Films, art, music and drama in Australian cultural week

A Maltese Australian Cultural Week opens at St James Cavalier, in Valletta on Sunday, the day before Australia's National Day is celebrated.

The week of cultural activities has been arranged by the Maltese Australian Chamber of Commerce, supported by the Australian High Commission.

The programme will include an Australian film festival, a collective art exhibition, musical and theatrical performances, talks and Australian wine tastings.

The collective art exhibition, featuring works by both Australian and Maltese artists: painter Joseph Catania, artist and writer John Grech, costumier Fiona Hopkins, painter Carmen Pizzuto and ceramicist Sandra Scutella. The works will be on display to the public in the main hall, Atrium, Meditation area, the Terrace Hall and Keyhole gallery of St James Cavalier from Monday.

The collective art exhibition will be open for one month and will also feature in Waltzing Matilda, the TV programme produced and presented by Josephine Zammit Cordina, and in the Roots programme directed towards encouraging Maltese emigrants and their descendants to visit their homeland and rediscover their roots.

A selection of recent leading Australian films will be shown at the centre each evening at 7 for a week from Sunday. The films include La Spagnola, Hotel Sorrento, Innocence, Floating Life, The Wog Boy and Rabbit Proof Fence. There will be extra screenings at 9 p.m. on January 30 and February 1 and at 5 p.m. on February 1.

On Tuesday at 7 p.m., Mr Grech will give a talk on the Holtermann Rephotographs which he produced. This photographic exhibition deals with time, change and social memory in Australia during the 19th and 20th centuries.

At 8 p.m. that day, Albert Marshall's production of Have you heard, Have you heard the Thunder: Highlights from Australia's literary Heritage will come alive with interpretations by Karmen Azzopardi, Margaret Agius, Manuel Cauchi, Jane Marshall, Angela Hopkins and Alexandra Palk.

Finally, the evening will round off at 9 p.m. with an Australian wine tasting featuring the Brown Brothers label.

On January 28 at 7 p.m, Albert Storace will present a Chamber Music evening featuring a programme including works by Maltese composer Jesmond Grixti and Australian composers Johanna Selleck, Stuart Greenbaum and Brenton Broadstock. Following on at 8.30 p.m. there will be another Australian wine tasting featuring the Tyrell's label.

On January 30 at 7 p.m., Henry Frendo will give a talk on Ethnicity, culture and integration: The making of a Maltese Australian Identity and then Mr Grech will deliver a talk on Cultural Remnants: Fragments of identity articulated by the Maltese Migrants of Australia. There will be another Australian wine tasting featuring the Barramundi label at 8.30 p.m.