Application deadline: 3rd March 2026
Rank Order
Beneficiary: Studio 18
Reference Number: IPS52-26-8085
Project Title: ITAC8 – International Conference for Teaching Artists
Amount awarded: €2000
Studio 18 will participate in the International Teaching Artistry Conference – Louder Together in Antwerp. This mobility supports the organisation’s continued development of its pedagogical and facilitation practice, integrating experiential learning, identity-based methodologies, Inner Development Goals, and Teaching Artistry principles within theatre-making and learning environments. Engagement with the International Teaching Artist Collaborative enables Studio 18 to benchmark its approach within global discourse, strengthen facilitation ethics, and refine evaluation frameworks for participatory arts practice. The conference provides a specialised professional context directly aligned with Studio 18’s work across youth programmes, rehearsal processes, educational partnerships, and cross-sector collaborations. The mobility will generate structured knowledge transfer into schools, rehearsal methodologies, and corporate facilitation programmes, while informing future international collaborations. It also advances early dialogue around Malta’s potential role as a future ITAC host. Through this participation, Studio 18 strengthens its institutional methodology and contributes to Malta’s presence within global Teaching Artistry discourse.
Beneficiary: Anna Calleja
Reference Number: IPS35-26-8013
Project Title: Anna Calleja After Vuillard: Musee D’Orsay x Atelier Michael Woolworth x Cité
Amount awarded: €2000
This project supports my participation in the Cité Internationale des Arts residency in Paris, facilitating research, production, and professional exchange within a European context. Through sustained study of Édouard Vuillard’s paintings at the Musée d’Orsay, collaboration with Atelier Michael Woolworth to develop a series of lithographic prints, and engagement with the Cité’s international artist community, the project expands my painting and printmaking practice while strengthening technical capacity and long-term professional networks. The outcomes will be shared through a public open studio in Malta, ensuring direct reintegration of the residency experience into the local cultural context.
Beneficiary: Leanne Zammit
Reference Number: IPS46-26-8053
Project Title: ĠENN European Headline Tour Autumn 2026
Amount awarded: €2000
This project centres on ĠENN’s first full European headline tour, taking place in the lead-up to the release of their second album in late 2026/early 2027. The month-long tour will span Belgium, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Switzerland, Italy and France (with a separate UK tour to follow), building on the momentum generated by their ACM-funded debut album unum and previous support tours, including a run supporting the Canadian band METZ. The tour aims to expand the band’s growing international audience, strengthen connections with industry professionals across key European cities, and position ĠENN for further headline touring in 2027 and beyond.
Beneficiary: Andrew Borg Wirth
Reference Number: IPS38-26-8026
Project Title: IKT Congress
Amount awarded: €1762
The IKT Congress 2026, held in Milan and Turin, convenes an international network of contemporary art curators and institutional leaders, providing a significant platform for dialogue, exchange, and professional collaboration. Following the congress, the curators of the congress travel together to attend the preview of La Biennale di Venezia — In Minor Keys in Venice, further strengthening international engagement and professional exchange within a global contemporary art context. As an independent curator from Malta, participation will expand international networks, strengthen the visibility of Maltese contemporary art within global discourse, and create opportunities for future partnerships, exhibition exchanges, and artist mobility initiatives. The programme addresses key issues such as institutional sustainability, curatorial ethics, and transnational programming, including a symposium titled ‘Art Philanthropy: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow’, which examines evolving funding models for contemporary art.
Beneficiary: Benjamin Cachia
Reference Number: IPS09-26-7538
Project Title: From the Mediterranean Sea to the desert of India
Amount awarded: €1950
Benji Cachia will present AKSHARA, his solo project, at Singing Sands festival in India, marking an important step in bringing his work to international audiences. The performance showcases a deeply personal and globally influenced musical language, drawing inspiration from India, Africa, the Middle East, and Malta. Through a rich blend of diverse rhythmic traditions, tonal textures, traditional percussion, and self-built instruments, AKSHARA reflects both heritage and innovation.
Beneficiary: Matthew Bugeja
Reference Number: IPS42-26-8037
Project Title: Participation in PPC Spain
Amount awarded: €2000
Attendance at the PPC Series in Spain, considered as a conference that acts as a global meeting point for the music world, opening a window on what’s new and the challenges of an industry that is in constant evolution. This will allow for direct and firsthand immersion in current industry practices, lectures and keynote speeches by key industry personnel, new knowledge in international networks, and market research applicable also to Malta as an entertainment hub.
