THEATRE

Cospicua Short Play Festival

The fifth edition of the Cospicua Short Play Festival continues today.

The event sees short plays, about 20 minutes long each, staged in various locations around Cospicua.

The plays vary from drama to comedy, and for the first time, there will be a play for children.

The best plays will be awarded during a ceremony tomorrow.

There is no need for booking and entrance is free. For more information, visit the Facebook page of the Cospicua local council.

Ma Kuraġġ u Wliedha

An anti-war play, written by exiled German dramatist Bertolt Brecht and translated into Maltese by Loranne Vella, is being staged at the Manoel Theatre in Valletta.

Set in 17th-century Europe, the Ma Kuraġġ u Wliedha (Mother Courage and Her Children) follows Anna Fierling and her three children as she operates a rolling canteen business during the Thirty Years War. She fiercely travels across Europe in a covered wagon, selling goods to locals and alcohol to soldiers to make a head-earned living.

The Teatru Malta co-production with the Manoel Theatre stars Josette Ciappara in the main role, together with Rebecca Camilleri, Matthew Dimech Genius, Jamie Cardona, Simone Spiteri and Mark Mifsud, among others. 

It is directed by Jean-Marc Cafa’ with musical direction by Aleandro Spiteri Monsigneur, costumes by Isabel Warrington and set design by Romualdo Moretti.

The play in Maltese, certified 12+, is being staged again today and tomorrow and on September 9, 10 and 11 at 8pm. For more information and tickets, click here.

The production is supported by the German Embassy in Malta.

FILM

Kino Dreams: The Reveries of Wim Wenders 

Spazju Kreattiv is this month paying homage to the prolific German film-maker, screenwriter, playwright, author and photographer Wim Wenders, through a retrospective of his films.

Wenders is considered to be one of the most important figures in contemporary European film and has collaborated with many of the most influential film-makers and artists, from Michelangelo Antonioni and Nicholas Ray to Pina Bausch and Yohji Yamamoto. His films cross genres and forms and have been influenced by European and American film-making traditions.

The progamme continues today with the screening of the 1984 Palme D'Or-winning film Paris, Texas, starring Nastassja Kinski, Harry Dean Stanton and Dean Stockwell.

It will be followed by Wings of Desire (1987) on September 10, Alice in the Cities (1974) on September 15, Kings of the Road (1976) on September 17, The American Friend on September 22, The Salt of the Earth (2014) on September 24 and Pina (2011) on September 29.

For more information and tickets, click here.

Anime Festival

The Eden Cinemas in St Julian’s is hosting its first-ever Anime Festival, showing feature-length films of some of the most popular anime series of all time, including Dragon Ball Z, Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia.

All films are dubbed in English or are screened in Japanese with English subtitles.

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero and My Hero Academia: Two Heroes are currently showing.

For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page and the Eden Cinemas website.

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DANCE

Vertex

The Company of Dance Arts is presenting a dance production titled Vertex at the Valletta Campus Theatre today and tomorrow.

The performances start at 8pm. For tickets, visit www.ticketline.com.mt.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Wiki Loves Monuments 2022

Malta is once again taking part in Wiki Loves Monuments, the Guinness World Record holder for the largest photography competition, which has reached its seventh edition.

The competition brings together photographers from around the world to take stunning pictures of Malta’s cultural heritage, which are to be shared on Wikipedia. Participation is free and open to all. The deadline for all submissions is September 30.

Photo uploading workshops will be held throughout September.

A jury composed of experts within the fields of cultural heritage, photography and Wikipedia will be selecting the winning entries. Ten submissions will be nominated for the international Wiki Loves Monuments contest, with the opportunity to win further prizes.

For details, visit www.wikimalta.org and the Wikimedia Community Malta Facebook page.

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OTHER EVENTS

Malta Pride Week

Malta Pride Week continues today with the first ever Gozo Pride March, which will start from Qawsalla Hub in Victoria at 5pm and head towards Villa Rundle. There will be a DJ set to entertain the crowd till late at night.

