Ranking Order

Applicant: Adrian Buckle

Reference number: PDG 02-17-2032

Project Title: Mentoring Programme with Brad Fraser

Amount Awarded: €2,000

In this project, international  playwright Brad Fraser will be mentoring Adrian Buckle in scriptwriting. Adrian Buckle who is the artistic director of Unifaun Theatre Productions,  has recently branched into theatre scriptwriting. Brad Fraser is an international successful playwright who has developed a tailor-made programme for Adrian where they will work on Adrian’s writing.  Through this mentoring programme, Adrian will hone his writing skills and script development abilties in relation to dialogue, vocabulary and characterisation. Through this project, the applicant is intending to polish some works that have already been written and which he can produce in the coming months.

Applicant: Francesca Zammit

Reference number: PDG 04-17-2057

Project Title: Interdisciplinary Masterclass for Dancers

Amount Awarded: €823.20

Punchdrunk is an immersive, interdisciplinary theatre group that produces very avant-garde work targeted at putting the audience at the centre of the production. It is currently offering a two-day masterclass for dancers aimed at developing and setting material in response to given tasks and a source text. The tutor delivering this course is Maxine Doyle, choreographer and producer in many of the Punchdrunk productions. Maxine Doyle has also taught master workshops in choreography at the STRUT Dance, Perth, and b12 Berlin Workshop Festival at the Ufer Studios, Berlin as well as at Springboard Dance in Montreal. The proposed masterclass, bridges dance with other performative mediums, an area which the applicant would like to improve and develop.

Applicant: Claudia Garradas

Reference number: PDG 05-17-2061

Project Title: Mentorship in digital photography and metadata standards

Amount Awarded: €1,600

This project consists of a job-shadowing opportunity of the digitisation team at the Hill Museum and Manuscript Library for two weeks to understand the major processes for digitisation of prints, drawings and single-sheet manuscripts. The Hill Museum & Manuscript Library offers a practical, active learning program for mentees and interns rather than a classroom setting. Mentors will be working directly with participants throughout the day and after instruction they will evaluate the work done and offer feedback.  This opportunity will help the applicant to acquire new skills in future digitisation and preservation projects in Maltese archives.

Applicant: Carmel Bonniċi

Reference number: PDG 01-17-2029

Project Title: Film Directing Masterclass with Ate de Jong

Amount Awarded: €415.83

The project consists of a masterclass with film director Ate de Jong where he will be combining theoretical knowledge with practice with clips from some of his films such as Enigma (2001), Highway To Hell (1991) and Miami Vice (1987) amongst others.  The Masterclass also examines the life of a director, as well as the craft of directing a film. With this course Carmel aims to enchance his artistic skills, step into the international cinematic market by getting the necessary training from an experienced international director and gain an understanding on the different types of European directing and film techniques and skills.

Applicant: Yuri Charyguine

Reference number: PDG 07-17-2064

Project Title: Accordion Repairing and Tuning Course

Amount awarded: €1,503

The course being proposed is organised by the Accordion Craft Academy, based at the Victoria Accordion Factory, Castelfidardo, Italy which was founded in 1919. This company has always concentrated from the very beginning on high quality accordions and the best accordionists in the world have always chosen a Victoria. Victoria accordions are known for their long life and customer satisfaction. Accordion Craft Academy designed a 3 Tier learning route, each course covering one Tier, that is; beginner, intermediate, advanced level. The applicant will be attending Tier 1, which will cover some important issues in accordion repair and tuning with focus on reed and ventil replacement, bellows rubber replacement and first level tuning. The tutors are the same people who build accordions in the factory who are considered experts in this field.

Applicant: Ella Spiteri

Reference number: PDG 08-17-2065

Project Title: Paris Opera Ballet School – Summer Intensive 2017

Amount awarded: €2,000

This summer intensive course organized by the Paris Opera Ballet School provides a unique opportunity for dance students to work intensively in developing their bodies, their technique, and their artistry. In the summer session students attend class during the day when they can focus entirely on their dance training. The classes also allow students to be reminded more consistently on the correct body placement and technique allowing them to develop “muscle memory”. This course is a unique opportunity for the young dancer to train with teachers, dancers and pianists working at a prestigious ballet school.

