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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 MARCH 2020 4 THIS WEEK THEATRE TEODOR RELJIC speaks to Dr Georgina Portelli, a curator within the creative committee of Malta International Contemporary Arts Space (MICAS), ahead of its next event, the immersive and all ages light- and-colour spectacle, the Shadow Colour Pavilion The full spectrum Could you tell us a little bit about the parameters of this project, and what makes it so crucial to the large-scale work in progress effort that is MICAS in a more general sense? MICAS' mission is to cham- pion contemporary art by rais- ing public awareness about the significance of the visual arts in contemporary life, and by bringing to the forefront the way art can help mediate and interpret the world we live in. MICAS is currently developing the community engagement and education strand of its pro- gramme. The Shadow Colour Pavilion at St George's Square in Valletta will be its first roll- out for this year. The prelimi- nary part of the project – the schools-oriented MICAS Art Labs – was held last November. The project as a whole ticks a good number of boxes. It focuses on inclusive com- munity engagement with our neighbourhood schools and the cross-sectoral dialogue between Science and Art. It encourages proactive public participation through creative expression in the heart of the city. We are also investing in the development of strategic part- nerships with other sectors and organisations as MICAS estab- lishes itself in the cultural ecol- ogy both at a local and interna- tional level. Our collaborators this time around are Esplora Interactive Science Centre and the Valletta Cultural Agency. The Art Labs involving young students from local schools appear to have been a crucial element of the Shadow Colour Pavilion. What led to their in- clusion and how would you say they contributed to the overall work? Establishing and forging links with the people who make up our neighbourhood communi- ties is imperative to the MICAS project. The neighbourhood in its tangible proximity matters. We cannot view it simply as homogenous abstraction but have to recognise and respect its diversity. Guided by MI- CAS' remit to foster creativity and inclusion, we approached neighbourhood schools to be our partners for the initial part of the project – The MI- CAS Art Labs. Consultation discussions were held with the schools to ensure this pro- gramme catered to the school educator and student commu- nity needs; this complemented both the art and science cur- riculum while still respecting the school community para- meters. Following the direction of this constructive conversation with our neighbourhood educators, the Art Labs activities were designed in conjunction with the Esplora Interactive Science Centre team. This process was led by Programme Develop- ment Lead, Elaine Manicaro and Education Programme De- veloper, Sarah Galea. Over 400 students attending San Ġorg Preca College (Valletta Prima- ry and Floriana Primary) and St Albert the Great College, par- ticipated in the Art Labs work- shops. The workshops facilitated by MICAS and Esplora communi- cators, offered a series of hands on activities that introduced early and middle school stu- dents to light and colour per- ception, colour theory, colour spectrums, shadows and addi- tive and subtractive coloured light mixing. This introduction to scientific principles relevant to art was negotiated through creative exploration and ex- pression. Students enthusi- astically participated in the research process, as creatives not passive recipients actively taking over the process. The Art Labs were crucial to the development of the Shadow Colour Pavilion concept. These workshops were hosted in early November 2019 at the Magaz- ino Hall (Valletta Waterfront). MICAS is strongly committed to keeping the conversation going with its neighbourhood school communities as its val- ued partners. The Shadow Colour Pavilion will clearly have an element of immersive spectacle to it. Is this its primary aim, or does the project also have important conceptual and aesthetic ele- ments woven into it? The Shadow Colour Pavilion harnesses art's ability to en- gage with the diverse commu- nities that constitute the pub- lic as proactive collaborators, co-producers and protagonists. Essentially, the Pavilion uses pure light colour to immerse visitors in a visually stimulat- ing experience as they explore light and colour perception, movement through space and the generation of coloured shadows. Visitors from all age Teodor Reljic "Visitors from all age groups are invited to actively participate and explore their own creativity as they move through the pavilion" The MICAS neighbourhood community and outreach initiative in November 2019, with San Gorg Preca College (Valletta Primary and Floriana Primary) and St Albert the Great College MICAS presents the Shadow Colour Pavilion in collaboration with the Valletta Cultural Agency (VCA) and Esplora Interactive Science Centre