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4 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 24 JUNE 2018 THIS WEEK ART How would you describe the history of the ICA Festi- val, and what would you say have been some of the most significant evolutions of this long-standing festival? Historically speaking, the ICA Festival is an 18-year old tradition at the Institute for the Creative Arts (MCAST). In the festival final year stu- dents exhibit their artistic works, and events are held to create a platform of dialogue with the general public. These events include performances, workshops and conferences. There are eight departments participating in the Festival, namely, Fine Arts; 3D Design; Interactive Media; Graphic Design; Creative Media; Pho- tography; Performing Arts and Cultural heritage. The traditional MCAST 'end-of- year' exhibition became a festival in the last two years. The aim of this change was to give the students their space back where the main focus would be on their works. The Festival also generates activi- ties of an interactive nature, where the general public can enter into a dialogue with the students. I think the most memorable event was the visit of Prof. Vittorio Sgarbi in the first edition, who gave a public lecture and entered into a critical dialogue with the students in Fine Arts on their final projects. This year's edition will be held in Valletta, in a number of prestigious venues. In the past the Festival was attended by over 2,000 people but with the shift in venue, we firmly believe that this year the number will explode. What kind of significance would you say the festival holds for the students in par- ticular? Would you say it's a culmination of their work, and how does this then reflect back on the scene at large? Do you think this serves as some- thing of a taster of the new generation of artists? It is both a culmination of their work, as well as a bridge for the next step in their artis- tic journey. I believe that the choice of the name of the Fes- tival this year, 'Rotot', captures this perfectly. The Festival is a route outlining the growth and the development of the artist in his or her years at the Insti- tute, but it is also a beginning. They are presenting their work to the industry, showing the direction that the upcoming generation of artists would like to take their work to. We en- courage our students to think out of the box, to be aware of trends developing locally and internationally, and not to be afraid to challenge. It is not just a question of high standards of technique, but moreover of the expression and implemen- tation of interesting ideas and concepts that have something relevant and exciting to offer to society. What are some of the chal- lenges that young artists who are born and/or are living and working in Malta face? And how does MCAST help them go forward? The biggest challenge is Planning the route As this year's edition of the Institute for the Creative Arts (ICA) Festival gets ready for launch under the theme of 'ROTOT' (routes), TEODOR RELJIC speaks to Tyrone Grima, Head of the Institute at MCAST, about how and why the annual event evolved from being an exhibition to a festival The Festival is a route outlining the growth and the development of the artist in his or her years at the Institute Tyrone Grima: "We firmly believe that this year the number of attendees at the festival will explode"