Applicant: Aleksander Bundalo

Reference number: PDG 09-17-2066

Project Title: FEST – Training Ground 2017

Amount Awarded: €868

Training Ground is an annual educational event that takes place alongside FEST – New Directors | New Films Festival. The next edition will take place from the 20th to the 25th of June in Espinho, Portugal. FEST – Training Ground hosts more than 25 masterclasses and 10 workshops during the festival where the public, emerging filmmakers, and film students from all over the world, have access to first-class training lectured by some of the film industry’s top experts with highly acknowledged achievements. A varied array of key issues on filmmaking will be approached, including scriptwriting, cinematography, editing, sound design, photography, production design, acting, directing, casting, non-fiction filmmaking, make up, pitching, distribution, and financing. The applicant will be attending this platform with particular interest in sound design which will be delivered by Eddie Joseph who is considered an expert in the field.

Applicant: Phoebe Elizabeth Schembri

Reference number: PDG 10-17-2067

Project Title: Royal Ballet London - Summer School 2017

Amount Awarded: €2,000

The proposed training in this project consists of summer intensive ballet classes organised by the Royal Ballet School of London. The Royal Ballet School is one of the world’s major centres for classical ballet training, which for generations has produced dancers and choreographers of international renown. The summer schools’ course is a unique opportunity for young dancers to experience the highest levels of coaching from the school's full-time staff and renowned international teachers. It also enables students to experience intensive dance training over an extended period of time, enabling them to determine their suitability for full-time vocational training. The course is offering masterclasses with special guest artists, focusing on musicality, artistry and extension of repertoire. Students who attend this platform will also experience life as a professional dancer.

Applicant: Jean-Marc Fabri

Reference number: PDG 11-17-2068

Project Title: - Scottish International Youth Piano Competition Summer School

Amount Awarded: €1,031

This project consists of participation by the applicant in the Scottish International Youth Piano Summer School to be held at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The multi-skilled and first-rate blend of teaching staff and facilities available at this conservatoire help students to significantly augment their technique in piano playing by enhancing listening, memory, music comprehension and reading skills to a high degree of precision. The training will consist of individual tuition, performance classes and ensemble workshops. Through this course the applicant intends to improve his performance and improvisation skills while interacting with other budding musicians. While attending this course, the applicant will benefit from the schools’ performance facilities, including new pianos, concert venues, a state of the art recording studio and interaction with highly specialised professional staff.

Applicant: Bettina Von Brockdorff

Reference number: PDG 12-17-2069

Project Title: Intensive course in Spanish Dance and Flamenco

Amount Awarded:  €584.97

This intensive workshop offers a holistic approach to Spanish Dance by the academy of Matilde Coral in Seville, which is one of the most prestigious academies of Spanish dance and Flamenco. It was founded in 1970 by the great flamenco artist; Matilde Coral herself where she developed the Sevillian School of Andalusian Dance. Currently her daughter, Rocio Coral runs the academy. The teachers who currently teach at the school were all taught my the ‘maestra’ Coral herself. The teachers are all experienced in the expertise of Spanish dance as well as flamenco technique and performance skills. This workshop, will be dedicating two-thirds of the program to Spanish dance ie; Escuela Bolera and Estilizada which are often only covered at higher syllabus level. Through this course the applicant intends to imporve her professional development and advance her level of dance while gaining increased expertise in the artform.

Applicant: Jennifer Pisani

Reference number: PDG 13-17-2070

Project Title: Intensive Spanish and Flamenco Dance Course

Amount Awarded: €984

The intensive summer course at Flamenco Danza consists of training in ‘Danza Española’ as well as ‘Técnica Flamenco’, with renowned dancer Tamara López who is considered as a holistic dancer proficient not only in flamenco but also in classical and ballet.  The philosophy of Flamenco Danza for dancers and professional bailaores and bailaoras is based upon the principle of bringing them a very comprehensive formation while trying other techniques in order to achieve a full understanding of their profession. This proposed training consists of an intensive course in Flamenco Dance where the applicant will be focusing on her artistic growth and scenic projection. The course is intended to improve the applicant’s professional development as a more established performer.

