THEATRE
Ellie, il-Musical
A flower-powered new musical performed in Maltese and English will be staged again at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta between July 4 and 8.
Based on an idea by creative producer Antoine Farrugia and written by Simon Bartolo, Ellie, il-Musical is set in Malta in the 1960s and 1970s.
The story follows four friends in Malta who compete against each other in an annual event at the Yellow Music Club for the best covers of songs from The Beatles’ catalogue.
The cast includes Jeremy Grech, Clare Agius, Alex Portelli, Patrick Vella, Christine Francalanza, Mariah Mangion and Eliza Aquilina.
Alongside Josette Ciappara as director, the show’s creative team also includes choreographer Warren Bonello, vocal coach Sean Borg and musical director Elton Zarb.
For tickets, visit teatrumanoel.com.mt.
The cast of Ellie, il-Musical. Photo: Lindsay BahiaARTS
Victoria International Arts Festival
The month-long festival is entering its final phase with more classic concerts.
Tomorrow, July 3, will see the Debutants’ Concert, featuring Matthias Conrad (violoncello), Christine Muscat (piano), Kellyann Spiteri (piano) and Nicholas Conrad (accompanist) at the Aula Mgr G. Farrugia.
The Cordia Quartet – David Lang (violin), Emese Toth (violin), Jacob Portelli (viola) and Frank Camilleri (violoncello) will perform at St Francis church on July 4.
The music of the Accio Trio, made up of Clemens Bock (violin), Anne Sophie Keckeis (violoncello) and Christina Scheicher (piano), will then grace the Aula Mgr G. Farrugia, on July 5.
A saxophone and piano recital by Magnus von Brandis and Francis Camilleri will take place at the same hall on July 6, and the Auris Saxophone Quartet, featuring Sam Corkin, Sally Mactaggart, Alistair Penman and Jennifer Louise Watson, will perform at the Bishop’s Curia Courtyard on July 7.
A string recital by Nova Sinfonietta, featuring Pierre Louis Attard, Stefan Calleja Ian Ellul, Kurt Falzon (violin), Stephanie Pavia (viola), Desiree Calleja, Daniel Xuereb (violoncello) and Abbey Grech (double bass), will be held at the Oratory Don Bosco chapel on July 8.
The festival runs until July 10 and all events are free of charge. For more information, visit viaf.org.mt.
String ensemble Nova SinfoniettaMUSIC
Nova Sinfonietta Chamber Evening
The Nova Sinfonietta, a group of young Maltese string musicians who have pursued advanced studies abroad, will play works by Bach, Wilson and Mendelssohn at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta on July 5 at 7pm.
For tickets, visit showshappening.com.
Mario Pollicita plays Ludovici Einaudi with the MCO Strings
Italian pianist and conductor Mario Pollicita will lead the Malta Concert Orchestra Strings in a concert of music by living Italian legend Ludovico Einaudi at Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta on July 7 at 8.30pm.
The meteoric rise to fame of Einaudi’s music, undoubtedly inspired by American minimalism, has seen performance in such prestigious venues as La Scala in Milan and the Royal Albert Hall in London. Hailed for his film and television music as much as for his piano and orchestral music that will be presented during this concert, Einaudi’s music has achieved especially strong popularity in the UK where he is now among the most requested composers on Classic FM.
Tickets are available from ticketline.com.mt.
Mario Pollicita. Photo: FacebookPiano Duo Concert: Mussogorsky & Gershwin
Long-time friends Joanne Camilleri and Gabi Sultana will present a piano duo at the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta on July 7 at 8pm.
They will play Mussogorksy’s Pictures at an Exhibition (arr. Piet Swerts) and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue (arr. Henry Levine).
For ticket info, visit artsmalta.org.
Pianists Joanne Camilleri (left) and Gabi Sultana. Photo: FacebookUnplugged – Midweek in the Park
Project Green is hosting a series of unplugged performances every Wednesday in July at the new Green Open Campus in Mosta.
Aidan and Ryan Paul Abela and Band will be performing on July 5, followed by Gaia & Red Electric on July 12, Xarulu and Kevin Paul on July 19 and Bernie and Pod and Claudia Faniello on July 26.