The event is held in collaboration with Malta Pride, host of Euro Pride 2023, Allied Rainbow Communities (ARC) and the Ministry for Gozo & Parliamentary Secretariat for Reforms and Equality.

Malta Pride Week runs until September 11. For more information, visit the ARC Malta Facebook page and maltapride.org.

Delicata Classic Wine Festival – Gozo edition

The Gozo edition of the Delicata Classic Wine Festival is taking place today and tomorrow at Ġnien il-Kunsill in Nadur. 

There will be 20 Delicata wines to sample, besides local and international cuisines.

Entrance to the festival is free but to taste the wines, one has to buy a glass and tokens.

Entertainment will tonight be provided by Jolene Samhan and Cash & Band.

For more information and updates, visit the winery's Facebook page.

Lunchtime tours at Palazzo Falson Historic House Museum

The Mdina palazzo is hosting a new guided lunchtime tour around its significant collection, highlighting objects linked to the rich cultural heritage of the Maltese islands and focusing on its people, trades and traditions.

Gustav Café is open to guests for refreshments on the rooftop terrace of the museum.

Bookings against against a suggested donation of €10 can be made via e-mail at bookings@palazzofalson.com or by calling on 2145 4512.  Pre-bookings are recommended.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Sunday. For information about opening hours and more, visit www.palazzofalson.com.

Pop-up thrift shop for charity

The Eden Leisure Group is today holding its first-ever pop-up thrift shop to raise funds for three major NGOs in Malta.

In an effort to help the environment and the community, all proceeds from the thrift shop will be donated equally to Inspire, MSPCA and Żibel.

The event is taking place at the Ċettina DeCesare Hall at the InterContinental Malta in St Julian’s between 10am and 5pm. Many varied clothing items for men, women and children will be on offer, with items guaranteed to be in great condition. The selection also features top brands as well as unique vintage pieces. 

Entrance is free of charge. Cash, credit card and Revolut payments will be accepted.

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EXHIBITIONS

The Gold of Malta

Martine Rigaud-Busuttil is exploring the art of lace-making through a series of oil paintings at the Art Galleries of the Malta Society of Arts in Valletta.

The Gold of Malta features sketches and paintings the artist created during a year she spent with the lace-makers of the society during the time of COVID-19. 

The exhibition runs at Palazzo de La Salle, 219, Republic Street, Valletta, until September 7. Opening hours: Mondays and Fridays: 8am to 7pm; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays: 8am to noon and 4 to 7pm; and on Saturdays: 8am to 1pm.

For more information, visit the Malta Society of Arts website and Facebook page.

Disrobed

A collective exhibition by more than 10 artists is on display at the Art by the Seaside gallery in Senglea.

These include Gabriel Spiteri, Trevor Diacono, Feng Hongzhao, Patrick Scicluna, Alison Agius, Ray Agius, Amber Fenech, Alexia Baldacchino, Edoardo La Francesca, David Debono and Chris Ebejer.

For opening hours and more information, visit the Facebook page of the gallery found at 65, Triq il-Mina, Senglea.

Bellum in Mundum

After a seven-year hiatus, artist Tonio Mallia is presenting a new series of works that reimagine a world shaken beyond its tipping point, where the tensions between the human and natural world are no longer at play, nor are they creative or life-giving; they have devolved into a tyrannical order in which mankind becomes subject to its own freedoms.

The exhibition, curated by Giulia Privitelli, runs at MUŻA – Museum of Fine Arts in Valletta until September 11. For more information, visit muza.mt.

One may also read the Times of Malta interview with the artist.

Lost in the Ether

Nicole Sciberras Debono is presenting her first solo exhibition at Il-Kamra Ta' Fuq in Mqabba. She brings forward esoteric narratives of a domestic familiarity, with notes on online and para-social relationships, and the reflections of a young woman in a contemporary society.

