MUSIC

Joseph Calleja Christmas Special with Andrea Bocelli

Joseph Calleja is presenting a night of music for the festive season featuring Italian guest star Andrea Bocelli at the MFCC in Ta’ Qali on November 25 at 8.30pm.

Also participating in the concert are The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra and the BOV Joseph Calleja Children’s choir.

Tickets are available now from showshappening.com.

Chanson d’Amour

The Barocco Foundation, in collaboration with Din l-Art Ħelwa, is holding another lunchtime concert at Our Lady of Victory church in Valletta on November 21 at 12.30pm.

Young soprano Gabrielle Portelli and pianist Ramona Zammit Formosa are presenting a romantic recital of all-time favourites such as works from Strauss, Grieg, Faure and Offenbach, among others.

One can reserve a seat against a €10 donation by e-mailing baroccobookings@gmail.com or at the entrance of the church.

Rediscovering Abos

Festivals Malta is presenting a one-time concert of the lamentations of Italo-Maltese composer Girolamo Abos on the occasion of St Cecilia day on November 22.

The Monteverdi Project is performing in the concert, which will be held at Tarxien parish church at 7.30pm. Marco Mencoboni will be directing.

Tickets are available from showshappening.com.

Cecilia’s Legacy: Women in Song

The Jesuits’ Church Foundation is celebrating St Cecilia’s Day on November 22 with a concert dedicated to female composers at the Oratory of the Jesuits’ church in Merchants Street, Valletta (entrance through Archbishop Street).

St Cecilia is the patron saint of musicians.

Mezzo-soprano Francesca Bartolo, together with pianist Julia Miller, will present an evening of female composers stretching from the 17th century to the present day. Composers include Barbara Strozzi, Fanny Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, and contemporary female composers such as Judith Weir.

Entrance is by free donation.

Beatles For Sale concert

UK tribute band Beatles For Sale is performing at Tigullio Complex in St Julian’s on November 24 from 8pm onwards.

The band will be supported by local acts Memory Land and Lyndsay.

Entry is by a €10 donation towards the Guatemala Missions. One can buy tickets on showshappening.com.

Christmas It’s Time

The official Christmas celebrations in Gozo kick off with a grand opening concert at the Astra Theatre in Victoria on November 24 at 8pm.

Performers include Gabriella Azzopardi, Pamela Bezzina, Jolene Samhan, Remy Azzopardi, Ruth Portelli, John Cassar and the choir Ulied il-Battista. The concert will be conducted by Mark Gauci.

One can book their free ticket on showshappening.com. The event is organised by the Cultural Heritage Directorate within the Ministry for Gozo.

Malta International Organ Concert

The 10th edition of the Malta International Organ Festival is being held until December 9 at various historical churches across Malta and Gozo.

This week’s progamme features an organ and percussion concert at Our Lady of Good Counsel church in Paceville on November 22 at 7.15pm, a concert celebrating Vivaldi’s music at Bir Miftuħ chapel in Gudja on November 24 at 7.30pm, and an organ and violin concert at St Theresa church, Cospicua, on November 26 at 5.30pm. Entrance to these concerts is free.

For all the details, visit maltainternationalorganfestival.com.

Read more about the festival in this Times of Malta preview.

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THEATRE

I Am My Own Wife

Exit Stage Right is reviving a powerful production 10 years since it was first performed in Malta.

I Am My Own Wife chronicles the life of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf who, as an openly transgender woman, survived both the Nazi and Communist regimes of East Germany in an almost impossible test of personal bravery and endurance against the odds that daily life threw at her.

The play, written by Nanette Brimmer and performed by Alan Paris, brings Charlotte to life, together with some other 37 characters.

It is being held again from November 24 to 26 at Theatre Next Door in Magħtab. For tickets, log on to tnd.com.mt.

Bla Kondixin

The satirical show is back with its cast of popular characters and some new ones.

Shows are being held again this week from November 23 to 26 at Montekristo Estate’s Arena in Triq Ħal Farruġ, Siġġiewi.

For tickets, click here.

