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13 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 3 APRIL 2024 NEWS ZfinMalta appoints new artistic director ŻFINMALTA National Dance Company has announced the appointment of Matthew Wil- liam Robinson as its next Ar- tistic Director. Current Artistic Director Paolo Mangiola leaves the role in July 2024, following a term of seven years. Mangiola joined a young Żfin- Malta at the end of its third sea- son and has since led Malta's na- tional dance company through a period of extraordinary growth, bringing recognition at a local and international level. As a result, contemporary dance now has a place at the forefront of Malta's performing arts scene, with an ever-expand- ing and dedicated local audi- ence, and Malta has a national dance company with a strong international presence. Mangiola said, "After seven ful- filling years, I have made the de- cision to step down from my role as Artistic Director at ŻfinMalta. Leadership is also the ability to understand when a cycle is end- ing and allowing the institution you served to keep developing through new voices and exper- tise. It has been an incredible journey, and I am immensely proud of the accomplishments we've achieved together. My heartfelt thanks goes to all of the choreographers, artists, and vari- ety of experts who have contrib- uted immensely to the growth of the company, making ŻfinMalta a hub where we cherish, protect and push our art form. I'm forev- er grateful to all the dancers who have worked with me, sharing their knowledge, and contribut- ing to the development of our company. Ultimately, a massive thank you goes to ŻfinMalta's loyal audiences, who embarked on this journey with us from day one and continue taking risks with us, moving with us, and being moved. I am confident in the talented team we've built, in everyone working behind the scenes, with their tireless com- mitment, and I look forward to seeing the company continue to thrive under the new leadership. My best wishes go to Matthew as he embarks on this exciting chapter." During his tenure, Mangiola has attracted some of the most important established and pio- neering choreographers work- ing on the international stage, including Tânia Carvalho, Ema- nuel Gat, Roy Assaf, Rosemary Lee, Sergiu Matis, Riccardo Bus- carini, Francesca Pennini, Mar- co D'Agostin, Mauro Bigonzet- ti, Ambra Senatore, and Lesley Telford. Mangiola has also as- sembled a cast of dancers of the highest calibre and leaves a com- pany of ten full time dancers and two apprentices. Alongside ŻfinMalta's exten- sive repertoire, Mangiola has overseen an inclusive and partic- ipatory education and outreach programme for people from all backgrounds, with any relation- ship to movement. His peda- gogical background has held his focus on the establishment of an open and expansive dance ecology with opportunities for aspiring, emerging and estab- lished dance artists to realise their potential and connect with ŻfinMalta audiences and com- munities. Matthew William Robinson leaves his post as Artistic Direc- tor of National Dance Company Wales to join ŻfinMalta for its 10th season. Robinson brings to the role a wealth of experience following a distinguished career as dancer, choreographer, facil- itator, rehearsal director and ar- tistic director. His choreographic work has moved extensively across the United Kingdom and interna- tionally to venues and festivals in Europe and beyond. Built from the body, the work seeks to translate contradictions and complex emotions, through highly physical choreographic construction. Collaborating across forms, Robinson is engaged in ongoing and emerging collaborative part- nerships in the fields of sound, fashion, theatre, and technology. With a passion for the potential of dance to enable us to see our- selves, each other, and our world differently, he is an advocate for movement as a fundamental part of everyone's lives. Robinson has previously held roles as dancer and rehears- al director for Scottish Dance Theatre, performing work by international choreographers including Sharon Eyal, Damien Jalet, Hofesh Shechter, and Vic- tor Quijada, and he was Artistic Director of VERVE from 2016- 2021. Collaborating with world re- nowned and fresh choreograph- ic voices, the company created distinct, engaging programmes of dance work for international touring programmes, develop- ing a reputation for bold com- missioning and offering quality of artistic training to emerging dance artists. In 2021 Robinson was appoint- ed Artistic Director of National Dance Company Wales where he has been developing the in- terweaving possibilities of the company's artistic and engage- ment programmes and interro- gating the role of repertory com- panies now, through works for theatre, public space, festivals, and immersive contexts. He is a graduate of London Contempo- rary Dance School. Robinson said, "I am thrilled to begin this new chapter with ŻfinMalta, building on the ex- ceptional work of Paolo Mangi- ola and the team. I am inspired by the ambition of the company, and excited to step into what is next together. I am committed to ŻfinMalta as a home for ground- breaking artistic collaborations that centre movement as a trans- formative force in our world. We will collaborate with a breadth of artistic voices from near and far to create visually striking, physi- cally distinctive dance work, that captivates the imagination of au- diences nationally and interna- tionally. I look forward to collab- orating with the artistic ecology of the nation over the coming years, working together to high- light Malta as a vibrant cultural centre within the European land- scape of artistic practice." ŻfinMalta National Dance Company approaches this mile- stone 10-year anniversary in a period of great strength and growth, with an increasing inter- national profile and an extensive touring schedule. The company is excited to wel- come Matthew William Rob- inson as its new Artistic Direc- tor, in full confidence that he brings the requisite knowledge, networks, passion and vision to continue leading the company on its current trajectory. ©CamiFenech Paola Mangiola (left) and Matthew William Robinson