Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1267088
8 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 8 JULY 2020 NEWS You Are What You Buy studies COVID impact on shopping THROUGH artistic-anthropologi- cal research and creative practice, You Are What You Buy (YAWYB) reacts to current issues on con- sumption and consumerism. The first edition of the project reflected on people's need to affirm them- selves as consumers. It questioned the effects of con- sumption on people as buyers and assessed the blurred line between 'consumption' and 'consumerism'. Both the research and the artistic presentation took place in a su- permarket in Malta in 2016-2017. YAWYB is currently transitioning into a new stage, entitled YAWYB - A Remote ReVisit. As a starting point, the second edition of the project, having research as its main focus, is inviting the public to take part in an independent survey. The survey aims to capture the impact of COVID-19 on people's shopping and consumption experiences, re- lating to food and household prod- ucts and dining-out, and how these might have changed and/or are still changing throughout the partial lockdown and post-lockdown pe- riods. The survey can be accessed on- line through the project's Facebook page: You Are What You Buy. Al- ternatively, an appointment can be scheduled by calling or messaging on 7921 3925 and the survey will take place over the phone. The pro- ject team will be responsible for the survey call expenses. The survey can be filled in by adult individuals. The data will be processed by project artist Kristina Borg and anthropologist Dr Virginia Mon- teforte to highlight any emerging common patterns. All information will be treated as confidential and anecdotes anonymised. Information will be used for re- search purposes which will be pre- sented to the public in a creative manner later on this year. Partici- pants may withdraw their response at any time. Should they wish to further col- laborate in the research process they will be asked to share their contact details at the end of the survey. The compilation of the survey over the phone should take around 10 minutes. YAWYB - A Remote ReVisit is supported by Arts Council Malta's Malta Arts Fund - Research Sup- port Grant Jerma development in Marsaskala to include 170 apartments JAMES DEBONO THE derelict Jerma hotel site will include between 150 and 170 apartments, accord- ing to an assessment of a proposed de- velopment brief carried out by a heritage NGO. The estimate was made by Din l-Art Ħel- wa's resident Professor Alex Torpiano and was confirmed by Planning Authority of- ficials attending a meeting of parliament's environment and development planning committee. The committee met on Tuesday to discuss a proposed development brief for the Jerma area recently issued for public consultation. The 170-apartment estimate is based on the allotted 26,000sq.m of residential devel- opment envisaged in the development brief for the Jerma. Original plans by the government issued last December in the last days of the Mus- cat government had proposed a staggering 40,000sq.m of residential development out of a total of 100,000sq.m allocated for the mixed-use development. But following concern that this would translate into high-rise developments, the floor area of the project was reduced to 65,000sq.m, of which 26,000sq.m will be residential. Torpiano expressed concern that this will still result in excessive heights in an area characterised by two-storey development and warned that this would trigger other seven-storey developments in this part of Marsaskala. Torpiano, an architect, disagreed with the idea of allowing higher buildings along the coastline, with their backs turned on lower residential buildings further inland. PA chairman Martin Saliba also revealed that the project would have a maximum height of 32 metres, which translates to be- tween seven and eight storeys, making the development 9m higher than St Thomas Tower in the vicinity. A development application presented two years ago by developer Charles Camill- eri envisaged development rising up to 14 floors. Saliba gave a breakdown of the compo- nents of the project, with development be- ing restricted to a footprint of 17,700sq.m occupied by the derelict Jerma hotel. A floor area of 33,000sq.m will be allocat- ed for hotel development while 26,000sq.m will be allocated for residential develop- ment. No offices will be allowed in the Jerma site while 5,000sq.m is being allocated for retail and catering establishments. The design of the new development will consist of a series of building blocks around a central public and open plaza. Saliba insisted that the visual link from the tower to the sea would be retained. Local Council representative John Bap- tist Camilleri insisted that the height of the project should not rise above the historical tower. He also insisted that traffic should not pass around the tower in front of the exist- ing villas but should pass through an under- pass. Camilleri also insisted that Marsaskala needs a hotel but does not need any more residential units. He also insisted on the immediate demoli- tion of the Jerma eye sore. The ex-Jerma hotel site in Marsaskala