Performances start at 7pm. Entrance is free but one has to register on project.green/unplugged.
Aidan (pictured) and Ryan Paul Abela and Band will kick off the series of concerts at the Green Open Campus in Mosta on July 5. Photo: Facebook/AidanJohn Lees’ Barclays James Harvest in concert
The English progressive rock band is performing at Pjazza Teatru Rjal in Valletta on July 8 at 8.30pm.
For tickets, visit showshappening.com. For more information about the band, check out this Times of Malta interview.
John Lees has inspired a generation of music lovers with his genre of progressive rock.BBC Orchestra presents ‘100 Years of Hollywood’
BBC Radio 2 and the world-famous BBC Concert Orchestra is returning to Malta on July 9 with a show celebrating 100 years of Hollywood.
The concert will bring 70 musicians, nearly 20 top West End vocalists, and a star presenter to the Granaries in Floriana. It will feature music from the soundtracks of such films as Top Gun, Maverick, Singin’ in the Rain, Dirty Dancing, Ghostbusters, James Bond, The Greatest Showman and La La Land, among others.
Seated tickets can be bought from www.maltashows.com.
FILM
Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty
Spazju Kreattiv is screening a special filmed version of Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty, as part of its 10th anniversary celebrations, on July 6 at 7.30pm.
Featuring an unforgettable score, sumptuous sets and costumes, the show is set a wondrous world of magical fairies and vampires, where the timeless tale of good vs evil is turned upside down, creating a supernatural love story. Will Princess Aurora ever find her true love again?
Certified 12A, the award-winning production is being screened again on July 8 at 8.30pm. For tickets, click here.
MISCELLANEOUS
Malta Fashion Week & Fashion Awards
Malta Fashion Week kicks off tomorrow and runs until July 7, with various shows held daily at Biskuttin Gardens at Valletta’s entrance.
Among the designers presenting their latest collections will be Suzana Peric (Serbia), Elisabette Rende (Italy) and Paskal (Ukraine), besides local designers Parascandalo, Gagliardi and Charles & Ron, among others.The Malta Fashion Awards will be held on July 10.
For all the details, visit fashionweek.com.mt.
Biskuttin Gardens, Valletta, the venue of this year's Malta Fashion Week. Photo: @msfotography_officialIl-Fiera l-Kbira
Montekristo Estates is once again hosting a trade fair between July 6 and 16.
There will also be musical entertainment by some of Malta’s popular acts such as Kurt Calleja & Band, Kantera, D Capitals, Rug and Freddie Portelli.
For more information, visit the Facebook page Fierakbira.
Żabbar Beer Fest
Żabbar is holding the second edition of its beer festival on July 8.
The event will feature a variety of beers, beer games and live music on two stages.
Local deejays Pierre B and Zrinz will perform alongside headliners Klinsmann and Tenishia.
There will also be a chillout area, food and sweet stalls, and a children’s area. A private parking area and shuttle service to and from the event will also be provided.
For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
Tenishia, one of the acts entertaining the crowd at the Żabbar Beer Fest. Photo: Facebook/TenishiaMalta Artisan Markets
The summer edition of the Malta Artisan Markets is being held at The Hilton Malta Conference Centre in St Julian’s on July 8 from 6 to 11pm.
Malta’s most innovative artisans will present various handmade goods, including jewellery, pottery, textiles, artwork, and more. There will also be live music and street food.
For more information, visit the market's Facebook page.
Ħondoq by Night
The annual summer event is back for the 11th edition on July 7. Cash & Band ft. Sean Kamati will be headlining the night along with Tenishia, Perez, Nikky and Darco.
The event starts at 8pm. For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page.
A previous edition of Ħondoq by Night. Photo: FacebookVISUAL ARTS
Up/Root
Il-Kamra ta' Fuq in Mqabba is hosting an exhibition by the final year students of the Master's in Teaching and Learning in Art at the University of Malta.
