Digital arts make a significant contribution to the creative industries, Vince Briffa tells Tech Sunday.

Turning 50 is a mile-stone. At 50, you are expected to be wiser and know things. It’s an age at which life should not surprise or alarm you any-more, because your inner GPS is honed and you know where you’re going, even if you’re going no-where in particular.

Digital arts spill over into other areas of interest, like philosophy, literature and information – the digital medium is very much aware of other disciplines- Vince Briffa

At 50, it’s time for some win-lose decisions. Youth has vanished like the morning bus in the distance and you need to decide whether to run after it and grab it like a promise, or return home and count your stack of disappointments. And you need to question whether looking back is indeed easier than looking forward.

That said, any age can be a turning point, really. But 50 has a certain dramatic ring to it, the half a century milestone.

Soon after he blew his 50 candles, Briffa was awarded a Ph.D by the University of Central Lancashire in the UK.

“Reading for my doctorate was personal,” he says. “I did it for myself because I wanted to reflect on my work. Every artist has to stop and contemplate on the art they are producing – it is a very important process.”

Briffa, who was also awarded a Master’s degree in Fine Arts from the University of Leeds, is a multi-media artist and has been involved with film and video production since 1990. He has exhibited extensively in Malta and abroad, including at the Museum of Modern Art in Tel Aviv, the Edinburgh Festival and the International Venice Biennale.

His switch to pedagogy – which is not exactly a switch as Briffa still practises as an artist and curator – saw him assume the responsibilities of Head of Department of Digital Arts within the Faculty of Media and Knowledge Sciences, University of Malta.

“The Department, which was set up last January, is offering a practice-led Master’s that focuses on digital fine art, lens-based media and graphic communication.”

The first intake is in October, and the interest has been significant.

“This interest is due to two main factors,” says Briffa.

“First, there was pent-up expectation, which we are addressing. Moreover, whereas before, students had to go abroad to study and specialise in digital arts, now they can study in Malta.

“Also, digital arts spill over into other areas of interest, like philosophy, literature and information – the digital medium is very much aware of other disciplines.”

In much the same way that digital arts are not restricted to a single genre and feed on multiple disciplines and sciences, the Department of Digital Arts itself collaborates with other departments and faculties.

“Locally, we collaborate with the Faculty for the Built Environment and the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology to offer a foundation diploma in art and design. We also work with the Faculty of Education in undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in art education,” says Briffa.

“We have also teamed up with the Electronic and Digital Art Unit of the University of Preston and the Unit for Contempo-rary Art Practice of the University of Leeds. We are also collaborating with the IT University of Copenhagen to start offering a Masters degree in digital games production,”

Of course, every area of study has to lead to gainful employment – how does the Department of Digital Arts make its students employable?

“Digital arts have become indispensable for creative industries and, consequently, for culture and for society in general,” says Briffa. “This explains why creativity makes such a significant contribution to Malta’s GDP.”

“The sector is growing rapidly and the options for employment in the four main areas – visual communication, still image, moving image and web – are endless. Moreover, given the nature of the medium, there are worldwide opportunities as you don’t have to be in a particular country to work on a project there.”

At an educational level, the opportunities are also endless.

“However, at primary and secondary level, we need to increase the amount of time that students spend in a creative environment.

“There are other issues we need to address, such as upgrading our museum experience through technology and digital arts – however, the good thing is that we are aware of all these issues and will act on them. In fact, there is a close collaboration with the Museum of Fine Arts,” says Briffa.

“Moreover, we must continue asking questions. My role as an educator is to make things more accessible – I am not here to provide answers but to encourage students to ask questions. It is such curiosity that will take us forward.”

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