THEATRE

Private Lives

The Manoel Theatre and MADC are presenting Noël Coward’s comedy Private Lives from March 17 to 25.

Coward’s classic comedy of manners sees two couples forced to face their true feelings for each other when they unknowingly book adjoining rooms while on honeymoon with their respective spouses.

Private Lives, certified 11+, is directed by Malcolm Galea and stars Edward Thorpe, Greta Agius, Myron Ellul, Kim Dalli and Giulia Gatt.

For tickets, visit teatrumanoel.com.mt.

The Sound of Music

The Astra Theatre in Victoria is staging the popular musical based on the memoir of Maria Augusta Trapp between March 17 and 26.

The show features music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II, based on a book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse.

The cast sees Anthony Edrige and Jasmine Farrugia in the main roles as Captain George von Trapp and Maria respectively.

Tickets are available on showshappening.com.

Is-Skiet li Jtarrax

The Drama Unit (MEYR) is presenting a Theatre in Education Project called Is-skiet li jtarrax (The Deafening Silence) in collaboration with the Manoel Theatre and the National School Support Services, for pupils of Year 10 (Form 4) between March 15 and 24.

This project tackles the theme of child abuse, specifically sexual abuse. Therefore, it is suggested that all classes attending the project are accompanied either by the School Guidance Teacher or the PSCD teachers.

The production is in Maltese and will be held at the Teatru Manoel Studio Theatre. Because of the sensitive nature of the topic, only small groups of pupils are accepted and therefore on a first-come, first-served basis.

Bookings may be made on bookings@teatrumanoel.mt or on 2124 6389.

Il-Giddieb Għomru Twil

Studio 18 is staging a twisted tale that delves into the woes of a culture of impunity at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta between March 17 and 19.

Inspired by Carlo Collodi’s Pinocchio, the piece brings the renowned puppet’s story to a local level – but rather than simply accepting the preset binaries of right and wrong, Pinocchio questions his very conscience, sending him on a journey that will push his moral fibre to the brink.

The play, penned by Anton Saliba and directed by Jean-Marc Cafà, is accompanied by Aleandro Spiteri Monsigneur’s reorchestration of Maltese tunes and movement directed by Rochelle Gatt. It is certified 15+.

The cast features Jamie Cardona, Becky Camilleri, Sean Borg, Benjamin Abela and Nadine Farrugia.

For tickets, visit kreattivita.org.

MUSIC

Great Spanish Guitar Classics

Classical guitarist Bernard Catania will perform a selection of guitar classics ranging from Spanish, Latin American and contemporary music at Our Lady of Victory church in Valletta on March 14 at 12.30pm.

A viewing of the 10-minute documentary ‘Grand Master de Valette and his first church of Valletta’ in the church’s underground cinema is free of charge to all patrons.

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.

Choral recital

The Scatola Magica event organisers are holding a choral concert at Our Lady of Victory church in Valletta on March 15 at 12.30pm.

This one-off event is being held during the visit of the Gruppo Vocale MusiKa’ to Malta whose a capella repertoire ranges from traditional music from different Italian regions and international pieces, including spiritual music.

Reservations may be made on info@dinlarthelwa.org or baroccobookings@gmail.com. Tickets can be bought before the event at the entrance of the church.

Malta Society of Arts anniversary concert

The Malta Society of Arts is celebrating its 100 years at Palazzo de La Salle with a third concert featuring pianist Charlene Farrugia on March 16.

The programme includes works by Carlo Diacono, Karol Szymanowsky, Véronique Vella, Laura Mjeda Čuperjani and Heitor Villa-Lobos

Tickets are available from showshappening.com.

Clarinet and string concert

The St Paul Metropolitan Orchestra Clarinet and String Trio, featuring the Medina Foundation Ensemble, will perform in a recital at the Girolamo Cassar Hall, Mediterranean Conference Centre on March 17 at 7.30pm.

The musicians taking part are Noel Beck on clarinet, James Zammit on violin, Daniel Zammit on viola and Gilmour Peplow on cello.

For tickets, visit showshappening.com.

Mysteria Dolorosa: A Musical Meditation for Lent

The Jesuits Church Foundation is presenting a musical meditation for Lent on March 18 as part of its Music & More at the Jesuits series.

Soprano Rosabelle Bianchi, accompanied by organist Romina Morrow, will perform sacred arias that reflect on the five Sorrowful Mysteries from the devotion of the Holy Rosary. Each musical reflection will be accompanied by a short reading to put the music in context.

