Titolu tal-Arti, Isem tal-Artist, SSSS

Għotja għal Sabbatiku għar-Riċerka Artistika

Invalid deadline format: October 21, 2025 12:00 pm

Skadenza

L-iskadenza biex tapplika hija October 21, 2025 fi

12:00 pm.

Applikazzjonijiet tardivi mhux se jiġu aċċettati

L-Għotja għal Sabbatiku għar-Riċerka Artistika hija waħda mill-għodod tal-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti biex tippermetti lil individwi biex jinvolvu ruħhom f’riċerka artistika li hija bbażata fuq il-prattika jew immexxija mill-prattika u li hija mmirata lejn l-iżvilupp u l-esplorazzjoni ta’ ideat, metodoloġiji, materjali, u tekniki ġodda bi skop ta’ aktar żvilupp artistiku. Din l-għotja tissodisfa l-objettiv tal-qasam strateġiku – L-Edukazzjoni u l-Iżvilupp – tal-Istrateġija 2025 billi tinvesti fir-riċerka u l-kreattività permezz ta’ introduzzjoni ta’ għotja għal sabbatiku għall-artisti u l-prattikanti. Barra minn hekk, l-għotja tissodisfa diversi prijoritajiet strateġiċi enfasizzati mill-Kunsill fid-dokument Strateġija 2025, fis-sens li:

• Trawwem il-potenzjal kreattiv u tappoġġja l-iżvilupp tiegħu billi tinkoraġġixxi lill-kreattivi biex jinvolvu ruħhom f’riċerka bbażata fuq il-prattika u li jinvestigaw;
• Tinvesti f’eċċellenza artistika permezz ta’ inkoraġġiment ta’ teħid ta’ riskju kreattiv, sperimentazzjoni, u involviment attiv tal-artisti, waqt li tidentifika t-talent u tappoġġja l-iżvilupp tiegħu;
• Trawwem kollaborazzjonijiet u sħubijiet artistiċi biex ix-xena artistika lokali tiżviluppa;
• Tespandi l-opportunitajiet għal karriera fl-arti;
• Tinvesti f’ħiliet tas-seklu 21.

L-għotja hija parti mill-iskemi ta’ finanzjament tal-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti li għandhom l-għan li jinvestu fi proġetti esploratorji li jippermettu lil professjonisti kreattivi biex jinvestigaw aspetti relatati mal-prattika artistika tagħhom, jesploraw u jittestjaw xogħolhom, jinvolvu ruħhom f’metodi u teknoloġiji ġodda, jirriċerkaw, jikkollaboraw ma’ professjonisti kreattivi u professjonisti relevanti, u jiżviluppaw aktar l-ideat tagħhom. L-applikazzjonijiet imressqa jistgħu jkunu parti mill-fażi inizjali ta’ proġett/korp ta’ xogħol usa’ jew awtonomu.

L-objettiv ta’ din l-iskema huwa li jappoġġja r-riċerka fis-setturi kulturali u kreattivi, skont il-Politika Kulturali Nazzjonali 2021. Kif ġie ddikjarat f’din il-Politika, l-artisti li jaħdmu professjonalment fis-settur jistgħu jiffaċċjaw sfidi finanzjarji biex jinvolvu ruħhom esklussivament fir-riċerka artistika għal żmien twil li jwassluhom biex jikkompromettu d-dħul u l-impenji finanzjarji tagħhom. Il-Kunsill jemmen bi sħiħ fl-importanza tar-riċerka artistika u l-bżonn għall-artisti biex jiġġeddu u jirriflettu fuq il-prattika tagħhom. L-inizjattiva tappoġġja prattikanti kreattivi indipendenti li jixtiequ jieħdu sabbatiku ta’ sena billi tipprovdi dħul skont eżiti u objettivi maqbula.

L-għanijiet ta’ din l-għotja huma bbażati fuq dawk tad-Dikjarazzjoni ta’ Vjenna dwar ir-Riċerka Artistika u jappoġġjaw it-twessigħ tal-għarfien u l-fehim tar-riċerka artistika.

  • L-applikanti jistgħu jagħżlu biex fil-proġetti tagħhom jiffokaw fuq qasam wieħed jew aktar minn dawn li ġejjin:
  • Riċerka f’teknoloġiji diġitali u intelliġenza artifiċjali u kif dawn jinfurmaw prattiki artistiċi kontemporanji;
  • Sperimentazzjoni b’metodi innovativi ta’ involviment artistiku mmexxi mill-komunità.