Applicant: Maresca Demanuele

Reference number: PDG 15-17-2072

Project Title: Immersive Flamenco and Spanish Dance Course

Amount Awarded: €933

This project will consist of an intensive 5-day course in Flamenco Technique and Danza Española at the Flamenco Danza studios.   The applicant intends to polish her already existing skills while acquiring new ones thorough the tuition of renowned dance teachers. Additionally, a new perspective on teaching of the art form will be obtained through this training.  The tutor delivering this course is Tamara López, who is an internationally renowned dancer.

Applicant: Silvana Sultana

Reference number: PDG 16-17-2073

Project Title: Singing Camp

Amount Awarded: €1,757

This project, which is an initiative of the Schola Cantorum Jubilate, consists of training by a choral conductor who specialises in young and developing choirs. The masterclasses will focus on vocal and choral techniques while choristers will have the opportunity to enhance their musicianship and explore new repertoire.  Josephine McNally, who will be delivering this training, has been teaching choirs all over Great Britain and has been involved in several productions by the Royal Opera House of London. She is also part of a pilot team for the teaching and the developing of choral conducting courses for the Association of British Choral Directors. Recently, Novello has published Mc Nally’s ‘Junior’s Choral Club’, a series of resource books containing material for beginning choirs.

Applicant: Sandie Von Brockdorff

Reference number: PDG 17-17-2074

Project Title: Intensive Acting Course at Atlantic Acting School

Amount Awarded: €2,000

In this project, the applicant will be attending an intensive actor-training programme in the ensemble of the Atlantic Acting School’s Summer Intensive 2017. This particular school specialises in the Practical Aesthetics technique. The course is led by various working professionals who are successful actors, directors, producers, writers, casting directors, and theatrical agents committed to passing along their first-hand knowledge of the craft and business to future generations of artists. All students will be divided into six groups according to their level of acting and experience demonstrated in their application and audition. Through the proposed training the applicant intends to improve her script analytical skills and performance techniques overall.

Applicant: Nicole Bugeja

Reference number: PDG 18-17-2075

Project Title: Professional Mentoring on Solo Performance Creation

Amount Awarded: €1,500

This project consists of individual mentoring sessions where the applicant intends to develop and enhance her knowledge of dramaturgy. This mentoring programme with Sally E. Dean will focus mainly on the development of solo work. Sally E. Dean has been an interdisciplinary performer, performance maker and teacher over fifteen years. Her teaching and performance work is highly informed by somatic-based practices, her cross-cultural projects in Asia and her background in both dance and theatre. Her work has been supported by the Arts Council England and the British Council. The method of delivery of this course will be taking place through recorded videos of live perforamances and also one to one studio sessions in Malta and the UK. This training will support the applicant’s continuous professional development as an artist and as a cultural operator in exploring, developing skills, building networks and engaging in national and international collaborations.

Ranking order

Applicant: Adrian Buckle

Reference number: PDG 22-17-3055

Project Title: Training for Pitching a TV Series Pilot Script

Amount Awarded: €1,900

After receiving mentorship by Brad Fraser in script development on a TV series, Adrian Buckle will be receiving training in creating a good pilot with the intent of pitching and selling the work to a foreign television station.  Jen Gristani Consultants are professional advisors in the film industry helping playwrights to pitch their works with trademark televesion stations. Ms. Gristani has worked with some of the industry’s most prestigious names such as Aaron Spelling and Glenn Gordon Caron.  Over the years, she has developed numerous industry relationships with successful writers, directors and executives who have supported her along the way. The consultancy will consist of reviewing the series outline, overview of two drafts and the pitch document/bible with feedback.

Applicant: Marisha Buttigieg Scicluna

Reference number: PDG 23-17-3056

Project Title: Mentoring with Julie Wherlock ( BTB )

Amount Awarded: €1,971

This project consists of a mentoring programme in ballet dance with renowned teacher Julie Wherlock. Sessions will focus mainly on teacher-training pedagogies and coaching techniques. Julie Wherlock is an international teacher based in Basel Switzerland, who constantly nurtures young aspiring dancers as well as other develop training for teachers. The programme will be delivered through a series of workshops both individually and with other participants. Ms Wherlock will enagage in individual sessions , mentoring on the different dancing techniques and the ped Through this project, the applicant intends to receive training on functioinalities and different teaching methods   to further develop students’ abilities as well as help those who are looking to enhance their dance studies and techniques both locally and internationally.