F’Baħar Wieħed

On the death anniversary of actor, writer and director Lino Grech, the theatre company Karattri is staging the popular drama F’Baħar Wieħed at the Catholic Institute in Floriana on November 25 and 26.

The cast includes Mary Rose Mallia, Carlos Farrugia and Marvic Cordina.

Tickets are available from ticketline.com.mt.

TOI TOI Classics: Twelfth Night for Schools

TOI TOI Classics, featuring work from the school syllabi, presents Twelfth Night for Schools at the Manoel Theatre from November 24 to January 1.

Featuring an adaptation and direction by Philip Leone Ganado, the cast stars Tina Rizzo, Rebecca Camilleri, Gianni Selvaggi, Myron Ellul, Alex Weekink, Tiana Formosa, Nicole Sciberras and Leone Ganado.

This production is specially produced for schools and is reduced to 70-minutes duration.

For tickets, visit teatrumanoel.mt.

Disney’s The Little Mermaid JR

The Hoi Polloi Academy is adapting the popular musical at the Valletta Campus Theatre from November 24 to 26.

Based on the Hans Christian Anderson story and the Disney animated film, the show features music by Alan Menken, lyrics by Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater and a book by Doug Wright. Music is adapted and arranged by David Weinstein.

The director of the Malta show is Marco Calleja, while Rebecca Attard is music director. Choreography is by Maria Agius Muscat.

Tickets are available from showshappening.com.

ARTS

ĠamborÌ

Teatru Malta is holding its first festival for the elderly from November 24 to 26 at St Vincent de Paul residence in Luqa.

The festival will bring together various artforms including song and theatre, performed by members of the  Każin 60+.

Events include Il-Madonna Tiegħi Aħjar Minn Tiegħek, an adaptation of an operetta on local feasts with a libretto by Trevor Zahra and music by Alex Vella Gregory; L-Għatisa, inspired by the novel The Sneeze by Anton Checkhov and directed by Charlotte Grech; and a jazz concert performed by Paul Giordimaina (piano), Sammy Murgo (saxophone) and Tony Bartolo (song).

Tickets are available from showshappening.com. For more information, visit the Teatru Malta website and Facebook page

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DANCE

Unforgettable

The Dance Workshop is presenting its annual school performance at St Agatha’s Auditorium in Rabat on November 26 at 6.30pm.

This year’s show Unforgettable is dedicated to inspirational women over the years and includes classical ballet, contemporary and modern dance, hip hop and Spanish dance.

Tickets are available from showshappening.com.

FILM

Subotnick – Portrait of an Electronic Music Pioneer

Electronic Music Malta is presenting the premiere of the documentary exploring the life of electronic music pioneer Morton Subotnick at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on November 22 at 7pm.

Featuring live performances captured in surround sound and augmented with innovative liquid-light psychedelic effects, the multimedia experience highlights and celebrates one of the world’s most influential living composers, who became known as ‘the father of techno’.

The screening will be preceded by a live performance on a modular synthesiser by Dr Zicotron.

Electronic Music Malta is supported by Arts Council Malta. This screening is part of the Circuits 2023 and Spazju Kreattiv programmes.

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MISCELLANEOUS

The Pink Fashion Show

Pink, Malta’s magazine for women, and OK Fashion are celebrating a decade of fashion by Pink at OK Home in Lija on November 22 at 7.30pm.

This is an invite-only event but a limited number of tickets are on sale on ticketline.com.mt.

FAA Talk

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar is hosting a talk about Edward Caruana Dingli, a prominent Maltese artist of the early 20th-century, followed by a book sale and a dinner at The Phoenicia in Floriana, on November 24 at 6.30pm.

Marquis Nicholas De Piro will open the event, while Natalino Fenech will deliver the talk. Tickets for both the talk and dinner need to be pre-booked on https://ticketengine.faa.org.mt.

For more information, click here and visit the event’s Facebook page.

The Magical Illuminated Trail and Village

The Magical Illuminated Trail returns to Verdala Palace from November 25 to January 7, with proceeds from the event going once again to the Malta Community Chest Fund.