Jeħtieġ li s-sena sabbatika tiġi ppjanata bħala attività ta’ riċerka artistika ta’ tnax-il xahar minn applikanti li huma kommessi li: i. ma jimpenjawx ruħhom fuq bażi full-time x’imkien iehor iżda li ii. jistgħu jaċċettaw xogħol okkażjonali/każwali (eż. kummissjonijiet/proġetti) fuq bażi part-time, biex b’hekk iħallu biżżejjed ħin u riżorsi oħra għat-tlestija tal-kompiti b’rabta mas-sabbatiku propost.


Is-sabbatiku jinkludi laqgħat regolari ma’ mentor imqabbad mill-Kunsill Malti għall-Arti. Fi tmiem is-sabbatiku, il-parteċipanti tal-għotja jkollhom l-opportunità li jippreżentaw il-proġett u s-sejbiet tagħhom permezz ta’ attività mmirata biex l-għarfien li ħareġ mir-riċerka artistika jinqasam bejn kulħadd.


Rekwiżiti konformi mal-istrateġija li għaddejja bħalissa

F’konformità mal-impenn tiegħu li jappoġġja l-arti permezz tal-approċċ sostenibbli u responsabbli tiegħu għall-investiment pubbliku, il-KMA jiġbed l-attenzjoni tal-applikanti għal dan li ġej f’konformità mal-Istrateġija 2025.

L-applikanti huma mħeġġa jikkunsidraw, kif xieraq, il-prinċipji spjegati fid-Dritt għall-Kultura – Pakkett ta’ Riżorsi meta jizviluppaw il-proposta tagħhom b’rabta ma’ kif jimpenjaw ruħhom mal-komunitajiet u l-konsiderazzjonijiet tad-drittijiet kulturali ta’ kulħadd fix-xogħol tagħhom. Dan il-pakkett ta’ riżorsi għandu l-għan li jżid l-għarfien dwar l-inklussività u jappoġġja l-implimentazzjoni tad-drittijiet kulturali fil-prattika tagħna ta’ kuljum.

L-applikanti huma wkoll mistennija li jikkunsidraw, kif xieraq, il-prinċipji ewlenin deskritti fil-qosor fil-Karta għall-Istatus tal-Artist meta jipproponu l-attivitajiet operattivi u ta’ programmazzjoni tagħhom biex jiżguraw kundizzjonijiet tax-xogħol aċċettabbli u ġusti għall-artisti. Dawn jinkludu d-dritt għal-libertà artistika, l-aċċessibbiltà mtejba, ir-rikonoxximent ta’ ħiliet formali/informali/non-formali, kundizzjonijiet soċjo-ekonomiċi deċenti, non-diskriminazzjoni u ekwità, konsiderazzjonijiet etiċi u aderenza mad-drittijiet tal-proprjetà intellettwali u l-liġi internazzjonali tax-xogħol. Il-Karta għall-Istatus tal-Artist hija maħsuba biex tipprovdi qafas dinamiku ta’ referenza għal kwalunkwe leġiżlazzjoni, politika, jew inizjattiva li jkollha impatt dirett jew indirett fuq l-artisti u s-setturi kulturali u kreattivi, u tiżgura li kwalunkwe azzjoni tkun allinjata mal-viżjoni aħħarija fit-tul li tgħolli l-istatus tal-artisti f’Malta f’konformità mal-valur tanġibbli tagħhom għas-soċjetà.

L-iskema tista’ tiffoka fuq riċerka kreattiva u/jew riċerka artistika bbażata fuq il-prattika minn professjonisti kreattivi. Din l-iskema tinkoraġġixxi wkoll proġetti ta’ riċerka bbażata fuq il-komunità.

L-għotja hija miftuħa għal professjonisti kreattivi/artisti individwali li jaħdmu għal rashom full-time.

Agħfas hawn biex tniżżel il-linji gwida u agħfas hawn biex tniżżel il-mudell tal-applikazzjoni

Skadenza għall-applikazzjoni: Skadenza għall-applikazzjonijiet: l-21 ta’ Ottubru f’nofsinhar

Klassifika

Beneficiary: Caroline Tonna

Reference number: SAR09-25-6998

Project Title: FASHION HERITAGE: FROM STORAGE TO DIGITAL REVIVAL

Amount awarded: €20,000

Fashion Heritage: From Storage to Digital Revival is an initial, practice-based research project that merges fashion heritage with emerging digital technologies as the first step towards a fully developed online fashion heritage platform. Conceived by dress historian and multidisciplinary artist Caroline Tonna, this initiative addresses the absence of a national fashion museum in Malta by digitally reviving fragile 18th-20th century garments from private collections. Through high-resolution photography, 3D scanning, scholarly research and collective memory, the project explores how innovative methods can transform hidden artefacts into engaging digital experience. At this initial stage, it serves as a prototype, testing methodologies that bridge academic research, technological innovation and artistic practice. The outcome will form the conceptual and visual foundation for a fully sustainable, open-access digital platform, ensuring that Malta’s fashion heritage is preserved, creatively reimagined, and shared with global audiences.