Beneficiary: Ryan Falzon
Reference Number: IPS29-26-7949
Project Title: Reading Tour for “You Know the Sun Bothers Me”
Amount awarded: €2000
The proposed project is a four-day reading tour supporting the publication of You Know the Sun Bothers Me, published by Foundry Editions. The novel is the English translation of SAJF (2022) and recipient of the English PEN Translates Award. Scheduled for publication on 9 June 2026, the book will be promoted across the UK market throughout the summer, with the September tour strategically timed to coincide with the reopening of cultural programming following the holiday period. The tour will take place between 14 and 18 September 2026, with readings planned in Newcastle, Liverpool, and London, alongside a possible additional event in Bristol, Birmingham, or Sevenoaks. Its objective is to promote the translated work while encouraging dialogue, accessibility, and cultural exchange, introducing Maltese literature to wider international audiences. The project is formally endorsed by the National Book Council.
Beneficiary: Text Catalogue
Reference Number: IPS51-26-8080
Project Title: Documenting Difference – Participation in the UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 Barcelona
Amount awarded: €1994
Text Catalogue (Ella Fleri Soler & Andrew Darmanin) will participate in the UIA World Congress of Architects 2026 in Barcelona following the selection of their project Documenting Difference as one of 28 visual works in the Critical Image category. Presented within the Congress exhibition and programme, the project builds a living visual archive of overlooked architectures across Malta and Gozo, foregrounding a Mediterranean vernacular and proposing alternative approaches to reuse and transformation. Selection through an international jury process positions Malta’s built environment within global architectural discourse and creates opportunities for exchange with leading practitioners and institutions. Participation will include presenting the work, contributing to a panel discussion, and engaging international audiences. Dissemination will include printed compilations and postcards, alongside a public gathering in Malta to share outcomes and strengthen the project’s ongoing research, collaborations, and international visibility.
Beneficiary: Philip Leone Ganado
Reference Number: IPS49-26-8076
Project Title: Verona Shakespeare Fringe 2026
Amount awarded: €2000
WhatsTheirNames Theatre has been invited to perform at the Verona Shakespeare Festival with a premiere of its new, original production Perikles f’Nofs Baħar, a multilingual reimagining of Shakespeare’s Pericles as a contemporary Mediterranean story of migration, survival and the power of storytelling. Performed in English, Maltese, Italian and Arabic, the production combines live traditional music with a multi-roling ensemble to reflect the movement of people, cultures and languages across the Mediterranean. Alongside the performance, the company will engage in discussions, Q&As and networking events with artists, scholars and audiences. The festival coincides with the World Shakespeare Congress, creating opportunities for international exchange. WhatsTheirNames is a Maltese collective with a decade of experience creating stripped-back, small-cast Shakespeare in unconventional spaces, with a focus on clarity and accessibility. This project will showcase its work internationally and support future European collaborations.
Beneficiary: Rachel Gauci
Reference Number: IPS31-26-7957
Project Title: Performances as part of the Ibla Music Festival in Sicily
Amount awarded: €1920
Pianist Rachel Gauci will perform as part of the 35th edition of the Ibla Music Festival in Sicily, presenting an all-Maltese piano programme featuring the music of Karl Fiorini. Rachel will perform the programme in different theatres in Ragusa Ibla. The project promotes contemporary Maltese music to new international audiences while encouraging professional exchange with musicians and composers from across the world.
Beneficiary: Emma Cutajar
Reference Number: IPS17-26-7732
Project Title: Songwriting Camp at Tileyard London
Amount awarded: €2000
This project involves my participation in the London Songwriting Camp organised by Tileyard Education, a four-day intensive programme bringing together songwriters, producers, and artists from diverse backgrounds to co-create original compositions in response to live industry briefs. The artistic concept centres on collaboration as a vehicle for creative growth and cultural exchange, with structured co-writing sessions encouraging experimentation across genres and approaches, refining my artistic voice within an international professional context. Participation provides direct immersion in London’s music industry, connecting me with practising songwriters, producers, and A&R networks. Daily sessions simulate professional workflows, strengthening technical skills, adaptability, and creative discipline. The camp will result in a portfolio of original co-written tracks submitted to commissioning clients and Tileyard Education’s wider A&R network, offering international exposure. The skills, networks, and professional insight gained will inform future projects, supporting ongoing international collaboration and career development.
