A little workshop in Tarxien is a hub of activity at this time of year as members of the Għaqda Kultura Armar Marija Annunzjata are busily preparing for their first major event this year – carnival. You’ll find members doing stencil work on large cut-out frames or attaching long, multi-coloured feathers and crystals to headdresses. Large mannequins made out of cardboard, monkey masks and other furry shapes hang around the place, making it all look quite surreal.

The club has two dance schools: one called Joseph Abela and Friends, which participates in Sections A and B (dance and costume) competitions for adults, and the Lookstar Dancers, that will be competing in the Section C (dance and costume) competition for children for the first time this year.

“We’re covering the themes Masquerade and Cinderella this year,” says Gabriella Stagno Piscopo, one of the children’s dance instructors, as she shows me her Cinderella-themed fingernails.

“I’ve been involved in carnival for 15 years and have been an active member of this club since as long as I can remember.”

Apart from teaching the dance moves to the young ones, she also helps costume-maker Clinton Pepe, who has gained a reputation for his lavish creations.

He got involved with the club only four years ago and never attended any sewing classes but learned the craft from his grandmother.

“I love carnival. I was brought up in Valletta and was born in the carnival month,” says Pepe, who turned 26 yesterday.

“It’s a lot of hard work. Each school has 36 dancers, so we’re pretty busy. We start designing the costumes at the end of August but keep going till the very last minute. It’s quite stressful. I start at 8am and stop at about 2am every day. You forget there is life out there.”

The sewing team is made up of 10 people assisted by many helpers who attach the feathers and beading.

The club goes to great lengths to make sure that its costumes are a cut above the rest. That is probably why Joseph Abela and Friends has won the best costume competition for 10 consecutive years. As the saying goes, the devil is in the detail.

It’s quite stressful.I start at 8am and stop at about 2am every day. You forget there is life out there

“We use mostly velvet for our costumes, which is much more expensive than other fabric, as well as Swarovski crystals and brass for headdresses. Braids can be quite expensive too. And we don’t attach the beads with a glue gun, but sew them,” explains Stagno Piscopo. “This year, we spent €4,000 on feathers alone.”

Pepe’s most cherished works to date are a pair of Chinese-themed costumes he did for last year’s competition. These featured a long cape with a large, hand-embroidered peacock.

“It took me months to finish them but I’m very proud of the result,” he says.

These costumes cost €2,000 each – quite a hefty sum for a mere few days of revellery. So what happens once carnival is over?

“The owner of the costume keeps it,” points out Pepe. “Out of 36 dancers, 30 pay a fixed amount of money and if the club decides it wants richer costumes it forks out more money, but the costume will still belong to the dancer. The other six dancers, called ‘mascots’, are given carte blanche and can pay for a more extravagant costume.”

The club organises several fund-raising activities throughout the year to be able to cover such an expense.

Now Pepe and Stagno Piscopo are looking forward to Friday, when they can finally let their hair down and join in the fun and mayhem with their friends.

“We have our own costume and take part in the dance too,” says Pepe enthusiastically.

Apart from carnival, the two dance schools organise various activities throughout the year, including a dance festival in August in which around 20 schools are invited to participate, with the proceeds directed to charities. They also have annual themed activities in April and at Halloween and perform around Malta at Christmastime.

The club is also well-known for organising the Good Friday pageant around the streets of Tarxien. About 300 participants take part in this event, donning rich costumes inspired by the Bible. Abela, who founded the adult dance school 10 years ago, used to play the role of Christ but he has now decided to ‘retire’ and someone else will be taking on the role this year.