Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/441179
III This week maltatoday, Sunday, 4 January 2015 FOOD ART BOOKS for 2015 Marisa Attard Artist I no longer feel that Malta is a little backwater rock, insulated and inward looking. We are open to what is happening around us and rich with creative talent in all the arts. Our identity is solidly European. We are moving towards becoming the European Capital of Culture in 2018. This should affect not just Valletta but the island as a whole. It can be an exciting journey and hopefully it will educate us all on what Cul- ture and the Arts really mean. On a personal level I do hope to continue experimenting and growing in my art - maybe risking more, discovering more what I wish to express. I have the tools to communicate strong messages – political, social and also just plain humorous. I mustn't waste them. We all have a social responsibility to make our world a better place, to educate and pass on true values. I hope that either through my illustrations and also through my art I am up to doing just that. Regarding exhibitions, nothing definite is in the pipeline for 2015. I would love to join up again with my quirky artist friends and do another Xebgha Nies exhibition. Simone Spiteri Actress, playwright 2014 was quite a good year and it would be great if I manage to keep the momentum going into 2015, especially in terms of my theatre and writing work. My hope for Dù Theatre is that we keep exploring interesting work which draws new audiences to our performances – particu- larly those who just don't go to the theatre at all. The other thing we're keen on is new methods of story telling which don't necessarily have to be tied to a traditional theatre space – something we've tested out with Fly Flynn in hospital envi- ronments this year and want to keep pursuing with other work and target audiences. From the point of view of my writing I hope to be able to see through a few cool projects both for thea- tre as well as fiction for young people. The latter is new terri- tory for me and something I am very excited about. On a personal level, I hope that 2015 will allow me more quality time to spend with family and friends. Rigorous theatre schedules sometimes mean kissing a social life – or just time to unwind – goodbye, and it's something I find myself valuing more and more with each passing year and not something I am willing to give up as quickly as I would have when I was younger. I also hope to be able to find time to read more, spend less time online, travel to more new places and successfully manage to include some sort of fitness routine into the mix – I'm still trying to get that one right. All in all I suppose my hopes are those shared by most people and don't really change from year to year: if it strikes a balance between people I love, work that challenges me, love, laughter, peace of mind, travelling and good health... then I'm happy. Films: reboots galore Food trends of 2014 Maltese artist makes it to Cartoon Network The state of the book in Malta PGS VI-VII PGS XII-XIII PGS VIII-IX PGS XIV-XV Culture in 2015 Culture in 2015 FILMS