Maltese artists involved in the performing arts sector will now get the opportunity to have their work promoted abroad as well as to perform in international festivals through the Malta Showcase.
Launched yesterday by the Valletta 2018 Foundation, the Malta Showcase is essentially a curated portfolio of theatre, music, interactive performances and comedy which have been devised in Malta.
We should be proud of the product we have available to export
The portfolio will be available for programming by international festivals, theatres or cultural organisations and has opened applications for productions to form part of ‘Portfolio 2015’.
The first edition, ‘Portfolio 2014’, is being presented in collaboration with Żigużajg Arts Festival for Children and Young People, featuring the best of Malta’s repertoire in theatre, music, interactive performances and comedy for young audiences.
The nine productions, which were commissioned over the past three years by Żigużajg, include audiovisual shows targeting zero to three-year-olds, a multi-sensory show aimed at adolescents with profound and multiple learning disabilities and other shows featuring digital animation, dance, interactive projections and shadow puppetry.
Żigużajg artistic director Toni Attard explained that the portfolio will act as a tool for embassies to relay Malta’s repertoire to cultural agencies and festivals within their territory.
“Ultimately it’s time artists also gear themselves for touring. The arts industry is a cutthroat one – they must be quick to grab the opportunity and leave for a month of touring if a foreign artistic director shows interest in them.”
Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said that whenever he spoke to Maltese people who emigrated to the UK and Australia, he realised they still believed that culture was the same as when they had left Malta. “We believe in the concept of a showcase – we should be proud of the product we have available to export.”
Applications for Portfolio 2015 can be downloaded from www.maltashowcase.com and the chosen productions will be published in a booklet and on the website.
The repertoire must be of a high standard, unique and innovative. Artists must demonstrate artistic excellence in the submitted work. The proposed repertoire must be complete, documented and ready for export. The deadline for applications is October 31.