Applicant: Audra Micallef

Reference number: PDG 24-17-3058

Project Title: Initiation, School of Movement Medicine Workshop

Amount Awarded: €1900

Audra will be attending a workshop organised by the School of Movement Medicine which will be delivered by the founders of this practice, Susannah Darling Khan and Ya’Acov Darling Khan. The founders have studied dance, movement and psychology both academically and also through more practical approaches.  The workshop is experiential, whereby participants will have dance and music sessions, mini-lectures, discussions, dance exercises, verbal processing and assimilation of learning  via regular discussions in groups. Through this workshop the applicant would like to increase the knowledge and skills required to teach dance as an artistic and creative practice to large groups of people of all ages and with no experience in dance.

Applicant: Caroline Caruana

Reference number: PDG 25-17-3059

Project Title: Intensive Flamenco Course

Amount Awarded: €975

Through this project,Caroline aspires to solidify her training and teaching methods, based on a sound understanding of the latest styles and techniques in flamenco, as well as obtain first hand professionalisation. The platform exposes its participants to an overall background of traditional flamenco including classes in “cante” and “guitara”. It specialises in the teaching of the “escuela sevillana” and the technique of “bata de cola”. Moreover, participants are offered the possibility of taking classes in choreographic and artistic stage advice. Training courses are structured in a way so as to ensure that the participant is given a sound technical background of the flamenco style being taught in the choreographies. 

Applicant: Jon Mallia

Reference number: PDG 27-17-3062

Project Title: EAVE Producers’ Workshop

Amount Awarded: €2000

Through this project, Jon Mallia will be participating in a one week intensive workshop organised by EAVE, European Audiovisual Entrepreneurs. EAVE, is one of the leading training and development providers for film producers in the world, which has over the years played a major role in fostering co-production and strengthening the European audiovisual sector. Throughout the workshop, the applicant will be attending a plenary each morning focusing on different subjects including story structure and other story telling devices, marketing, publicity, EU law on copyright, financing, budgeting and co production strategy.  In the afternoon the participants are split into smaller pre-designated groups for applied group work in relation to the subject covered in the plenary and case studies. Late afternoon is dedicated to the scrutinizing of one project from the group's catalogue with the expert tutor responsible for the group asking pertinent questions to the production team and giving advice. During this session, the other production teams are encouraged to give their input and learn from the project that is being discussed. 

Applicant: Erica Muscat

Reference number: PDG29-17-3064

Project Title: Linklater Voice Teacher Training

Amount Awarded: €2000

In this project, Erica will be attending a mentoring programme with Andrea Haring, a senior designated Linklater Voice teacher. The Linklater Voice Progression technique is a series of detailed psycho-physical exercises focusing on the release of the natural voice while helping actors and theatre performers in targeting the most prominent tensions that may inhibit the delivery of a particular role or performance. The applicant has already attended masterclasses in this voice technique and the proposed training is the next step in her professional development. This training consists of in-depth sessions which will take the applicant on a journey of voice discovery. The aim of these private sessions is to fine-tune the motor skills required to release the natural voice while minimising tensions which might have developed over the years.  Through this training, Erica would like to have a more diverse repertoire and continue in her advancement of becoming a Linklater Voice teacher herself.

Applicant: Glen Calleja

Reference number: PDG30-17-3065

Project Title: Stub Binding Course

Amount Awarded: €686.51

The proposed project consists of a two day workshop focusing solely on what are known as stub bindings. Stub bindings make for a very efficient and versatile book structure.  Among the pool of tutors there are names like Sun Evrard, Benjamin Elbel and Lori Sauer, who all command immense respect on the international scene of contemporary design bookbinding. The course will consist of two days hands-on teaching with Ms Lori Sauer. Ms Sauer will show various techniques relating to stub bindings and then participants will have the opportunity to try the techniques under Ms Sauer's guidance. Every workshop day closes with a presentation of all the students' work and students share the challenges encountered, the solutions they experimented with and their results.  This project is a continuation of Glen's professional development as a designer bookbinder in developing new skills in the craft of traditional and contemporary bookbinding.