This event is in Maltese and English. The recital will be held at the oratory of the Immaculate Conception as soon as 6.45pm mass at the main church ends. Entrance is free, but a donation towards the JCF's cultural projects is appreciated.

Jam Theatre Show Choir

The Jam Theatre Show Choir of the UK, under the direction of Jo Carter, will perform at Eddie's Café Regina in Valletta on March 18 at 4pm and at the Valletta Waterfront on March 19 at 2pm.

The repertoire of the 44-strong choir is in the musical theatre style.

Attendance is free.

Passion Manuscripts

On March 18, KorMalta is performing a modern world premier of works based on the Lamentations of Jeremiah the Prophet published by various composers in Paris 1557. 

The event is taking place at St Gregory's church in Żejtun at 7.30pm. For tickets, click here.

Pathétique

Principal conductor Sergey Smbatyan will lead the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra in a tour de force performance on March 18 at the Hilton, St Julian’s.

The concert will feature Tchaikovsky’s deeply moving Pathétique Symphony, besides works by Mozart, Strauss and Christopher Muscat’s third movement from his highly evocative symphony Bahr al-Mawt.

For tickets, visit showshappening.com.

Crux Redemptoris

A sacred music concert with a spiritual reflection for the Lent period by the Ite Ad Joseph Band, under the baton of Mark Gauci, will be held at St Joseph church, Qala, on March 19 at 7.30pm.

Entrance is free.

Verdi, Wagner, Rachmaninov: An Operatic Recital

Soprano Adriana Yordanova and pianist Sofia Normana will perform in a recital at the La Valette Hall, Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta, on March 19 at 7.30pm.

The programme features works by Verdi, Wagner and Rachmaninov.

For tickets, log on to showshappening.com.

MISCELLANEOUS

Navigating the storm: Road to recovery from depression

Professor Josianne Scerri and Amy Bonnici will discuss their study on depression during the next Malta Cafe Scientifique event on March 16 at Studio B at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.

Their study showed how patients created art and used metaphors to express their experiences while recovering from depression

The talk will be followed by a short discussion with the audience.

To register, click here. For more information, look up the event's Facebook page.

Il sogno del papà

The Italian Cultural Institute is staging an autobiographical representation at Palazzo Vittoria in Naxxar on March 16 at 7.30pm.

The story revolves around Italian pilot Tullio Covre, aviation ace during World War II, who lost his life in a sporting flight accident on July 2, 1961, when his seventh daughter – Damiana – was only 33 days old. Marked by the weight of that father she never knew, Damiana never stops looking for news about her father. 

The story is conceived and read by Damiana Covre and Alberto Butturini, with original music by Carlo Pimazzoni.

Admission is free but tickets may be reserved on eventbrite.com.

Talk on Marquis de Sade

A talk on Marquis de Sade’s influence on Western thought is being held at Arthall in Victoria on March 17 at 7.30pm.

Armchair philosopher and long-time Gozo resident Erin Steele will discuss, among others, whether the writings of the French aristocrat and author, who is famous for his libertine lifestyle, were actually intended to be obscene or whether they were a satirical critique of the restrictive sexual mores of his time.

Entrance is free. The recommended age for those attending is 16+. For more information, visit Arthall’s Facebook page.

Rabat-Lunzjata town and country walk

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar is organising a walking tour of Rabat on March 18. Among others, participants will visit the Nigret, Lunzjata and Għar Barka areas.

The walk will be led by local guide Matthew Giordmaina, who will talk about the local flora, dry-stone walls and more.

The group is meeting next to St Paul’s Basilica at 2pm. For tickets, log on to https://ticketengine.faa.org.mt/.

Vintage car show

The Old Motors Club will hold a static show of vintage and classic cars on March 19 at Id-Dar tal-Providenza in Siġġiewi from 9am to noon. The aim is to raise funds for the home.

All owners of vintage and classic cars are welcome to join the event and join the club.

The Old Motors Club was set up more than 35 years ago by a group of friends who got together to raise funds for charity. It is now the biggest club for classic car enthusiasts in Malta and operates from a clubhouse in Mosta. 

Scale Model Expo

The Malta Society of Model Makers is holding its annual exhibition at the Catholic Institute in Floriana until March 19.

Opening hours are from 9am to 6pm, weekends from 9 to 8pm and on Sunday from 9am to 7pm.