Among other attractions are the captivating Mythical Tree, the ethereal Flower Land, the enchanting Fantasy Garden, and the cosmic Space Explorer World.

One can also witness the beauty of the first ever life-size Illuminated Crib in Malta, be surrounded by the magical glow of thousands of twinkling fairy lights and encounter countless cartoon creatures.

Opening hours: 5 to 9pm. For tickets, visit illuminatedtrailmalta.com or showshappening.com.

Mdina Cathedral and Museum Open Day

The Mdina Metropolitan Chapter is holding an open day with free entrance to the Mdina Cathedral and Museum on November 26 from 10am onwards.

Among others, there will be guided tours, an artisans’ market, medieval re-enactors and a pop-up museum café.

Also, one will have the opportunity to visit Mediterranean Goddesses, the fourth edition of the APS Mdina Cathedral Contemporary Art Biennale. Under the artistic direction of Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, this edition delves into the significance of the Mediterranean, exploring mythological, religious and spiritual deities.

For more information, visit the event’s Facebook page or e-mail events@metropolitanchapter.com.

Open day at the National Archives of Malta

The National Archives of Malta is organising an open day at its offices in Santu Spirtu, Rabat, on November 26 from 9.30am to 5.30pm.

The public may visit part of the repository, and watch the processes and work we carry out. One will also meet the staff and learn about the archival profession and their day-to-day tasks. Visitors will also have the opportunity to get to know one of our latest acquisitions: the Giuseppe Galea Archive deposited by his family.

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VISUAL ARTS

Converging Directions

An exhibition of modern and contemporary intaglio prints from Malta and Sweden is on at the Upper Galleries, Malta Society of Arts, Valletta.

iMprint 6: Converging Directions pays homage to the graphic works of Emvin Cremona (1919-1987), one of Malta’s most influential 20th-century artists.

It also features intaglio works by international artists through a collaboration with Grafiska Sällskapet, the Stockholm-based Swedish Printmakers’ Association founded in 1910.

The iMprint biennial exhibition is organised and curated by artist-printmakers Lino Borg, Justin Falzon, and Jesmond Vassallo together with art historian Christian Attard.

Like the previous edition, iMprint 6 is being produced in collaboration with ArtiGrafika – the NGO with a mission to promote and encourage artists working in graphic art in all its diverse forms in Malta.

iMprint will be publishing a limited edition catalogue that includes an essay by Anna Cremona (Emvin Cremona’s daughter).

Converging Directions runs till November 23.

Xewka F’Qalbi Xewka F’Sormi

A a collective exhibition exploring rape culture and celebrating 10 years of the Women’s Rights Foundation is currently on at Rosa Queer in Main Street, Balzan.

Curated by Rachelle Deguara and developed conceptually with Emma Agius, the exhibition features artists who explore the culture which normalises or trivialises sexual assault or/and abuse.

The exhibition aims to challenge societal attitudes and encourages conversation about rape culture locally, in the light of the work done by the Women’s Rights Foundation for the cause, while encouraging discussions about consent and the need for education and prevention.

The participating artists are Emma Agius, Isaac Bezzina, Silke Debanant, Nicole Sciberras Debono, Nik Ebejer, Saaqia, Claire Farrugia, Shanice Farrugia, Robin Cassar Fiott, Sam Vassallo and Francesca Zammit.

The exhibition runs until November 25.

Trigger warning: the exhibition content may be disturbing.

More information about the Women’s Rights Foundation can be found at https://www.wrf.org.mt/.

Evergreen

The Qrendi local council, in collaboration with the Reġjun Punent and the Pastel Society of Malta is holding a mixed media exhibition on the theme of nature at St Matthew’s Chapel, Maqluba Square, Qrendi.

The participating artists are Mary Clare Albanozzo, Noel Ancilleri, Anthony Lucian Cauchi, Joanne Fenech Portelli, Martin Formosa, Michelle Layfield, Erika Chircop, Chris Bugeja, Ethelbert Perini, Grace Cassar, Martin Scicluna, Mario Sant and Lady Joanna Wallbank.