Applicant: Rebecca Camilleri

Reference number: PDG31-17-3066

Project Title: Solo Lab Mentoring Programme

Amount Awarded: €1982.78

This project consists of a thirteen day intensive laboratory mentoring programme researching somatics as a paradigm for performance making. The Solo Lab Mentoring Program led by Rosalyn Maynard will include daily contemplative practice, bodywork and solo performance practice. Rosalyn Maynard is a qualified practitioner in somatic movement education and body-mind centering who has lectured in various universities across the UK. Body Mind Centering principles will be used to encourage and facilitate original ways of moving, refine technique and develop sensitivity, awareness and relationship to space. The tutoring, assessment and mentoring in this course, enables the student to immerse in an experiential experience through various skills and tools used in bodywork practice. The training course will culminate with an informal sharing of the work and research generated over the course of the programme.

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Applicant: Sasa Jovanovic

Reference number: PDG 10-17-3173

Project Title: Production Design Workshop with Allan Starski

Amount Awarded: € 1,134

Sasa will be attending a two day workshop in film production and direction, costume and set design, as well as overall artistic vision. Fest Film Lab, was created to identify, develop and support new cinematic values, so as to contribute to the audiovisual industry, seeking excellence in cinema art. The platform is free from academic constraints so participating filmmakers may submerge themselves in the passionate quest for visual storytelling.  The course component attracts set designers, directors, art directors, DP's, film students, or anyone interested in film production and design. The production design workshop with Allan Starski will focus on a diversity of topics where participants will have the chance of not only learning new skills but also of interacting with one another while giving feedback on each others’ work.

The group shall also focus on particular issues encountered in the film industry, while learning about strong visual concepts and how to work with a production team. This workshop will also help directors and DP's understand the importance and how to work closely with a production design team. With a background in film production and set design, Sasa would like to further her skills and knowledge by enrolling in this international training opportunity. Twenty five international film professionals will be selected to attend this workshop making it a great networking platform for industry professionals.

Applicant: Edwin Balzan

Reference number: PDG-09-17-3172

Project Title: LOOP – A Summit for Music Makers

Amount Awarded: € 740.00

This project involves the attendance and participation in the 'Loop' Summit in Berlin. Loop is a yearly conference organised by Ableton, which is a software company that develops the most widely used and established Digital Audio Workstation Software in the world – ‘Ableton Live’. As an experienced user of the platform, Edwin was selected to attend this training which will consist of discussions, performances, presentations, studio sessions, installations and interactive workshops aimed at exchanging ideas at the cutting edge of music, technology and creative practice. Bringing together artists, technologists, educators and other creative thinkers, Loop is a collective exploration of what it is to make music today and what it could be tomorrow. The people at Ableton believe that exciting developments in music are driven by conversation and exchange between interesting people. At Loop, a diverse range of music makers, thinkers and cultural creatives gather, so as to collaborate on new ideas, share new techniques, and make new connections.

Applicant: Theatre Anon Arts Foundation

Reference number: PDG-07-17-3170

Project Title: Puppetry Workshops

Amount Awarded: € 2,000

Through this project, Theatre Anon are seeking to develop skills in puppetry, where some of its members shall receive training in this artistic area. Two members of the company intend to attend the workshop 'The Puppet, the Ensemble and Me' delivered by Josie Daxter, which will take place in London, over a period of one week. The workshop looks at how to use puppetry in an ensemble devising process, and the relationship between puppets, their puppeteers and the wider ensemble. During the sessions, participants will use puppets to improvise, explore humour and pathos, fantasy and irreverence, while searching for a child-like approach to serious make believe. Another member of the company intends to follow another course delivered by Peter O'Rourke, a designer and director for Little Angel Theatre. Sessions will be specifically focused on puppet construction and the principles behind building good movement controllability and durability into table-top puppets.

The learning platform is directly relevant to the identified skills gap in the company, where it should be addressed through these workshops with experts in the field and with the sharing of knowledge amongst other puppetry practitioners. The members attending the workshops, will be putting the new acquired skills in practice by working on a performance that will take place in Summer of 2018 as part of the Malta Arts Festival.

