage in a number of games and activities including archery, balloon modelling, crafts and science experiments. The main attraction will be an original zipline. Entrance is free.
For more information, check out the event's Facebook page.
L-Epifanija fl-Imġarr
The Mġarr local council is hosting a series of activities on the parish church parvis from January 5 to 8 to celebrate the Epiphany.
On January 5, there will be activities for children aged eight to 12 with the participation of magician Morgan Mage, performances by Dance/Movement Therapy Malta, Benji from Banjo Rancho – Smiling Drummer and Maroushka Falletta from Dancing Feet Studio. Mass will be celebrated at 7pm and afterwards a film for all the family will be shown.
On January 6, dancers from Nova Studios, Alegria Dance Studio and Paul Curmi Dance Company will perform in the square and there will be an American car display, a parade with traditional Christmas costumes and food and drink from various countries.
The following day, January 7, there will be a treasure hunt for youths, a musical concert with Christmas carols and popular music by the Banda Filarmonika Marija Mtellgħa s-Sema, makkjetti by Lydon and Joe Mike and entertainment by DJ Charles Tanti.
On January 8, re-enactors of the Three Kings will visit on their way to Bethlehem f’Għajnsielem. There will also be an Elvis tribute show at 4pm and a film screening for all.
For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
Activities are being on the parish church parvis. Photo: Mġarr local councilVISUAL ARTS
100 years – Commemorating Frank Portelli’s Art and Life
A small retrospective exhibition dedicated to artist Frank Portelli, one of the pioneers of Maltese modernism, is on at the Camerone, MUŻA, Valletta until January 8.
The oeuvre of Portelli, who was born 100 years ago, is at times very personal, like in his masterpiece La Vie, while at others he experiments with his version of cubism, which he termed as ‘crystallised cubism’.
100 years – Commemorating Frank Portelli’s Art and Life is a collaboration between MUŻA (Heritage Malta) and Frank Portelli’s family.
Maltese Crafts and Trades by Frank PortelliArt 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.
Filfla by Andrew Smith'The tree is saying things, in words before words'
Catherine Cavallo, a contemporary painter who lives and works in Malta, is presenting her latest collection at Il-Kamra ta' Fuq in Mqabba.
Her work is rooted in observations of the everyday, and looks to both the pockets of serenity and the upheavals that life presents for her inspiration. This is evident in her evocative figure compositions which are influenced both by daily life and by current world situations.
The exhibition runs until January 8. For more information and opening hours, visit the gallery's Facebook page.
Pink Dancing Nudes by Catherine CavalloI Landed. Malta
Spazju Kreattiv and the Marlands Project have collaborated on an exhibition featuring works by French artists Edgar Sarin, Lucy Orta and Max Fouchy and Maltese counterpart Sheldon Saliba.
Guest artist Sarin explored the island during his art residency in Malta as part of the Marlands project. His immersive, multilayered art project is the result of productive dialogues with islanders specialising in craft, culture and science.
During the exhibition, one can also take a trip to other Mediterranean islands through the artists’ work: Orta will take visitors to the Balearic Islands and Max Fouchy to Sicily.
I Landed. Malta is curated by Elena Posokhova and Vince Briffa.
After the exhibition closes on January 8, it will move on to Catania, Sicily; Palma, Mallorca; Nicosia, Cyprus and Mallorca, Spain.
Spazju Kreattiv is open from Tuesday to Sunday. For more information, click here.
Visitors looking at an installation at the I Landed. Malta exhibition. Photo: Elisa von BrockdorffExpressions
An exhibition by Rachel Galea at Il-Ħaġar - Heart of Gozo Museum features 31 of her latest works inspired by Gozo’s landscape.
The exhibition runs until January 10. The museum is open daily from 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free.
For more information, click here.
Works by Rachel Galea on display at Il-Ħaġar. Photo: Facebook/Il-ĦaġarSights and sites
An exhibition by Silvio John Camilleri at the King’s Own Band Club in Valletta investigates contemporary reality in which the ugliness of roads and pristine countryside have to co-exist as a dichotomy in Malta’s way of life.
Yet, the artist deciphers beauty even in the most inauspicious of locations, such as in the geometry of the road network and its juxtaposition with trees, streetlights and general urban elements.
Sights and Sites, curated by Fleur-Marie Ebejer, is on until January 11. Refer to the artist’s Facebook profile for more information.
Aldo Moro Road Marsa, No. 5 by Silvio John CamilleriEnlightenment
Rebecca Cassar is presenting an exhibition of her latest works at the art galleries of the Malta Society of Arts seat, Palazzo de la Salle in Valletta, from January 5 to 26.
The exhibition focuses on the use of colour, texture, and 23.5-karat gold leaf to express the artist's personal journey over the past year and a half.
The galleries are open Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 7pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. They are closed on Sundays and public holidays. For more information about the exhibition, click here and for more information about the artist, visit rebeccacassar.com.
One of Rebecca Cassar's artworks on display at Palazzo de la Salle in Valletta from January 5.Lampuki Moqli
The Phoenicia Hotel in Floriana is hosting an exhibition by artist Mariam De Giorgio.
De Giorgio specialises in acrylic painting and illustration but also enjoys experimenting with ink, watercolours and mixed media. Her paintings have a distinctive personal style that allows viewers to enter a fantasy world. This is also due to the choice of palette, even when depicting real places and figures.
Curated by Charlene Vella, the exhibition opens on January 3 and runs until the end of the month.
An artwork by Mariam De Giorgio.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 from Tuesday to Sunday from 9am until 4.30pm.
A view of the exhibition 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 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.
A diving suit that belonged to Honor Frost on display at the Archaeology Museum. Photo: Heritage MaltaShe Said Darling with a 'K': Reimagining Katya Saunders
Spazju Kreattiv is dedicating an exhibition to the life of Katya Saunders, three years after her death.
The exhibition, which features a catalogue of photos, clothes and memorabilia, highlights the different facets of one of the first transgender women who broke boundaries in terms of sexual diversity and inclusion in Malta.
Curated by Charlie Cauchi and Romeo Roxman Gatt, the exhibition is also complemented by the launch of Saunders's official biography, penned by Ramona Depares, Kayta: Easy on the Tonic, which will take place on January 6.
The exhibition runs until January 22. Spazju Kreattiv is open from Tuesday to Sunday.
A photo of Katya Saunders on display at Spazju Kreattiv. Photo: Facebook/Spazju KreattivUnseen and Unheard: Stories of Women Under Fire
An exhibit at the Storm Petrel Foundation premises in Attard. Photo: Facebook/Storm Petrel FoundationThe Storm Petrel Foundation is presenting an archival exhibition that sheds light on overlooked or previously unrecorded war narratives and microhistories from Malta and elsewhere.
It brings together items and artefacts drawn from different collections, with a primary focus on wartime experiences of women and girls.
The exhibition was inspired by a series of conversations between the NGO and Robert Attard, who had found a collection of letters written by a young German woman during World War II, some of which are on display.
The exhibition is organised across five different rooms at the Storm Petrel Foundation’s premises in Attard, with each room representing a different era or focus.
The Storm Petrel Foundation has collaborated with Simon Cusens, Kim Dalli, Sharp Shoot Media, Media Coop, Tayar Foundation for Jewish Heritage in Malta, Sarah Chircop and Giuliana Fenech, Heritage Malta, Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna and Palazzo Falson.
The exhibition runs until April 14. Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday from 5 to 8pm and on Saturdays from 10.30am to 1pm. For more information, visit the foundation's Facebook page.