For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page.

VISUAL ARTS

Antoine Camilleri (1922–2005) – a Tribute

art..e Gallery of Victoria, Gozo is honouring Antoine Camilleri, one of the giants of Maltese modern art of the 20th century, with a celebratory exhibition . 

Camilleri is not only important as an innovative artist but also as one of the founder members of three artist groups in the 1950s which laid the groundwork and were instrumental in the development of Maltese art.

Throughout his career, Camilleri remained committed to exploring new mediums and techniques. His work reflects his experimentation with a variety of materials, from oils and acrylics to clay and resin, concrete, sand, and objet trouvé.

The exhibition features a curated collection of Camilleri’s works by Maria Cassar that demonstrate the artist’s mastery of handling different media and subjects. The works range from different periods of Camilleri’s career, the majority of which are being exhibited for the first time in public.

art..e Gallery is situated at 1, Library Street, Victoria, Gozo. The gallery is open Monday to Sunday from 9.30 am to 12.15 pm. The exhibition runs until March 24.

Inspiration

Anthony Lucian Cauchi is exhibiting ceramics and paintings in different media at the Wignacourt Museum, Rabat, until March 25.

The ceramics, six works in all, are inspired by history, fables and legends, as the artist is a keen follower of both the art and the history of the Greek and Roman classical civilisations.

The exhibition’s title reflects the fact the artist’s work is inspired by life’s experiences and refers to his dreams too. The artist isn’t restricted to one style as he loves both the abstract and the figurative.

Opening hours are Monday to Sunday from 9am till 5pm.

Pause2Save

Gozitan artist Marvic Muscat documents life as if time stood still in a collection of 32 paintings on display at the Banca Giuratale, Victoria, Gozo.

The edifices in his paintings still exist − wayside chapels, Mdina bastions and all − although some of them are threatened by rampant construction. The artist distils out contemporary contaminants, such as cars, shop signs, high-rise buildings and other atrocities, and concentrates on the redeeming factors of our architectural and natural heritage.

These works have a postcard quality to them, maybe reflecting the author’s discomfort in representing the stigmata of progress.

Pause2Save is on until March 26. Opening hours are Monday to Friday from 8am to 2.30pm, Saturday and Sunday from 9am to noon. Entrance is free.

thirty-three

Local artist Pawlu Mizzi is presenting a solo exhibition at Gemelli Framing at the Ta' Qali Artisan Village.

The exhibition features 33 works created over 11 years, which include digital works produced through different techniques.

The exhibitions runs until March 27. For more information and opening hours, click here.

Order in Chaos

The Phoenicia Malta is hosting an exhibition by photojournalist and street photographer Martin Agius during March.

For more information, click here.

Free Spirit #2

The Malta Society of Arts is hosting an exhibition of abstract, colourful works by Maria Cassar.

Cassar uses her ‘intuition’, ‘freedom’ and ‘imagination’ to look further away from what she can physically see and enunciates intangible emotions onto the canvas.

She artistically translates her inner impulses into geometric shapes and gestural marks, with the works revealing a continuous dialogue between light and shade, void and presence.

The show will also include a few paintings that portray children in a playful, carefree mood.

The show runs at the Art Galleries of Palazzo de la Salle in Valletta until March 30. Opening hours: Mondays to Fridays: from 8am to 7pm; and Saturdays from 9am to 1pm. On Sundays and Public Holidays, the galleries are closed.

Resilience – Stories of Women Inspiring Change

The World Press Photo Foundation and the Embassy of the Netherlands in Malta are presenting an exhibition featuring stories awarded in the World Press Photo contests from 2000 to 2021, that highlight the resilience and challenges of women, girls and communities around the world.

Multiple voices, documented by 17 photographers of 13 different nationalities, offer insights into issues including sexism, gender-based violence, reproductive rights and access to equal opportunities. 

The event is taking place at Ġnien Laparelli in the Valletta ditch until March 28. Entrance is free.

Humanity

Artist Silvana Camilleri, known as taċ-Ċmajra, explores different situations via a male and female model in an exhibition at KunĊett Art Kafe in Valletta.

In Humanity, Camilleri created scenarios by instructing her models to pose, thereby expressing emotions, via their facial grimaces and smiles, as well as their bodies’ behaviour.

The artist then intervened pictorially on the printed photographs with the compositions edited to suit her concept.

