Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/758493
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 4 DECEMBER 2016 30 This Week Smashing through the pity boundary Taking place next week, the This is Ability Arts Platform will aim to bring disability arts to the forefront through film screenings and performance, in an initiative led by the NGO Opening Doors. TEODOR RELJIC speaks to artistic director Sandra Mifsud about breaking through the barrier of pity to legitimately explore the experiences and perceptions of artists with disabilities First off, what are some of the most chal- lenging aspects of working with what is broadly termed 'Disability Arts'? Are there any problematic misconceptions that keep cropping up in relation to the practice and if so, how do you tackle them and make sure that they're being channelled into something positive? 'Disability Arts' face the same challenges as all other arts, namely – funds, time, spaces to work, spaces to perform, human resources, audiences, sustainability. It's not any differ- ent in these ways. The greatest hurdle art- ists with disability face is the misconception from audiences who tend to 'feel sorry' for the disabled in general and look upon disa- bled artists in the same way. I feel the gaze of an audience member is still one of pity, and one with low expectation as opposed to one that is open to observe, be moved by, ap- preciate and analyse what is being present- ed. The challenge of artists leading groups of artists with disability is to present work that is interesting and inspiring, intelligent and sensitive in terms of composition and concepts. Also, work that is appreciated and consented to by the performers themselves – the work must be owned by the perform- ers for it to work well. Ahead of the This is Ability Arts Plat- form series of events, how would you de- scribe the kind of organisational efforts and pooling of talent that made this event possible? Opening Doors is very fortunate to have been granted core funding by the Arts Council of Malta under the Culture Partner- ship Agreement grant. Which means that the artistic direction of the organisation is now a paid activity from this year until 2019. The event is organised by the artistic direc- tor with the support of an active and vibrant voluntary board that is proficient in the dis- ability field and the diversity field at large, both locally and internationally. The ar- tistic team which involves the Drama, Music and Dance tutors as well as their assistants and volunteers have all pooled in their skills to make this event happen. This event will run at St James Cavalier as part of Spazju Kreattiv's season program. Opening Doors also enjoys a five-year agreement with Fondazzjoni Kreattivita', which supports us to work in this estab- lished arts venue. Our links with interna- tional artists and companies who work in the same field have also enabled our film platform to be interesting and diverse. We are very proud to be exhibiting Works by Sottosopra Onlus (Italy), Stopgap, Amici Dance Theatre and Stay Up Late (UK), and Afanais (Spain). What are some of the themes that the Platform will ad- dress? And are these recurring themes you've seen crop up in the sphere of Disabil- ity Arts? If so, why do you think they are so relevant to the field right now? Some of the themes being addressed here are Diversity, Individu- ality, Identity, Ability, Independence, Rela- tionships as well as the right to stay up late! The arts reflect life and when working within the disability sector these themes are very pre- sent in life and in our artistic processes. This is not to say that artistic works tend to be restricted to and by these themes, far from it! The live performances being presented on This Is Ability Arts Platform are origi- nal works and are works in progress that will continue to be developed over the coming year. The event also presents pho- tographic series as well as an instal- lation by Jeremy de Maria, a short film by dance art- ist, Lynne Salo- mone Reynaud and a documentary about the making of Opening Doors' current touring production: Aħdar id-Deżert by Douglas Comley. What can visitors to the platform expect from the event? Visitors to the event will be able to enjoy all our films and photographic works any day between December 7 and 11 from 16:00 – 20:00 free of charge. Two live performances and two debates are being organised at a low cost on December 7, from 18:00 to 20:00 and December 10 from 11:30 to 13:30. On December 10, we are also hosting an open integrated creative movement class from 10:00 – 11:15 at St. James Cavalier (Studio A). We're taking bookings for this class via email on openingdoorsmalta@gmail.com. This class is also free of charge and open to all abilities. Disabled and non-disabled art- ists are welcome but the class is also open to people with no or little experience in this field who would enjoy a creative experience. Opening Doors, is funded by Premju tal- President managed by the Office of the Presi- dent and Aġenzija Żgħażagħ and supported by Teatru Manoel, Alison White Dance Stu- dio and The Box – A Creative Arts Space The This is Ability Arts Platform will be taking place between December 7 and 11 Showcasing excellence in printmaking iMprint ii will remain on display in Gozo until December 9 IMPRINT ii is a collection of 15 original prints being exhibited at the Art e Gallery in Gozo. It brings to- gether both modern and contempo- rary Maltese artists working within the technique of original printmak- ing, and also showcases the work of an Italian artist. The artworks being featured in this exhibition are by Lino Borg, Austin Camilleri, Antoine Camilleri, Pawl Carbonaro, Alfred Chircop, Justin Falzon, Emmanuale Li Pira, Carmelo Mangion, Jesmond Vas- sallo and Robert Zahra. This is the fourth year that Jes- mond Vassallo, together with Jus- tin Falzon, is putting together this exhibition. iMprint ii aims to act as a showcase of excellence in print- making by bringing together Malta's working printmakers and present- ing their work to the public. This exhibition is an eye-opener for those who are interested in the visual lan- guage, as well as being an invitation to the public to become acquainted with the intriguing world of original printmaking. This year, Falzon and Vassallo deemed it important to include works by three late Maltese artists, namely Antoine Camilleri (1922- 2005), Alfred Chircop (1933-2015) and Carmelo Mangion (1905-1997), alongside works by contemporary artists. This attempt had a twofold aim: to pay homage to these impor- tant Maltese artists and to create a sense of continuum. On November 14, the day after the opening, young art historian Eve Cocks published a very personal ap- preciation of this exhibition online, remarking that she felt an overall sense of continuity in this exhibi- tion. Falzon and Vassallo find that this comment confirms that it is only through dialogue that one can keep a language alive. While the process of such artistic dialogue intends to uphold the memory of the modern masters, it also necessitates a con- tinuous re-visitation, re-evaluation and renewal of the styles and tech- niques involved. It is in this manner that contemporary printmakers are able to shape a fresh visual-artistic idiom – one that is relevant to and eloquent of their time. This exhibition marks an impor- tant step in raising the standards of original print exhibitions. Although printmaking goes back to the medi- eval ages, it is a technique and a lan- guage which is constantly evolving, notwithstanding the very lengthy processes entailed in its production. This exhibition of original prints executed in both the intaglio and lino techniques will remain open until December 9 at Art e Gallery, Gozo Sandra Mifsud 'EL 1' by Jesmond Vassallo 'Untitled (1)' by Justin Falzon PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY DE MARIA