A percentage of the sales will be donated to Id-Dar tal-Providenza in Siġġiewi.

The exhibition will be inaugurated by Qrendi mayor David Schembri on November 18 at 7.30pm and runs until November 26. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 4.30 to 8pm and on Sundays from 9.30am till noon.

Entrance will be free of charge.

Nature Capture

Roberta Scerri is presenting her first solo exhibition at the Malta Society of Arts courtyard in Valletta from November 16 until the 29th.

Twelve artworks in acrylic, pencil, chalk pastel and oil pastel will be on display.

The overarching theme is environmental awareness and global fauna diversity, calling for action towards protecting the natural beauty that is fighting to adapt itself among humans.

The exhibition is being held in aid of BirdLife Malta and Moviment Graffitti.

For more information and opening hours, click here.

Reverie

A utopian and unspoilt world, free from human influence, is being represented in the new collection of paintings by Jo Dounis at The Phoenicia Malta’s Palm Court Lounge throughout November.

Captured with mixed media and painted over a base layer which is textured and consequently adds depth and three-dimensionality to each canvas, each painting is of a perfect natural scene, one which might be experienced in a daydream, or a fantasy.

None of the compositions include any hint of buildings, nor signs of civilisation or any other human interference. The focus is solely on nature and its enormity.

Natural vistas, whether experienced in her home country or on her extensive travels, are an infinite source of inspiration for Dounis. The result is that some paintings can easily be associated with familiar Mediterranean landscapes, others are inspired by Nordic or other faraway scenes.

Reverie, curated by Charlene Vella, is open until the end of November.

Art exhibition in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza

An exhibition featuring paintings, sculptures and ceramics donated by Maltese and foreign artists is open at the Parliament building in Valletta.

These artworks will be eventually auctioned online as part of the Festa ta’ Ġenerożità, an annual celebration in aid of Id-Dar tal-Providenza.

The exhibition runs until November 30. The public can visit from Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm and on the weekend between 9am and 12.30pm. One has to present their ID card.

The catalogue of all the works of art and more information on the auction are available on www.dtpauction.com or www.belgraviaauctions.com.

The Festa ta Ġenerożità will take place at the home’s Siġġiewi car park on January 1 and everyone is invited to attend.

ĠUF

Rebecca Bonaci is holding her first solo exhibition at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.

Referencing the Maltese word for ‘womb’, ĠUF explores the theme of contemporary motherhood, informed by the rich prehistoric remains and rituals found in the Maltese archipelago. The iconography and imagery from the primordial period are reinterpreted by Bonaci and her curatorial team, with the artworks in dialogue with artefacts from the period as well as other contemporary objects.

Bonaci also draws from her personal experience of family bonding, femininity, recent social history, child bearing and motherhood presenting a dialogue between past and present.

The exhibition, curated by Sarah Chircop and supported by Arts Council Malta, runs until December 2. 

Froġa / Farrago

Sebastian Tanti Burlò is exhibition a collection of oil paintings at Sliema’s R Gallery.

The artist is known for his political cartoons in the Times of Malta but here he swaps his pen for the brush while retaining his unapologetic social commentary, a flair for the absurd, satirical strokes and an underlying subversive narrative. Nature, journalism and the world’s issues are represented in this exhibition.

The tragicomical is investigated through an ideal romantisation of our country and how society has evolved, together with comments on world issues that trouble the world at large. 

The exhibition, hosted at R Gallery of 26, Tignè Street, Sliema, runs until December 3. For more information, read this Times of Malta review.

Eye Sea You

Artist Trevor Diacono is presenting his latest collection of works at Il-Kamra ta’ Fuq in Mqabba.

Diacono comes from a family of artists that includes his grandfather Victor Diacono, one of Malta’s foremost 20th-century sculptors, and his uncle, Andrew Diacono, a name that needs no introduction among local art aficionados.

The artist claims that he sees his journey “as a continuous, often tormenting pursuit to translate the intangible depths of emotion and perception into tangible, three-dimensional form”.