Applicant: Steve Hili

Reference number: PDG-04-17-3167

Project Title: Comedy career development sessions

Amount Awarded: € 1,685

This project will enable the applicant to work with Anita Elizabeth Holmes, over a number of in-depth sessions in order to focus on career objectives, priorities and strategies. Anita Elizabeth Holmes is one of the most sought-after career consultants in the comedy industry in the UK. She has worked with world-class comedians to identify long-term goals that fit in with specific comedians’ strengths, and then helps to create personalised strategies to steer the career of these comedians in such a way that allows them to achieve these goals. Working with Ms. Holmes, enables comedians to create specific, tangible and step-by-step plans that enable them to achieve their full potential. Also, thanks to the expansive knowledge that Ms. Holmes has of the industry in an international context, she can be crucial with aligning artists with opportunities. During the training sessions, the applicant will be acquiring comedy skills through the SWOT analysis method, as well as an objective view of how to use his own personal traits to his advantage, which would ultimately translate into his comedy acts.

Applicant: Carlo Muscat

Reference number: PDG-02-17-3165

Project Title: NYC Jazz Masterclasses

Amount Awarded: €2000

Carlo will be actively participating in a selection of advanced jazz workshops and masterclasses, held by The New York Jazz Workshops in New York City. The first sessions will be focusing on Studio Arrangement, which is a weekly class led by Grammy Award winner Doug Beavers, exploring studio jazz arrangements and composition techniques used by contemporary jazz musicians. The second group of sessions with NYJW Saxophone Quartet shall be more practical where participants will learn how to build technique, develop a full sound, improve reading skills, develop improvisation skills, strengthen tuning and above all to have fun playing some amazing arrangements. The music of Jazz artists such as Charles Mingus, Yusef Lateef, Lennie Niehaus, Hubert Blake, Dave Bramely, Nick Ayoub and Ralph Martino shall be played. Apart from this, more styles will be mixed up, including classical four part arrangements by Bach, Piazolla and other composers. The third group of sessions will look into rhythm for all instruments, delving in polyrhythm and mixed meter. During these workshops participants will be exposed to beautiful rhythms inspired by cultures across the globe. It is a step by step process with the guidance of a tested and well thought through comprehensive method developed over two decades by Marc Mommaas.

Through this training, Carlo intends to develop a more complete set of skills which shall help him in employment opportunities and in a professional setting.

Applicant: Deborah Falzon

Reference number: PDG-06-17-3169

Project Title: Flamenco para toda la vida, cada día

Amount Awarded: €2000

In this project, Deborah will be following a course in traditional Flamenco Dance, emphasising on the technique and how it is presented in a performance stage setting. The sessions will focus on informal styles, as well as social and fiesta context by creating a juerga (a lively flamenco party with a festive atmosphere) in parts of the course. Tutored by the world-renowned Flamenco dancer, teacher and expert Juana Amaya, this stand-alone course will take place over a six-month period from January until June 2018 in Estudio de Juana Amaya in Seville, Spain. The tutor will assign three different Palos each month with the occasional accompaniment of guitarists and singers. Live demonstrations of choreography shall highlight technique aspects, while continuously emphasising the performance aspect, namely;  compás (rhythm), way palmas (rhythmical clapping), meaning, melody and lyrics of the cante (song), tunes/harmonies of the toque (guitar), emotion/style of baile (dance), melodic component and percussion of zapateado (footwork rhythms), and the communication aspect that occurs amongst the singer, guitar player, dancer and palmero (person who claps rhythmically).

This short course is targeted at Flamenco dancers seeking to advance in their professional dance career on both an artistic and personal level. With a constant linking to its roots, origins and history, this course goes beyond execution, clarification and repetition of dance steps. It outlines how to communicate through Flamenco; how to internalize, embody and live it both on and off stage. Essentially, its overarching concept is that Flamenco is a culture with its own ‘language’, developed through its artistic components and a way of life for those who have inherited or choose to live by it.