The exhibition runs until September 12. Opening hours: Mondays to Saturdays from 6am to noon and on Sundays from 7am to noon. Evening hours are announced weekly on Il-Kamra ta' Fuq Facebook page.

Read the Times of Malta review here.

Tempus Edax Rerum 

Artist David Borg attempts to explore the representation of time and the thematic concept of the human condition through a series of woodcut prints on display at Gemelli Framing in Ta’ Qali. 

The exhibition, curated by Hannah Dowling, runs until September 24. 

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

The Cappuccino Brigade

The ninth solo exhibition of Debbie Caruana Dingli opens today at the Palm Court Lounge of The Phoenicia, in Floriana.

Curated by Charlene Vella, the collection of watercolour works is based on the artist's observations of the native Maltese population and is named after one of the paintings on display whose heroine is a bossy woman, often pictured in the artist's colourful works.

The exhibition will be open throughout September.

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Amelia Saint George works at The Phoenicia

Artist Amelia Saint George is exhibiting a number of her sculptures at The Phoenicia, Floriana.

The sculptures are in clay, bronze and mixed media, and portray animals, which Saint George is particularly well-known for, as well as some humorous sculptures that are more closely associated with her portrait sculptures.

Saint George, who has made Valletta her home, is an established, award-winning contemporary sculptor who has exhibited locally and internationally. She is also the author of several books on diverse subjects and holds sculpting lessons in her Valletta studio.

One may view her works at The Phoencia’s reception area until the end of September.

An Ode in Stone

A collection of limestone sculptures by artist Joe Xuereb is on display at The Phoenicia's Deep Nature Spa.

Xuereb's rounded figures and forms represent universal shortcomings among humans such as greed, solitude and the entrapments of love. 

An Ode in Stone, curated by Louis Laganà, is open until the end of September.

Dying Planet

Illustrator, designer and visual London-based artist ‘iella’ (Daniela Attard) is presenting a body of illustration work and paintings focusing on climate anxiety and existential dread at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.

The artworks focus on the global impact of climate change with some reference to local issues and feature strange figurative work and characters which serve as modern allegories.

The exhibition runs until October 9. For more information, visit www.kreattivita.org. 

Willie Apap – Colour and Light 

A retrospective exhibition of works by Willie Apap (1918-1970), considered one of Malta’s leading exponents of 20th-century art, is currently on at Il-Ħaġar – Heart of Gozo Museum in Victoria.

The 70 works on display feature portraits, landscapes and still-lifes, dancers, human figures, sacred and ethnic works in oils and inks, and are accompanied by a lavish 100-page GEMS # 20 catalogue.

The exhibition, curated by Maria Cassar, runs until October 10. Opening hours are from Monday to Sunday from 9am to 5pm. Entrance is free.

The exhibition is supported by the Malta Tourism Authority and the Gozo Ministry’s Cultural Directorate. For more information, visit the museum’s Facebook page.

Read the Times of Malta interview with the exhibition's curator Maria Cassar here.

Meet the Phoenicians of Malta

A Phoenician stone sarcophagus excavated last year at Għajn Klieb, on the outskirts of Rabat, is one of the major attractions of an exhibition that has just opened at the National Museum of Archaeology in Valletta.

The exhibition brings to light the results of months of painstaking studies by a multidisciplinary team researching the sarcophagus and two other tombs discovered in the area, as well as their contents. The three tombs, although inherently different, shed light on the burial rituals of the earliest Phoenicians on the island.

The exhibition is open until October 30. The museum in Republic Street, Valletta, is open from Monday to Sunday from 9am to 4.30pm. Entrance is free of charge.

Dumnikani fil-Palazz: Home & Temple

A new exhibition at the Inquisitor's Palace tells of the special relationship between the palace and the neigbouring Dominican Order in Vittoriosa, especially in the post-war years.

Enemy war bombing in 1941 had left the neighbouring Dominican community without a convent and a church, who 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 exibition runs until January 8, 2023. The Inquisitor's Palace is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9am to 4.30pm. 

whatson@timesofmalta.com