Hands on

The European Year of Intercultural Dialogue, although not always confined within the walls of the St James Centre for Creativity, is nonetheless very much St James' baby.

This month its exploration of the five senses continues apace both inside the centre and outside. The sense of sound is highlighted with three Teddy Bear Concerts this month on May 4, when Teddy explores the rhythms of African percussion. Then on May 18, when Scotland will be the country in the spotlight. And finally on May 25 Teddy Bear Ned will introduce his young audience to the Songs of Arabia. These highly successful afternoon concerts, aimed at children from five to 12, will all start at 4 p.m. and last for approximately one hour each.

The sense of touch this month will involve a collaboration with the Fair Trade organisation. Fair Trade is a hands-on experience of active collaboration among cultures, community development, diversity and sustainable practices. The Maltese volunteers of the Fair Trade Organisation, Koperattiva Kummerċ Ġust, import Fair Trade products from small communities in the global south, through European Fair Trade organisations. They also import directly from the producers. This action, split in two parts, involves experiential ways of knowing other cultures through traditional crafts.

Tomorrow and Sunday the Cypriot silversmith Kristina Apostolou will be at the San Anton Gardens Spring Fair, together with Maltese artist Nadege Cassar, to explain and demonstrate the delicate art of making silver jewelry. Ms Apostolou, together with Ms Cassar, will also be on hand next Wednesday at Birkirkara Market to reprise her San Anton appearance.

The senses of smell and taste will be catered for (no pun intended) this month with an interdisciplinary exhibition based on food and ritual in different cultures. It will concentrate its focus on the food that is prepared and consumed within our communities. It will refer to the routes which migrants, merchants and travellers have followed, introducing the various blends of flavours and smells present in each of the dishes, which have become a staple of our own diets. The exhibition will be in four parts, according to the seasons, and will be based on the food consumed during celebrations held in Malta by various communities during each of these seasons.

The intercultural food journey this month can be experienced at Arkadia in Victoria and St Julian's, GS Superstore in Naxxar, Carters Supermarket in Paola and Park Towers Supermarket in Santa Venera.

There is also a lot of other stuff happening in and very close to St James this month. The European Film Festival concludes on May 8 and - by all accounts - it has been one of the most prestigious and successful cinematic events ever held at the centre.

We have looked at the theatre production in the theatre-in-the-round during this month on page two. F & M's production of Edward Albee's Seascape will be the second play by this giant of the American stage to have been produced at St James within 18 months.

There are three important visual art exhibitions at St James this month. Patrick Dalli's nudes in the main gallery, titled The Human Figure, continues until May 11. Another exhibition, which opened yesterday and continues until June 15, is a showing of works from the Art Brut school in Austria. This exhibition in the upper galleries contains some works, which appear almost naïve, next to paintings of considerable sophistication.

And the final showing this month is by Derek Nice. Titled Sea Dreaming, it will open in the main hall at the centre on May 17 and run until June 22. St James will be hosting the second showing by this artist, who has a tremendous flair for creating works of art from recycled objects, driftwood and other flotsam. His first exhibition at St James in 2003 was one of the most fascinating and eclectic showings the centre has ever hosted. Mr Nice will spice up the exhibition's opening with music from violinist Sarah Spiteri and percussionist Renzo Spiteri.

And while we're on the subject of music, there will be a full programme of lunchtime concerts, over the road at St Catherine's this month, every Sunday at 11 a.m. and Thursday at 12.30 p.m. Next Sunday flautist Silvio Zammit will be the soloist, along with pianist Ramona Zammit Formosa, in a recital titled The Magic of the Flute. Then next Thursday tenor Nicholas Agius Darmanin, accompanied by Alex Vella Gregory, will sing a selection of arias by Britten, Donizetti, Faure, Gluck, Handel, Scarlatti, Schubert and Tosti.

On May 11 Alex Vella Gregory will be back on duty, but this time as the subject of this month's Meet the Composer. His music will be played by the St James Consort and sung by soprano Pauline Longo. The following Thursday the concert will comprise works for piano and the soloist will be Ramona Zammit Formosa.

On May 18 the St Catherine's concert will be titled Histoire du Tango, works of Astor Piazzolla. These will be performed by Evan Plumpton, guitar and Fiorella Camilleri, flute. May 22 will see a concert bearing the title Threads of Time. This will consist of a programme of works by Beethoven, Mozart and Fritz Kreisler. They will be performed by Sarah Spiteri, violin and the seemingly-ever-present Alex Vella Gregory, piano. The Sunday following will feature a concert titled Sacred Arias. It will include church music by Franck, Liddle, Mozart and Schubert - and the protagonists will be Daniela Crocker, soprano and organist Romina Morrow.

Then finally this month on May 29 violinist Sarah Spiteri pops up again with a programme she calls Masters of the Bow - works for solo violin. This concert will include works by Bach, Camilleri, Prokofiev and Telemann.

So once again this month, there is no let-up in the intensity of happenings at the ever-busy, ever-surprising St James Centre for Creativity.