Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1541360
My essentials JEAN-MARC CAFÀ 30s, freelance director and arts educator Aside from directing theatre pieces, I've fallen in love with the role of theatre in developing youth and the community. In 2013, I set up Studio 18 to provide young people with a platform for theatre training as well as a body of works relevant to their realities. When not in a studio or developing learning programmes, I can be found eating cheese, at the cinema, or by the sea! 1. Book 2. Film 3. Internet 4. Music 5. Place MIKA and Michael Jack- son are my all-time guilty pleasures–they present an element of theatricality. However, my idol in this respect would be Stephen Sondheim. Having grown up as a hardcore musical theatre fan, I discovered Sondheim in my early teens and spent hours exploring his music and lyrics. His works are a playground for an actor and a director. From time to time, I revisit various works; lately, I have returned to Company. ITALY—THE little villages on the coast. The lifestyle is great, the coffee is great, the food is great and the wine is great... what is there not to like? And I can get to Florence and Rome quite eas- ily, which is always a plus. I feel balance when I'm on Italian turf; I collect my thoughts, do a lot of walking and reading. There is no denying I am a child of the Med- iterranean. I would love to re- tire there or spend my summers there at the very least. I am currently fixated on l e a d e r s h i p - m a n a g e m e n t models and how they trans- late in the theatre and arts education realms. I've spent a considerable amount of time distilling the needs of the lo- cal theatre scene and theatre training (my postgraduate dissertation explored a devel- opment framework for Mal- tese arts education leaders). This explains why I've read literature like Everyone De- serves a Great Manager: The 6 Critical Practices for Lead- ing a Team, Management of Organisational Behaviour, and then a dose of director Ivo Van Hove on Stage, for good measure. MY relationship with film is complex, as it tends to many of my needs. I watch movies at the cinema often. Aside from the sea, it is the one place I truly switch off. On the other hand, there are a number of 80s and 90s sci- ence fiction and animated movies (and Harry Potter, of course) that I return to often; they energise me and remind me to find the child within. I also use film and TV series for research when working on theatre pieces, therefore I go where the themes take me. In general, I am a Quentin Tarantino and Wes Anderson fan. I'VE gone off Netflix se- ries recently, but I do like my TED talks and NT Live at home, and I am also up for good series that is of the 'psychological thrill- er' nature. One series that comes to mind that struck a chord recently is Mare of Easttown; Kate Win- slet's performance here is a force to be reckoned with. Compiled by Laura Calleja suggestions by email lcalleja@mediatoday.com 4 5 1 MaltaToday is supported by Arts Council Malta 4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 16 NOVEMBER 2025 ALMANAC 3 2