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P h o to b y D i n o T o rla k ov ic maltatoday | SUNDAY • 1 JUNE 2025 4 ALMANAC My essentials DIELLZA ILGNER 25, performance artist I'm a Malta-based transdisciplinary performance artist working across theatre, multimedia, and audience-engaged work. My practice explores themes of migration, disability, and climate justice. Whether I'm directing, acting, moving, or singing, I let art move through me in many forms. As co-founder of ConsciousArtDuo and D.Shows, I combine therapeutic approaches with socially and politically conscious storytelling. 1. Book 2. Film 3. Internet 4. Music 5. Place JAZZ, neo-soul, world music, indie, classical music; I don't limit my- self to one genre. Mu- sic follows my mood and curiosity. Having a background in classical vocals and music thea- tre, made me study mu- sic throughout genres and times. ONE artist that con- tinuously shapes me is Wiebke Gottstein and her album Space In Be- tween which explores how to live freely while celebrating the growth that arises from facing our fears. OF all countries I've encountered, spending nearly a year in India fundamentally altered my worldview. After traveling extensively through Europe and America, where every su- permarket felt depressingly identical, I craved radical difference. India initially shocked, then gradually fascinated me as an eye-open- ing revelation of how life dramatically varies depending on your birth coordinates. Despite immense challenges, India overflows with extraordinary beauty and the most generous souls I've ever encountered. BUT the place I chose, out of all those places, is Malta. It's here that I've planted roots. I fell in love with the sea, the light, the rhythm of the island, but most of all, the people. There's a deep sense of connection here, a rare open- ness. Opportunities feel within reach, and collaboration often begins with a simple con- versation. Unlike many places where ambition sharpens elbows, Malta carries a spirit of sin- cerity. IF I'm honest, books are something I wish I gave more time to. Lately though, I've been slowly making my way through the work of Gabor Maté, When the Body Says No and The Myth of Normal. His insights into the link between mental stress and physical illness resonate deeply with my interest in the body-mind connection. Poetry remains my con- stant companion, Rainer Maria Rilke, Pragya Bhagat and Spoken Word Poetry. And as a personal ritual, I carry a small Maltese dic- tionary with me as I'm still determined to learn the language of this country, I call home. A film I keep coming back to is Into The Wild. It moves me deeply and re- minds me of the weird con- struct we call society and how we have lost touch with 'the wild' we once called home. Another unforgetta- ble film is La Vita è Bella, the way humour becomes a lifeline during the Hol- ocaust, transforming un- bearable tragedy into bear- able humanity. Growing up in Germany, carrying the guilt of our terrible history is normalised and the use of humour and hope touches a different side in me. ALTHOUGH I was born in 2000, I grew up in a tiny German village without TV or Internet. I wasn't allowed a phone until I was 17 and I hated that. But now, watch- ing younger generations connected to the world, yet disconnected from each other, I'm deeply grateful for it. It's fascinating how the same technology that can isolate us also creates countless opportunities for artistic collaboration and cultural exchange across continents. I often browse On the Move, a brilliant platform listing internation- al open calls, residencies, and funding for artists. I also enjoy watching ARTE documentaries on YouTube. Compiled by Laura Calleja suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com 4 5 1 2 3 MaltaToday is supported by Arts Council Malta