The first ceramics festival in Malta

Ceramics is all about the fascination and joy of expressing one’s feelings by handling clay and firing it.

The first Malta Ceramics Festival consists of a number of events that aim to extend this experience to the public.

The project is the brainchild of a ceramics factory director, Joan Haber and ceramist Valerio Schembri. The event is being supported by the Attard local council and the Malta Arts Fund.

Events kick off on Wednesday at 7.30 p.m. with the official opening of the festival by chairman of the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, Adrian Mamo.

The opening event consists of an exhibition titled Tribute featuring the works of Julie Apap, Joseph Casha and Neville Ferry, three ceramists who passed away last year. The exhibition, curated by Katya Micallef, will be held at the Parish Centre, Papa Ġwanni Pawlu II, Attard. It will remain open until September 17.

On the following day, a seminar will be held at the media hall of the same centre between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. The seminar consists of six 10-minute lectures followed by a discussion by a number of speakers including Louis Laganà, John Bonnici, George Glanville, Paul Haber, Charlot Cassar and Gino Carbonaro.

Children will been given the opportunity to enjoy their own festival on September 9 between 9 a.m. and noon. A number of workshops being held at Attard Primary School will give children the opportunity of a hands-on experience with clay.

The culmination of the project is the final festival night that will be held in the Attard village core on September 10. On this evening, the streets will be lined with ceramists working on various techniques such as throwing, slab building, hand-painting and coiling.

There will also be raku firing demonstrations and saw dust firings.

www.maltaceramicsfestival.com