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MT 17 April 2016

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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 APRIL 2016 37 Could you tell us a little bit about the Salon initiative? How did it get started, and how has it evolved since its early days? Warren Bugeja: Le Salon was first conceived as an intimate and ani- mated cafe on the move – a move- able feast if you like, encouraging social interaction, and the meeting and exchange of ideas, concepts and artistic expression. Back in the 90s a group of friends and acquaintances would meet on a regular basis in my then seaside home in St Paul's Bay. We would discuss, debate all things under the sun, watch documentaries together, cook and create, however it was not until I was living in London, about six years ago that I thought of open- ing the Salon theme up to a wider audience. My idea was to come up with a concept where individuals could turn up at an event and socialise on their own without feeling awkward, where they could share an idea, an inspiration, something they had written or composed or painted or something someone else had. This was the year of the first iPhone and surrounded by strangers I was yearning for good old-fashioned face-to face conversation. The idea behind the Salon was for it to be held in a different location each time, preferably somebody's home and for it to follow a theme or be guided by one of the artistic muses (dance, painting, poetry, mu- sic and so on). There would be food to draw people, inspired by and mirroring each event and for people to socialise over. Some of the Salons are on a larger scale, are more curated and might feature acting, dance and musical performances and an entrance fee to cover catering. The emphasis however is on participation and in- teraction. There is no segregation between audience and performers. Otherwise, it would be just like going to the theatre, everybody is encouraged to share and contribute in an uncontrived and natural way as possible. Striking a balance how- ever between not being elitist and keeping numbers low was difficult, so enter 'Le Salon Intimates'. This series is free and draws a smaller crowd, where there is more oppor- tunity to listen to each participant's point of view and which have over the years, collected a bunch of reg- ulars. Le Salon Pop-Ups are more spontaneous, might not necessar- ily be held in somebody's personal space and be prompted by an im- promptu connection, such as the one recently organized around by UK poet Ian D Hall visit to Malta. You must have gathered some Salon 'regulars' over the years. What keeps them coming back, and what does it say about the culture of creative writing in Mal- ta? Miriam Calleja: The regulars are very important. Knowing that someone is looking forward to the next session, that they are using Le Salon sessions to encourage them to get writing their next piece, is encouraging for us, as hosts and coordinators, to dedicate our time to Salon. What keeps them coming back is the opportunity of having a room full of ears eager to listen, a safe place to perform, and a chal- lenge to write about a certain topic that perhaps they wouldn't have tackled otherwise. There is a strong sense of community, camaraderie, and support. We watch each other grow as writers, we celebrate each other's courage and feel comfortable to criticise. It's lovely to welcome new people into our circle, especially if these have not previously had a place to share, have kept their writ- ing or other art to themselves be- fore coming to Salon, or have had a limited audience because they weren't surrounded by like-minded people before. What got you thinking about 'A Movable Feast'? Did you always want to combine food and litera- ture for one of your events? How do you hope it will pan out? MC: When Warren and I first met, it was at a Le Salon do. I really didn't know what I was getting into that day, having just heard of this event, I decided to attend to find out what it was all about. Warren and I became fast friends that night, and just couldn't stop chatting. It was clear that there were a couple of things we were both extremely pas- sionate about, namely literature, art in general, and food. I think that it was only a matter of time until food was at the forefront of one of our events. Actually, it is surprising that it didn't happen before, although emphasis was placed on food at oth- er times. For example the first time I attended salon the topic was love and the foods offered were the ones considered aphrodisiacs. At anoth- er event, Warren actually matched dishes to my poetry. Whenever we meet, the conversation inevitably gravitates towards food. We hope that for this Salon, guests will take the time for some research, and will be as excited as we are to combine their passions into