And I Sat with It
At the end of January 2020, I was lucky enough to embark on a two-week vacation to the nuanced land of Portugal – specifically Lisbon and the Azores Islands. I had been working on my freelance practice circulating between being a coach in public speaking, a performer and a lecturer for just under two years and I was looking forward to having a hard-earned break, to sit with my reflections, with myself, with life.
Bridging the Distance with Art and Creativity
On Being an (Unproductive) Creativity Cheerleader in the Times of Covid-19
The War Against the Pandemic is the War Against Cliche
On merciful days, the cat will have me out of bed by 6am. Feeding her is the first order of business, of course, after which I proceed to feed myself and accompany said breakfast with a shot of strong Turkish coffee, which will be followed by a second soon enough. Reading, drawing, a light workout as I listen to my latest selection from the Masterclass series (self-improvement’s a helluva drug, as Rick James might say) and then, meditation.
So that, come 9.30 or 10am, the writing can start with as clear enough a mind as I can manage.
How will the Artists be Remembered?
Celebrities offered us a charming little Home-rendition of ‘Imagine’; DiCaprio (who I’d gladly vote in as president!) is pitching a trip onto the set of his latest movie in a bid to get millions of people to contribute to #americasfoodfund, and a Filipino Nurse working at Malta’s Ground Zero sent out a heartfelt cover of The Tramp’s ‘Xemx’.
Touching from a distance
By the time the third week of February hit, I was in a total funk. With about three arts-related jobs every week on the March horizon, and two big events promising to wrap up the month in a spectacular fashion, I had only one question: would I manage to pull it all off, or had I bitten off more than I could chew?
Il-ġmiel isalva
Going nowhere isn’t about turning your back on the world. It’s about stepping away now and then so that you can see the world more clearly and love it more deeply. Pico Iyer, The Art of Stillness: Adventures in Going Nowhere.
Art in the time of Corona*
May You Live In Interesting Times. The title of the 58th Venice Art Biennale (which took place just last year), keeps reverberating in my mind, somewhat hauntingly.
Children’s Cultural Rights in Malta
The concept of children’s culture, and children’s access to culture, has been part of the legal and social discourse of many national policies since at least the 1970s. The discourse has grown stronger over subsequent decades, and Malta has an active role to contribute towards those discussions within the European Union.
Create 2020: Investing in cultural and creative capacity skills in Malta’s public sector
As the national cultural agency responsible for the development and investment of the cultural and creative sectors, Arts Council Malta provides a portfolio of funding programmes specifically dedicated to the support of local artists and cultural operators.
Create2020 and beyond
Director of Funding and Strategy, Arts Council Malta, Mary Ann Cauchi, glances at the Create2020 Strategy and what’s in store to continue achieving high levels of excellence and develop Malta’s creative sector.