Think art and education don’t mix? Think again...   

There’s a reason why you might have been spotting super colourful and vibrant murals around the island – and it’s all down to a project headed by an artist called TWITCH a.k.a. James Micallef Grimaud. 

‘The Migratory Birds in Malta: A Street Art Guide’ is a project combining street art and the exploration of bird migration here on the Maltese islands, as the country experiences an illegal hunting crisis. 

TWITCH went about this project by choosing several migratory birds and colouring up various localities around the island to educate the Maltese population. 

Besides looking absolutely stunning, these installations provide onlookers with valuable information about the migratory habits of various species known to fly over the islands. 

TWITCH chose to draw up some of the most colourful bird species that frequent Malta – we're talking Kingfishers, European Rollers, Golden Orieles, Honey Buzzards, Flamingoes, and many more. 

The installations also give some insight into where these species head to when migrating; one particularly heartbreaking mural shows the Spectacled Warbler losing its habitat as a result of the country’s urbanisation. 

If you’d like to get a better look at these pieces, make sure to head to Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta up until 16th January. 

The exhibition includes photographic prints of the murals, a digitised version of the handbook, and a behind-the-scenes video showing the process of creating this street art. This has all been curated by Rachel Formosa. 

This initiative is the result of a collaboration between the Malta Street Art Collective and BirdLife Malta.