Amazing! These 8 social projects have just won The President’s Award for Creativity
The award celebrates cultural diversity and social inclusion in the creative fields
Eight local organisations were yesterday granted the Premju tal-President ghall-Kreattivita, a.k.a. The President’s Award for Creativity during a ceremony held at the San Anton Presidential Palace in Attard. Marking the importance of art in society, H.E. George Vella awarded eight highly creative and social projects with a combined total of €55,000 to assist in their execution. And here they are:
1. Spero
Spero’s main aim is to empower individuals who are visually impaired and assist them in gaining a level of independence. The play, titled Ir-Ragel li Jara b’Widnejh (a.k.a. the man who sees through his ears), aims to use theatre and drama both as a form of rehabilitation and to improve Spero clients’ skills. The play, scripted by Martha Vella and directed by Josette Ciappara, will be staged across several local secondary schools.
2. Fondazzjoni Wens
The organisation, whose objective is to improve the quality of life of persons with disability, also won the award thanks to the project Empowering through murals: Using murals to empower, team build and create a place of public memory for residents, which will allow Fondazzjoni Wens residents to create artworks with the assistance of artist and popular mural painter James Micallef Grimaud in relation to each individual’s memories of the four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.
3. St Jeane Antide Foundation
A subsection of the Sisters of Charity of St Jeanne Antide Thouret, this social purpose NGO offers support to socially excluded persons, families and minority groups. Its project, Stitches, was one of the recipients of the President’s Award for Creativity with its plan to revive the art of handmade Maltese bobbin lace and create a space for community, sharing, healing and inclusion for members of the St Jeane Antide Foundation.
4. Step Up for Parkinson’s
This organisation offers free tailored dance lessons to Parkinson’s sufferers across various localities on the island. Introduced to Malta thanks to Natalie Duschamp, who was also the recipient of the Award for Services to the Republic in 2019, the organisation’s aim is to continue offering classes to those suffering from the disease completely free of charge.
5. Karl Vella Foundation
Set up to offer educational and psychological services to children of families suffering from serious illness, the Foundation offers a safe and welcoming environment at the foundation’s house in Attard. Their collaborative project with Alka Ceramics, Shaping Dreams Together, also made it to the list, with a plan to host 122 ceramic sessions over 127 weeks aimed at children dealing with loss or coping with an illness of a close relative.
6. Theatre Anon Arts Foundation
Made up of a group of performers and theatre makers, their project Restorying Lives: Creative Stories for Persons Living with Dementia aims to alleviate the stress of both dementia sufferers and their carers through creative storytelling by stimulating memory, reducing social isolation through an inclusive creative space and supporting and stimulating family members living with an individual suffering from dementia.
7. Zfin Malta
Malta’s national dance company has also made the list with its project Get Loose, targeting gender stereotyping and public perception. The project has given rise to a collaboration between the company and Berlin-based choreographer Gabriel Galindez Cruz, who has extensive experience working with kids who have never danced before, and will be presenting a piece where performers and members will be put in the same space.
8. Young People’s Unit
One of the Award’s more ambitious projects involves Mount Carmel’s Young People’s Unit, singer Gianluca Bezzina and songwriter Paul Bezzina. The first phase of the project will see children and adolescents of the unit participating in 32 weekly group sessions led by an occupational therapist and a psychiatric nurse to discuss their experiences with mental health. Both singer and songwriter will be present, and will use the stories shared as the backbone for a song. Finally, a focus group will be organised will all involved to discuss the final song and ascertain an accurate representation of their emotions and experiences.
Absolutely amazing!