something they can share with other patrons. This time we will be meeting not only to share literature and other art, but also to share food with friends and strangers. We ex- pect that this will be a further help to breaking the ice, and will defi- nitely have plenty of conversation starters as everyone gets to explain their offering. A Moveable Feast will be taking place at Dar tal-Kaptan, Ghasri, Gozo on April 30 from 14:00. En- trance is free but all participants are encouraged to bring their own food, which should be inspired by a liter- ary meal. For more information log on to: http://tinyurl.com/javpd6l This Week NOTICE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEETING The Executive Council of the Planning Authority will meet on Monday 18 th April 2016 at 17:00 hours at the main boardroom, St Francis Ravelin Floriana to discuss the following: DETERMINATION OF PLANNING CONTROL APPLICATIONS: PC 037/15: Site at Triq Caravaggio, Għargħur Change in alignment to create residential blocks and open space. PC 008/15: Site at Triq Congreve, Triq il-Majla and Triq il-Madonna tar-Ruzarju, Wied iz-Zurrieq, Qrendi To include the enclosed areas as front gardens for outdoor dining or displaying of goods and to retain the existing public open space. Layout changed from original submission. *Please be informed that the proposed PC application may be viewed on www.pa.org.mt/info-participation-pc. Subject to the maximum seating capacity, seats can be reserved on request for the applicant and registered objectors. Remaining seating is filled on a first come first served basis. For reservations kindly call 2290 2018. PLANNING AUTHORITY www.pa.org.mt EB public hearing copy.indd 1 12/04/2016 14:01:18 Food for thought Over the past few years, Le Salon have been organising social events with a twist: like the literary salons of yore. The events – organised by Warren Bugeja and Miriam Calleja – gather together a group of creatively- minded individuals to share their artistic pursuits and experience. Calleja and Bugeja speak to TEODOR RELJIC ahead of their upcoming event A Moveable Feast – which will be themed after food from classic works of world literature Le Salon founders Warren Bugeja and Miriam Calleja • Photo by Kurt Paris Musical evening in aid of charity at St James Cavalier A classical music evening with the Maltese tenor Nico Darmanin is being held on April 29 at 19:30 at the Music Room, St James Cavalier in Valletta. Supported by Palazzo Prince D'Orange in Valletta, the Musical Evening is being organ- ised by the Grand Commandery of the Castello (GCC), based in Mensija, San Gwann, which is a jurisdiction of The Military and Hospitaller Order of Saint Lazarus of Jerusalem. The proceeds will go towards organisations assisting lepers in India. Darmanin, who will be accom- panied by Italian painist Leonardo Barilaro, will perform romantic songs and arias by Bellini, Donizet- ti, Gounod, Mozart, Rossini, Tosti and Verdi, among others. Darmanin is quickly making a name for himself in the Rossini and Bel Canto repertoires, hav- ing already made his debut at the Royal Opera House, Covent Gar- den. His recent highlights include Almaviva, Il Barbiere di Siviglia (Opera Holland Park); Ramiro, La Cenerentola (Scottish Opera); Ottavio, Don Giovanni (Vlaamse Opera); and Belfiore, Il viaggio a Reims at the Rossini Opera Festi- val in Pesaro. Pianist Leonardo Barilaro gradu- ated from the Conservatory of Padua. He also graduated with a PhD in Sciences, Technolo- gies and Measurements for Space (STMS) at the University of Pad- ua. His most important project in these last years was the 'Pas de Deux dance & piano duo'. Barilaro performed in Italy, Germany, Eng- land, Sweden and the Netherlands, among others. The GCC's charity fund focuses on assisting organisations working for lepers in India and Ethiopia. One such organisation is Women in Need. Further information about this charity can be found on: http://grandcommanderymalta. org/charity-work. The concert is being support- ed by the 17th century baroque Palazzo Prince d'Orange (www. palazzoprincemalta.com), a newly restored award winning boutique hotel in St Paul's Street, Valletta, which has also been one of the many locations in Malta for the Steven Spielberg's 2005 produc- tion Munich, starring celebrities Daniel Craig and Eric Bana. There will be a pre-concert drink at 19:30, while the 40-minute re- cital starts at 8.00pm followed by a reception. To reserve a seat, one can donate a minimum of €25 to the charity fund. Cheques pay- able to the 'Grand Commandery of the Castello', together with name, email and mobile number, are to reach Confrere Alex Azzo- pardi, 50, Doulton Court nr5, Dun Francesco Sciberras Str, Mellieha MLĦ 2027 by Tuesday, April 26. For more information, call 9984 1440. Maltese tenor Nico Darmanin

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