Beneficiary: Bahjat Ahmed Etorjman
Reference Number: IPS47-26-8055
Project Title: Bahjat Sweden Showcase
Amount awarded: €2000
This project consists of a two-week international participation programme in Stockholm, Sweden in May 2026, centred around two curated acoustic showcase performances, structured songwriting sessions and targeted industry networking. The showcases at Landet and Källarbyn will introduce Bahjat’s new music to the Swedish market through dedicated “Bahjat Showcases” attended by invited record label executives, managers, booking agents and public audiences. Alongside the performances, between five and ten songwriting sessions will be facilitated by Sweden-based project manager Sara Gunnarsson, who brings extensive experience within the Swedish music industry, including previous work at STIM. The project aims to convert Bahjat’s existing digital presence, including over 1,000 listeners in Sweden, into tangible market engagement, while building long-term professional relationships and expanding his international artistic development within one of Europe’s leading pop music ecosystems.
Beneficiary: Lee-N Abela
Reference Number: IPS41-26-8031
Project Title: IETM Plenary Meeting 2026
Amount awarded: €2000
This project supports my participation in the IETM Oulu Plenary Meeting 2026 in Oulu, Finland. My attendance is tied to professional development and exploring touring opportunities for our theatre production, Xi Traġedja!. The conference provides an opportunity to engage with international performing arts professionals, expand my network, and explore collaboration and touring possibilities. The knowledge, contacts, and insights gained will guide the future development and potential international touring of the production, while also contributing to my ongoing practice as a theatre practitioner.
Beneficiary: Nicole Bugeja
Reference Number: IPS14-26-7614
Project Title: Creativity for Change: Creativity and Cognition Conference 2026
Amount awarded: €2000
Creativity and Cognition 2026 is an in-person conference held at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, at its award winning King’s Cross campus from 13 to 16 July 2026. The conference responds to the rapid pace of change in the world and emphasises the power of creativity in driving positive transformations. It will explore how creativity can inspire and enable societal transformation, address decolonisation, tackle climate action, and support place-making in urban and cultural contexts. It aims to weave the theme of making a better world through creativity throughout the conference program.
Beneficiary: Gianni Selvaggi
Reference Number: IPS18-26-7742
Project Title: Nature & Perception – Eutopia Art Residency 2026
Amount awarded: €2000
I have been selected as one of the chosen artists for the 10-day ‘Nature and Perception’ Residency in Peloponnese, Greece from 1-10 June 2026.
Beneficiary: Giosue’ Agius
Reference Number: IPS02-26-7354
Project Title: Mediterranean Opera Studio & Festival 2026
Amount awarded: €2000
The Mediterranean Opera Studio & Festival 2026 in Sicily will be a programme in where students will learn from some of the most experienced operatic coaches in the world towards the pursuit of producing three operas during five weeks, namely the Operas Rigoletto, Don Pasquale and Le Nozze Di Figaro. The project is being led by Tenor Jack Li Vigni and Soprano Nelly Miricioiu. They have invited coaches from important theaters in the world such as from La Scala, Milan, Royal Opera House and Covent Garden amongst other places.
Beneficiary: Take//Two
Reference Number: IPS30-26-7956
Project Title: Pitching and Networking in Los Angeles
Amount awarded: €2000
Screenwriter/ Producer and Co. Founder of Take//Two, Carlos DeBattista, will travel to the U.S. to conduct face to face meetings and pitching sessions with various producers to explore collaboration on a number of projects created and developed by Take//Two with a view towards co-production and international distribution.
Beneficiary: Rebecca Micallef
Reference Number: IPS26-26-7898
Project Title: Berklee At Umbria Jazz Clinics 2026
Amount awarded: €2000
Rebecca Micallef is a second-year Bachelor of Music Composition for Films, TV and Games at Berklee Online student who has been personally selected by Berklee College of Music for the second consecutive year to participate in the 2026 Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics in Perugia, Italy (30 June – 12 July 2026). Now in its 41st year, the programme brings together over 200 musicians from around the world for 12 days of intensive performance, ensemble work, masterclasses, and public concerts within the Umbria Jazz Festival. A musician and composer working across film scoring and contemporary jazz, Rebecca was chosen directly by Berklee and her re-invitation reflects the recognition she earned during her 2025 participation. She will perform on international festival stages and engage with world-class faculty and global peers at a critical stage of her artistic development.