Applicant: Kristina Borg

Reference number: PDG-03-17-3166

Project Title: "Socially and Community Engaged Art. What is it and who is doing it?" at UNIDEE – University of Ideas, Cittadellarte, Biella

Amount Awarded: € 841.93

The objective of this training is to explore social and community engaged art. During this module, participants will explore various projects and artists to gain insight into what determines a social and community engaged art and what distinguishes it from everyday social and community engaged work. Embodied in all social and community engaged work is a desire to affect some practical outcome. Within all art there is a desire of some symbolic or poetic meaning. This module will draw upon the experience and sensibilities of the mentor, guest, and participants to identify the most interesting social engaged work and critique it based on its practical and symbolic/poetic impact. Due to the similarity between social and community engaged art and social and community engaged work, a number of questions will be explored, namely; Who has authority to determine when social and community engaged work is art or not? What does it mean for a social and community engaged work to be called art? What is the political significance of social and community engaged art?

At this stage in her career as a fulltime freelance artist and art educator , Kristina conducts various research projects research on socially engaged and community arts involving participatory practices . This training shall be beneficial to the creative practitioner to reflect on and discuss her work with other like-minded professionals, to remain open to critique, to exchange ideas, to learn and explore new work by others as well as networking with other creatives with whom potential collaborations can be created.

Applicant: Yuri Charyguine

Reference number: PDG-01-17-3164

Project Title: Intermediate Course for Accordion Repairers

Amount Awarded: € 1,203

This training consists of five full days at the Accordion Craft Academy in Castelfidardo, Italy, in the course ‘Intermediate level of Accordion Repairing’.  This is a follow up to the beginner’s level course which the applicant has already undertaken. The course gives musicians the opportunity to get to know their instrument in the depth, learn how to take care of it, tune it, as well as identify damages and learning how to fix them. The course is being organised by the Accordion Craft Academy, which is based at the Victoria accordion factory. The factory was founded in 1919 and the production concentrated from the beginning on high quality accordions. Accordion Craft Academy designed a three-tier learning route, and the applicant will be attending the second tier for intermediate learners. The course has both theory and practice components focusing on important issues such as second level tuning, springs, axes replacement and bellow leather protection. The course is led by world renouned accordion players, Elke Ahrenholz and Ricardo Breccia, who are also owners of the factory.

Yuri is a professional accordion player and teacher at Johann Strauss School of Music, however with little knowledge of accordion repairing and tuning. Through this course, he will be acquiring new skills and techniques which shall be useful to his students and the increasing number of accordion players in Malta

Applicant: Laura Wyatt OKeeffe

Reference number: PDG-08-17-3171

Project Title: Hedonist, A Participatory, Poetry Project

Amount Awarded: € 2,000

Hedonist is a three step, multi-platform participatory project, that will directly engage women who have experienced sexual harassment through free poetry workshops and indirectly through online publications. Sexual harassment has become part of mainstream media coverage. The majority of coverage places the harasser as centre and places the abused in the restrictive role of “victim”. The language used in media, influences society’s perception of those who have experienced abuse and how those individuals perceive their own role in society. To challenge this, Step 1 mentor Jacob Sam La Rose, will encourage participants to write poetry to articulate experiences of sexual harassment. During Step 2, the applicant will work with sexual abuse organisations to further her research and to facilitate two public performances. Finally, Step 3 will consist of performances of a selection of the work at the Manoel Theatre Studio, Malta and Hornsey Town Hall, UK. Moreover, the applicant shall publish the project poetry and research on her website.

Through this training, Laura shall design a workshop that uses language to encourage women to articulate their experiences and inspire them to challenge the media stereotype of “victim”. This workshop will focus on the individual’s ability to thrive despite harassment, a process that will support their transition from surviving to healing. The participants will be taught how to express their experience through poetry, a skill that will continue to help them after the project.

Applicant: Nunzia Martiello

Reference number: PDG-05-17-3168

Project Title: Internship at "Atelier Holcnerova", Lisbon, Portugal.

Amount Awarded: € 2,000

Through this training project, Nunzia would like to improve her knowledge about architecture, while adding a new experience about furniture design.  Since the applicant is an architect by profession, with a major interest in artistic design, she intends to meet other professionals in the field and discuss future collaborations. This opportunity of working with international professionals can be relevant to the professional development of the applicant since there will be the exchange of knowledge given through peer review. The proposed internship will improve the applicant’s skills, since the Atelier is open to different professionals varying from architects and artists to furniture designers.