Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/969423
maltatoday SUNDAY 15 APRIL 2018 This Week 33 WHAT'S ON THEATRE & DANCE APRIL 13-15 MalTease – A Variety and Burlesque Show Burlesque and Variety show at Spazju Kreattiv at St James Cavalier, Valletta at 20:00. Un- dine LaVerve, in collaboration with Spazju Kreattiv, sets out to show the diversity and ver- satility of the art of Burlesque which not only encompasses the burlesque dance form but also comedy, artistry, multidiscipli- nary skills, a world full of satyr, glitter, bawdy jokes, contagious confidence, fun and feathers. Maltese artists will be joined by performers from London, Texas, Berlin, Moscow, Vienna, Hel- sinki and Geneva. Bookings: http://ticketenginex.kreattivita. org/?eventname=MalTease. APRIL 22-26; 29 AND 30; MAY 1-3 Much Ado About Nothing: Shakespeare at the Pub WhatsTheirNames Theatre pro- duction of William Shakespeare's romantic comedy Much Ado About Nothing at The Pub, Arch- bishop Street, Valletta at 20:00. Additional matinee performances on April 22 and 29 at 10:00. Jo- seph Zammit, Tina Rizzo, Nathan Brimmer, Gianni Selvaggi and Gi- ulia Xuereb. Directed by Philip Leone-Ganado. Bookings: what- stheirnames.theatre@gmail.com, 7734 5207 or 7905 2522. Seating is limited to 20 people per show. APRIL 26-29 Is-Serra Maltese-language adaptation of Harold Pinter's The Hothouse at the Mount Carmel Theatre, Attard at 20:00. Translated by Simone Spiteri and directed by Andre Agius. Cast includes: Vic- tor Debono, Mark Mifsud, Maria Buckle, Joe Depasquale, Anthony Ellul, Benjamin Abela and Kurt Castillo. Bookings: www.teatru- malta.org.mt, 21220255. PUBLIC TALK APRIL 18 Salvage and Salvation: Bookbindings as Agents Public talk on the art of book- binding by Professor Nicholas Pickwoad at Lecture Theatre 2, University of Malta, Tal-Qroqq. The making of books in the early modern period was a highly com- mercial activity and the need to cut costs is evidenced by the wide- spread use of recycled materials, particularly pieces of parchment, paper and leather salvaged from a myriad of other uses in libraries, archives and daily life. In this way, binders preserved material that had been thrown away or other- wise discarded, much of it of his- torical interest, some of it of great cultural importance. Professor Pickwoad trained in bookbinding and book conservation with Roger Powell, and ran his own workshop from 1977 to 1989, and has been Adviser on book conservation to the National Trust since 1978. When it's holy and when it isn't Could you tell us a little bit about your background as a photographer? When did you first start taking pictures, and when did you realise that this is something you wanted to take more seriously? Photography was a chance find which re- sulted in love at first sight. I was a teenager when I found a forgotten blue bag behind an infrequently used door. Inside there was a Fuji STX-2 camera with a couple of lenses and a few expired Ilford 35mm black and white films. My father had bought them many years before and I was caught onto with great interest. I cleaned it, got it working again and that was the start of looking at life through a camera lens. I eventually attended photography cours- es held by an outstanding teacher at the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia in Rome, Italy. While I became a pilot by pro- fession, a camera is always accompanying me in my pilot case among all the aircraft manuals, with me in my travels and cap- turing moments which otherwise cannot be shared with others. How did your position as a pilot influence the direction of this project? Working as a pilot gives me the unique chance to have encounters around the globe with many different people, all with a story to tell. Being a pilot gives me the opportunity to see, interact with and visu- ally capture the cultural diversities and perspectives around the world. I have always been fascinated by how similar and yet different societies are and witness how different minute daily actions can be perceived as sacred or otherwise, according to different societies and their people. With this project, I have tried to high- light the contrasts as to how children are being brought up, how love is seen, and how adulthood and life are rougher to some than to others. Most especially how important it is to respect everybody's dif- ferent approach to life. Why was the subject of sacredness and profanity the main strand to emerge from this project? One has no choice in where one gets born, and yet the norms of one's society create certain influences and require a cer- tain attitude to fit in and to survive. Which attitudes may be then seen as either sacred or profane by other societies altogeth- er. My aim within the 'Sacred and Profane' project is to capture and appreciate people's humanity in their diversity as prescribed by their respective soci- eties. The different perceptions of sacred and profane allow us to think on how and why different societies think and act in a particular way, and therefore, teaching us respect through a better understanding of diverse cultural backgrounds. The project asks the viewers, to reflect on who might be acting right or wrong, and where would one draw the line of good and bad, of sacred and profane. The aimed an- swer is truly that of un- d e r s t a n d i n g towards the context of the place and their history. Which results in appreciating that despite certain dif- ficult images, empathy towards the subjects and their context would be the main re- curring emotion. What do you make of the local visual arts scene? The local visual art scene is growing and changing continuously. It can be seen that more opportunities are being created for both local and foreign artists to collabo- rate and exhibit their work in Malta. These opportunities create a vibrant art scene with a lot of talent, which promises to keep growing further and see Malta becoming an integral part of the European art scene. What's next for you? After my previous exhibition 'A World of Human Shadows' and my ongoing exhibi- tion 'Sacred and Profane', both of which are reportage projects on a global scale, I am planning on working on something closer to home. I have relocated and I have been based in Malta for the past five years, and so I plan to dedicate my next project to Malta. Sacred and Profane is currently on display at the Malta Society of Arts, Palazzo De La Salle, 219 Republic Street, Valletta, Malta until May 3. The exhibition is curated by Marisabelle Grech TEODOR RELJIC speaks to Italian photographer Danilo Arata about his current exhibition, Sacred and Profane Mother Nature by Danilo Arata Danilo Arata