These artworks can be viewed at KunĊett Art Kafe of 51, Strait Street, Valletta, until March 31. Opening hours are Tuesdays to Sundays from noon till midnight.

Read also the Times of Malta review here.

Traces of Human

Veteran sculptors Angelo Agius and Mario Agius are showing their latest works at the Exhibition Hall, Ministry of Gozo, Victoria, until April 1.

Although not related by blood, both artists are intrigued by the human figure and its relation to circumstances, pitfalls, vulnerabilities, saving graces and all. 

The exhibition explores the various sculptural viewpoints of the two artists and tries to find the redeeming factors in what defines us as human.

The exhibition will be open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm and from 9.30am to noon. For more information, visit Mario Agius's Facebook page.

Insular

An exhibition by French photographer Cédrine Scheidig is on at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.

The project focuses on the everyday life and destiny of young men from the African diaspora, recently settled on the island of Malta. Offering a sensitive portrait of this new community, the weaving of portraits, landscapes and still lives sets a poetical narration that attempts to create a sense of belonging; the semblance of a home in the making between here and there.

The exhibition runs until April 2 and is supported by the French Embassy and the Alliance Française de Malte-Méditerranée. For more information, click here.

Sovereign Art Foundation students’ exhibition

Works by the finalists of the Sovereign Art Foundation Students Prize Malta & Gozo are being exhibited at the Hilton Hotel & Resort, in St Julian’s until March 19 and at Palazzo Ferreria in Valletta from March 20 to April 4.

All secondary schools and colleges in Malta and Gozo were invited to participate in this year’s competition, by nominating and submitting the best artworks produced by their students.

The public is encouraged to visit the exhibitions and vote for their favourite artwork to select the Public Vote winner. The artist behind the winning entry will take home €300 and their school will win €800 to be destined to the school’s Art Department or the creation of one. Voting can also be done through the foundation’s website. 

An international panel of judges will select The Judge’s Prize. The student producing the winning artwork will receive €500 and the school €1,500.

Oikos Logia

A multimedia exhibition exploring the dysfunctional relationship between humans and their habitat is open at R Gallery in Sliema.

Oikos Logia features the work of 10 artists who look to the global misuse of resources and their inherent capability for dramatic reuse, especially as it relates to an increasingly overwhelming ecological anxiety.

The participating artists are Adrian Abela, Anna Calleja, Tom van Maldren, Ian Schranz, Ritty Tacsum, Showzen Kajima, Jon Banthorpe, Cyril Sancereau,  Sam Vassallo and Stefan Spiteri. 

The exhibition runs until April 8. More information is available on the gallery's Facebook page.

Heart of Matter

Victor Agius is presenting his latest earth paintings and stoneware ceramics at Il-Kamra ta' Fuq in Mqabba.

The core of Agius’s practice can be experienced through his shamanic gestures in which the primordial matter of terrarossa, ceramics, pigments, cement and clay focus on how man uses nature and materials around him to practise his rituals, to satisfy his material and spiritual needs, while exposing his fragile existence.

Heart of Matter, curated by Melanie Erixon for Art Sweven, opens on March 17 and runs until April 9. Consult the venue’s Facebook page for opening hours.

Prestorjha

Enrique Tabone is holding a solo exhibition at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta, featuring works of contemporary art on the theme of the female figure in prehistoric Malta and Gozo, from a feminist perspective.

Works in this series include objects made from the artist’s signature use of plexiglass, site-specific installations, as well as video art from an intimate performance, along with art prints, some of which are produced from the artist’s studies on the structures presented during this exhibition. 

This exhibition includes contributions by photographers Alex Attard and Jean Marc Zerafa, digital work by Solid Eye, along with texts by archaeologist Isabelle Vella Gregory and curator Toni Sant, which appear in a catalogue raisonné, published in limited edition by Kite Group.

This catalogue also features a retrospective of the artist’s work since 2010, as exhibited in 2022 at the University of Malta’s Valletta Campus in collaboration with the Institute of Maltese Studies.

The exhibition runs until April 9. For more information, click here.

When the Moon Waxes Red

A new exhibition opening at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta brings together artists from around the world who address the imbalance between human activities to extract resources and colonial ideologies, justifying the protection of property over people and nature’s degradation, by using ecofeminism as a point of departure.