He pusues his artistic family’s legacy that explores the caricatural in society and beyond. In this exhibition, he carries this on in his sculptures of fish, humanising them with their witty titles. The underlying theme is the marine, including even undulating waves.

Eye Sea You, curated by Melanie Erixon, is on from November 11 until December 3.

Pathos

Chris Ebejer is presenting a new collection of works in various media that include terracotta, bronze porcelain and marble at MUŻA in Valletta.

The artist’s source of inspiration is mythology and gods, and the Mediterranean spirit. The figurative sculptures, as well as the reliefs, are the result of long hours of deep thought.

The sculptor worked on these works both in Malta and Italy, the latter of which is where he spends long periods of time working in bronze and marble.

Pathos runs until December 10. Entrance is free and opening hours are Monday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm.

Emotions of the Spirit

A collection of 28 works by Ivan Grixti is open for visitors at Level O, SkyParks Business Centre, MIA, Luqa, until the end of December.

Works include several portraits, including a self-portrait, that of homeless men and of Pope Benedict. There are also abstracts and a depiction of war, among others.

Grixti has just returned from Poznan, Poland where he lived, studied and worked as an educator for the last 12 years. There he mastered the language and attended several art courses. He graduated B.A. (Hons) in Education: Technical Drawing and Design & Technology (2001-05) from the University of Malta and then attended a post-graduate course at the Fine Arts Institute Marie-Curie Sklodowska, Lublin, Poland (2021-2022).

In Malta, he studied under Anthony (Tony) Demicoli, Paul Vella Critien, Anthony (Anton) Calleja and Philip Agius. He has exhibited in Malta, Poland and France.

OTHER EXHIBITIONS

Ancient Tea With New Glamour

The China Cultural Centre in Malta is hosting an 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.

The Crib’s Journey with St Francis

A Christmas crib exhibition, a joint collaboration between Heritage Malta and Għaqda Ħbieb tal-Presepji Għawdex Malta, has been launched at the Grand Master’s Palace, under the auspices of President George Vella.

Titled The Crib’s Journey with St Francis, this exhibition forms part of a string of initiatives around the globe, organised by the International Friends of the Crib Federation, celebrating the 800th anniversary since the first crib was created by St Francis in Greccio, Italy. 

On display are some 60 cribs by Maltese and foreign artists, crafted out of different materials, including papier-mâché, glass and jablo. 

Several workshops will be organised throughout the duration of the exhibition, addressing topics such as crib-making, crib accessories and crib figurines. Lectures on the history of Christmas cribs will also be held.

Heritage Malta will be publishing an informative full-colour catalogue about this exhibition, with a general introduction about Christmas traditions and the Maltese crib, and a limited edition and numbered 15-figure nativity set.

The exhibition runs until January 21. All profits will be directed to the Malta Community Chest Fund. Entrance is through Merchants Street.

Fare Convito: The Archaeology of Banqueting in Hospitaller Malta (16th to 18th century)

A range of maiolica and porcelain vessels, used both for display and for serving food during formal banquets in Hospitaller Malta, is being exhibited at the Romegas Hall, National Museum of Archaeology, until the end of December.

The exhibition, entitled Fare Convito: The Archaeology of Banqueting in Hospitaller Malta (16th to 18th century), delves deeply into how food, art and politics came together in the ritual of baroque banqueting – the formal and communal sharing of food and drink – between the 16th and the 18th century in Malta.

During that period, under the Order of St John, Malta imported many aspects of the European dining culture, mainly from Renaissance Italy and from Rococo France. An especially striking feature was the Convito – the formal banquet – which provided a theatrical backdrop for political discussion and intrigue. 

They include two late Renaissance plates belonging to Cardinal Farnese’s famous credenza, a Chinese Ming porcelain import to Malta, important examples of South Italian heraldic plates, and a wide range of French and North Italian faience, including examples in the Rococo style of Moustier.

Admission is free. The exhibition will move to the Inquisitor’s Palace in Vittoriosa from January until March 2024. A booklet will be available for sale at both exhibitions.

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whatson@timesofmalta.com