Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1196490
2019 ROUNDUP CULTURE maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 DECEMBER 2019 4 TEODOR RELJIC digs into a year's worth of interviews to feel out some of the main preoccupations among local creatives of every artistic discipline Looking back, looking forward A cultural snapshot of 2019 Simone Spiteri, Author and Theatre Director "I think it's a transitional time. The scene is exploring what it wants to be in many ways, sometimes with re- sults that leave much to be desired. I do feel there's a lack of a fringe sector which I feel is important to have in any theatre scene. When we started, out there were always a good ten or so small companies at any given time in the theatre season – not everyone was producing the same type or qual- ity of work, of course, but I think it's really important to have these small companies that exist in parallel to the larger, more institutional ones. "A healthy theatre scene requires and should have space for both. The fringe is where the real experimenta- tion takes place, where mistakes can be made and lessons learnt, where the pressure is not big enough to force people to take safe choices rather than push the boundaries be- cause the stakes are too high. It's a playground each new artist needs be- cause it's where real growth happens and I think many are skipping this pivotal step." Alexander Vella Gregory, musician "Very often we speak of a 'music scene' or an 'arts scene' and that ap- proach unfortunately often leads to creative and cultural isolation. We are currently undergoing great social and cultural upheavals and unlike past periods of transition this is not a gradual process but a violent sweep- ing away or distortion of the past. We can see the results in the way we are destroying our tangible heritage: horror stories of old buildings being demolished or gutted, old books be- ing discarded, and art disappearing or deteriorating before our very eyes. "But the worst victim is our intan- gible heritage, precisely because it is not visible. The gutting of a building, the throwing away of an old book, and the disappearance of an art ob- ject result in the eradication of our stories. Sometimes even the most in- significant annotation on a piece of paper and the context in which it was found can shed light on our past. "On top of that is our national pas- sivity in the face of this destruction – mostly because people do not re- alise the importance of what is be- ing lost. This is not about aesthetics – it is about our national identity. It all boils down to education, because the system gears its citizens towards economic gain, and not cultural gain. But what are we without our stories? The result is the fake existences we have created for ourselves in the digi- tal world – a world of algorithms and filters. Why like a picture of a church or a video of a song when you can go and physically be in that space and listen to that music live? "Many people think of change as be- ing a government policy or a 'road- map'. It isn't. Change is us: telling our stories, and creating new ones to- gether – expanding on the narrative we have inherited from our ances- tors. So I will not speak of change as a future hope but rather as the present in action: salvaging stories, retelling them, and expanding them." Immanuel Mifsud, Author "During a recent meeting for writ- ers, called by the National Book Council, during which we discussed authors' rights, I urged fellow writ- ers not to think too much about their rights without first assuming social and political responsibilities. That was a mistake on my part. I should have never made such a plea. A writ- er who writes love stories is no less of a writer than someone who writes critically. Of course, I would be hap- pier if all the writers were to respond critically to our times, but I don't think it is a duty. I should have never proposed authors what to write. That was one grave mistake. Mind you, I will probably commit it again." Gabriel Buttigieg, Painter "The local art scene is what it is. Eve- ryone has their own language, their own circle, their own insecurities and their own ambitions. As a visual artist who has been consistently loyal to painting, I must admit that I am a bit sceptical over other art forms. "That said, I feel that as long as the person is loyal towards what they feel, I have no problem with it. The problem I have is when a person tries too hard to look for something new and as a conse- quence is not genuine and true to what they are trying to portray. "As a Maltese artist I do feel that, once again, we lack painters. Which to be honest I find quite surprising, since painting has once again risen to the forefront on an international level, with a number of artists opting for it as their chosen visual language – artists whom I respect and admire very much." Undine LaVerve, Burlesque dancer "We all know how the [Valletta Capi- tal of Culture 2018] went. I definitely see an increase in productions around the island and more variety. Some in- dependent and quite underground, like my own; some partially and other heav- ily funded. I have seen an increase in productions in Maltese, which is great, Teodor Reljic Simone Spiteri Gabriel Buttigieg Immanuel Mifsud Alexander Vella Gregory