Curated by Maren Richter, the exhibition − whose title is borrowed from Vietnamese film-maker Trinh Minh-h’s book When the Moon Waxes Red − features the work of Ursula Biemann, Seba Calfuqueo, DIS Collective, Charlene Galea, Romea Roxman Gatt, Folly Feast Lab (Yara Feghali and Viviane El Kmati), Crystn Hunt Akron, Sasha Huber, Nation25 (Elena Abbiatici, Valeria D’Ambrosio and Caterina Pecchioli), Daniela Ortiz, Kanthy Peng, Robertina Šebjanič and Bartolina Xixa.

The exhibition runs until April 16. For more information, click here.

Irregularity

J.P. Migneco (b. 1989), an artist who lives and works in Malta, is holding an exhibition at Valletta Contemporary until May 6.

Titled Irregularity, the exhibition features a series of artworks that explore the relationship between natural and artificial environments. The body of work involves a process of reinterpreting landscapes that are found near coastal areas in Malta, through the use of photography, drawing, digital media and painting.

The theme of this project delves into notions related to urbanisation and the advancement of technology. Therefore, the work attempts to evoke issues related to human-environment interaction in the digital age.

Valletta Contemporary is open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 2 to 7pm. For more information, look up the gallery's Facebook page and website.

Rituals of Passage

Valletta Contemporary is displaying the result of a co-creative project between Ryan Falzon, Aaron Bezzina, Alexandra Fraser, Yasmine Akondo, Mladen Hadžić, and Stefan Kolgen.

Rituals are part of everyday life. During times of distress, they give comfort. The title is based on the fact that rituals can bring one from one stage to another physically and mentally. Post-COVID rituals can help one find balance in a disrupted society where attention to mental health and well-being has become important. 

The artists created the works with the exhibition space in mind, presenting them in such a way that they interact with each other and that they challenge the viewer, offering context for the audience to create their own story.

Rituals of Passage, curated by Ann Laenen and Stefan Kolgen, closes on May 6. During the opening weekend some works will be accompanied by a performance and a discussion session about the meaning of rituals will be organised, followed by a meet and greet with the artists.

Valletta Contemporary is open from Wednesdays to Sundays from 2 to 7pm. For more information, look up the gallery's Facebook page and website.

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OTHER EXHIBITIONS

Viva Viva l-Karnival: The George Zahra Donation

An exhibition celebrating a donation of carnival memorabilia by carnvial enthusiast George Zahra to Heritage Malta runs at the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa until April 9.

The exhibition comprises official carnival programmes dating as far back as 1930, models for carnival floats, music scores, trophies and participation certificates, among other memorabilia.

Entrance to the exhibition is part and parcel of the Inquisitor’s Palace experience and there is no additional fee. The museum is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays to Sundays from 9am to 5pm.

Unseen and Unheard: Stories of Women Under Fire

The Storm Petrel Foundation is hosting 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. For opening hours and more information, visit the foundation's Facebook page.

Chinese Zodiac Sign Exhibition

The China Cultural Centre in Malta, in collaboration with the China Arts and Entertainment Group, is presenting an exhibition on the Chinese zodiac sign of the rabbit which is this year’s sign.

With the aim to promote an understanding of China’s traditional culture and its connections with local tourism, the exhibition showcases how this particular zodiac sign is transmitted in various cultural facets of different Chinese regions.

Colourful illustrations portray how this rich heritage is passed on through the creation of costumes and dance, opera, silk fabric designs, ceramics, lanterns, pencils, paper-cutting, festive candy and bean flour lamps.

The exhibition is open at the China Cultural Centre at 173, Melita Street, Valletta, until the end of April. Entrance is free. Groups are advised to book in advance through events2023ccc@gmail.com.

Shoah the Holocaust: How Was It Humanly Possible?

The Tayar Foundation for Jewish Heritage in Malta has organised a Holocaust Memorial exhibition which will be displayed at three venues in Malta until June.

The exhibition deals with major historical aspects of the Holocaust, beginning with Jewish life in pre-Holocaust Europe and ending with the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camps across the continent and the remarkable return to life of the survivors.

The display panels feature explanatory texts, with quotes from Jewish victims and survivors, photographs, art documents and videos for eight survivor stories.

The exhibition is open until April 23 at MCAST Paola, opening hours Monday to Friday from 7am to 8pm and on Saturdays from 9am to 12.15pm (closed on Sundays); and from April 24 to June 4 at the University of Malta, Msida Campus, open from Monday to Friday from 7am to 11pm and on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 4.45pm.

For more information, visit shoah.jewishheritagemalta.org/.

whatson@timesofmalta.com