University of Malta

F’Ħakka t’Għajn (All of a sudden) is a community theatre project by older adults and theatre practitioners. Through recreational dramatic activities, workshops and discussions, the group collaborates to produce a theatre performance.
The project investigates the impact, in terms of wellbeing, confidence, social engagement and sense of belonging, that active theatre collaboration can have on a group actors and non-actors, mostly aged over 65.

The Suitable Citizens project engages with the challenges of integration and inclusion of third country nationals in arts events and projects. It aims to bring artists and non-professionals together to work in a non-hierarchical process of co-creation, and to study the impact of participatory art on societal challenges related to a sense of belonging and citizenship.
Amid prejudice against migrants, the project aims to empower third-country nationals through the training of creative skills. As well as this, the dissemination stage of the project aims to shift perceptions of this participant group.
The project is a collaboration with the local branch of the Jesuit Refugee Service – an NGO which works with migrants to provide practical support and advocate for their rights in Malta. Jesuit Refugee Service has brought participants to the project through their networks, taking note of potential participants’ language, availability and interest in creative tasks.
The participants will attend a series of workshops, first focusing on photography skills with mobile phones, then learning about silk-screen printing techniques, and finally working on sewing and design skills.

The theatrical production Il-Pożittivi was made to put a focus on the stigma of people living with HIV in Malta. The pilot project Il-Pozittivi works with people living with HIV, participants were asked about their lives, prejudice they encountered, and their experiences of living with HIV in Malta.
People living with HIV still fear of discrimination, (self-)stigmatisation, alienation and loneliness. By disclosing their status they fear repercussions to their day-to-day life. The play (in Maltese) is a theatrical production that addresses the specific issues faced by people living with HIV and the day-to-day matters that impact their lives. The dramaturgy aspires to create characters that will provide new roles for Maltese speaking LGBTIQ actors.

Is-Siġra tat-Tin (The Fig Tree) was created through a collaboration with Opening Doors - an association that provides creative opportunities for adults with intellectual disabilities and hosts performances on a yearly basis, showcasing the work developed by its artistic leaders and trainees. The collaboration provided a creative space for participants to explore themes and subjects which mattered to them and which they wanted to share with audiences, such as the topic of romantic and sexual relationships.
Is-Siġra tat-Tin was created to bring professional theatre practitioners together in creative participation with people with intellectual disabilities. During the process, participants talked about how participation in creative activity can improve their livelihoods and wellbeing. During the process, researchers assessed the impact of the involvement of people with intellectual disabilities in arts-related activities on public attitudes toward social inclusion.