 

Beneficiary: Ira Melkonyan

Reference number: SAR25-25-7041

Project Title: Ta’ Ġewwa: Contemplations on Belonging

Amount awarded: €20,000

Ta’ Ġewwa: Contemplations on Belonging is a Sabbatical research by Ira Melkonyan, Artistic and Managing Co-Director of the rubberbodies collective, exploring themes of belonging and renewal. Drawing on her Ukrainian-Maltese heritage, the research examines how national identity and diasporic experiences influence creative practice within Malta’s multicultural art scene. Through three research avenues—voice exploration, scriptwriting, and pedagogical practice—Ira reflects on her artistic voice, merging feminist, performative, and ecological perspectives. In collaboration with musician Yasmin Kuymizakis, she will explore the singing voice as a metaphor for human fluidity and expression. Scriptwriting experiments will reinterpret Maltese Nativity plays through contemporary post-dramatic methods, while the lectures and workshops at the Valletta Design Cluster will foster dialogue across art, ecology, and philosophy. Returning to Gozo after a decade in Amsterdam, Ira aims to bridge Maltese and European networks, promote sustainability through archival reuse, and share her findings with the local makers.

 

Beneficiary: Lou Ghirlando

Reference number: SAR10-25-7003

Project Title: The Art of Becoming: Craft, Creativity, and Maturity in Dramatherapy Practice

Amount awarded: €20,000

Through this year-long, practice-based research project, Lou Ghirlando will explore how her artistic technique has matured within dramatherapy and how as a practitioner she can sustain her creativity and depth over time. Centred on the question “Who am I becoming as a practitioner?”, the project integrates personal dramatherapy, daily creative practice, literature review, and reflective dialogues with senior international dramatherapists. These insights will be applied and tested through minimal clinical practice with individual clients, and three community-based series of dramatherapy workshops with youths, adults, and psychiatric service users in Malta. In this way Lou will support refinement of her tools within the clinical context she regularly works – with clients recovering from eating disorders- as well as reaching out to new contexts.

The project will support Lou Ghirlando in deepening her practice, sharpening her tools and enhancing her professionalisation supported by reflection with international masters of dramatherapy. This resonates with the charter for the artist.

Dramatherapy is a process that integrates creative and dramatic tools to support a psychotherapeutic process. The healing is in the creativity and the relationship with the therapist. Thus the work of the therapist on herself that she brings herself to the therapy, as well as mastery of the creative tools she uses are of significant importance to the quality of her work. This in the end supports the people dramatherapists work with to grow in their self-awareness and acceptance, self-expression, emotional expression, creativity and imagination that support them in daily life, and building their sense of identity. This all through dramatic principles and understanding. Dramatherapy really is a place that embodies the right to culture.

Running from May 2026 to May 2027 the research aims to refine creative methodology, articulate the artistry that underpins robust therapeutic work, and strengthen Malta’s contribution to the international arts-in-health field. Findings will be shared through a public presentation in Malta and at an international conference in Italy in 2027.

 

 

Beneficiary: Elyse Tonna

Reference number: SAR19-25-7031

Project Title: More Than Content: Ecological Thinking as Method

Amount awarded: €20,000

More than Content: Ecological Thinking as Method explores how ecological thinking; rooted in interdependence, slowness and situated knowledge, can reshape curatorial methodology. Rather than treating ecology as a concept, the project approaches it as a mode of working that challenges dominant curatorial paradigms based on extraction, linearity and production. It invites instead practices shaped by porousness, care and more-than-human relations. Grounded in the specificities of the Mediterranean, the project investigates how curators think ecologically in response to lived conditions. Through site-based inquiry, discursive sessions and conversations with international practitioners, the research will produce a fragmentary, non-linear curatorial fieldbook composed of protocols, conceptual tools and fragments. By focusing on methodology rather than representation, the project contributes to a growing yet underdefined discourse on ecological curating. It asks: what does it mean to think and act curatorially in a time of cultural and climatic precarity?

 

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