The four artists, Andrew Inguanez, Daniel Mifsud, Shania Camenzuli and Stefan Spiteri, utilise an introspective creative process as a means of uncovering such truth – they uproot to unearth, and they unearth to reflect.
They do this through mixed media, ranging from the traditional medium of charcoal and paint in the works by Daniel Mifsud and Stefan Spiteri respectively, to Shania Camenzuli’s digital renders, and the use of photography and gel plate printing in the works of Andrew Inguanez.
The exhibition is on until July 9. For
Read more about the exhibition here.
Some of the artworks on display in the exhibition Up/root. Photo: Facebook/Il-Kamra ta' FuqMCAST ICA Festival
The seventh edition of the MCAST ICA Festival is celebrating the creative achievements of talented students of 11 bachelor of arts (honours) courses at the MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts in Mosta.
Their artworks will be on display at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta from July 6 to 30.
For more information, click here.
Baħħ
Baħħ is artist Peter Seychell’s first solo exhibition, after exhibiting co-jointly with Carmel Bonello last December in an exhibition titled Nuances.
Translated as void, Baħħ is an exploration of silence, solitude and rediscovering oneself amid unspoiled nature. In fact, this exhibition concentrates on landscapes away from these shores, a cry for solitude that one finds in the sprawling countryside of our northern neighbours.
However, there is another side to Seychell’s oeuvre, his meticulous ink drawings in which fantastic scenarios are created, scenarios in which flora and fauna are integrated like fairy-tale narratives.
Baħħ, curated by Mark Mallia and hosted by Gemelli Art Gallery, Ta’ Qali, is on until July 29.
One of Peter Seychell's artworks.24. 46. 50. 97.
Valletta Contemporary is hosting a collective exhibition, featuring the works of Carlos Garaicoa, Gerold Miller, Jurgen Ostarhild and Yeoul Son.
Curated by Norbert Francis Attard, the numerical title of this exhibition draws inspiration from an old telephone dial with numbers and letters that ‘spell out’ the initials of the four artists participating in the exhibition. Hence, Garaicoa becomes 24, Miller becomes 46, Ostarhild is 50 and Son is 97.
The four artists push the boundaries of the aesthetic by either experimenting with media, incorporating new technologies and digital realities or addressing social, political and economic issues.
The exhibition runs until July 29. The gallery is open from Wednesday to Saturday from 2 to 7pm.
Soap to Think With
Norbert Francis Attard is holding a solo exhibition at Gozo Contemporary at 11, Triq Mongur, Għarb.
Curated by Ann Dingli, the exhibition features works made out of soap and soap boxes besides other materials to highlight links between massive events in national history that we might otherwise have not made.
A catalogue featuring critical essays by Paul Sant Cassia, Ann Dingli and Nikki Petroni and a prologue by Gabriel Zammit accompanies the exhibition, which is dedicated to Marisa Vella (1960-2020).
Soap to Think With can be viewed by appointment by calling on +356 7904 1051 or sending an e-mail to norbert@norbertattard.com.
Read more about the exhibition in this Times of Malta interview with the artist and curator.
The End by Norbert Francis AttardOTHER EXHIBITIONS
Ancient Tea With New Glamour
The China Cultural Centre in Malta is hosting a new exhibition under the theme of 'Tea for Harmony', co-organised with the Xi’an Municipal Administration of Culture and Tourism.
Featuring intriguing displays, artefacts, paintings and photographs from the city of Xi’an, this new exhibition opens a window into the enduring significance of tea in Chinese culture.
A Tang-style gilded tea set made of bronze gold and silver is the main attraction. Other exhibits include a batch of royal teaware items that were unearthed in 1987 at the ancient Buddhist Famen Temple in northwest Shaanxi and a modern reprinted thread-bound edition of The Classic of Tea, considered to be the first known monograph on tea in the world, written by Lu Yu between 760 CE and 762 CE, during the Tang Dynasty.
One may visit the exhibition, which will remain open until the end of this year at the China Cultural Centre, 173, Melita Street, Valletta. The centre is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to noon, and from 1.30 to 4pm. Entrance is free. Reservation is advised for group visits at events2023ccc@gmail.com.