MCAST ICA Festival 2021
TAKE IT ALL IN
catalogue 2021 Diversify
Friday 2nd July - Sunday 25th July 2021 Spazju Kreattiv, St James Cavalier, Valletta
The MCAST ICA Festival 2021 forms part of the Spazju Kreattiv programme 2020/2021
five years running The MCAST ICA Festival came about as a new approach to the annual exhibition held at MCAST’s Institute for the Creative Arts and is now in its fifth year running. By changing its tone of voice, the exhibition evolved into a creative arts festival. The philosophy behind and, consequently, the aesthetic of this festival varies according to the participating students’ vision, creating a sense of hype and anticipation from one edition to the next. The MCAST ICA Festival serves as a bridge between MCAST ICA and the local arts and design community, illustrating all the work done at the institute. The festival celebrates the students’ creativity and honest, hard work while highlighting its relevance to industry stakeholders.
Director’s Message
The theme of this year’s edition of the MCAST ICA Festival, which adopts a light-hearted aesthetic to counter the sobriety of the challenging COVID-19 experience, is ‘Diversify’. This theme embodies various facets from a macro to a micro level. Starting with the latter, the MCAST ICA Festival invites us to look at the individual work of students whose different identity is reflected in the work they have chosen to showcase. Such work presents itself in diverse forms and media depending on the area of study the student has been enrolled in, whether Creative Media Production, Fashion and Retail, Fine Art, Game Art & Visual Design, Graphic Design, Interactive Media, Journalism, Performing Arts, Photography, Product Design or Spatial Design. These are the majority of the areas of studies offered at MCAST’s Institute for the Creative Arts (ICA) which also offers a programme in Cultural Heritage Skills. When reflecting on the diversity of opportunities available to learners, the festival largely accounting for the higher levels at which studies take place, one must note that the ICA offers full-time programmes at Levels 1- 6 of the Malta Qualifications Framework. It also offers part-time courses in a variety of subjects too, including at postgraduate level. Such offerings are in line with MCAST’s mission statement which reads: “To provide universally accessible vocational and professional education and training with an international dimension, responsive to the needs of the
individual and the economy.” On a macro level diversity is experienced in various ways. Through Erasmus exchanges, amongst other opportunities, and tutoring from different lecturers with unique overseas experiences, learners are exposed to the international dimension, and thanks to the fact that programmes are periodically reviewed with industry stakeholders, this also ensures relevance to industry in its rich diversity. The MCAST ICA Festival indeed celebrates this association with industry. Thanks go to all industry shareholders who have supported learners in their journeys over the years. These are acknowledged in the various departmental areas in the exhibition. Furthermore, special thanks go to Arts Council Malta and Spazju Kreattiv for their continuous support and contribution. Moreover, the extraordinary effort of ICA staff and students, together with that of MCAST stakeholders, is also warmly acknowledged. I hope that each one of you enjoys this festival, each in your own diverse way.
Dr Martina Caruana
Director Institute for the Creative Arts
Principal’s & President’s Message
The MCAST ICA festival is a chance to celebrate the creative talent of our students and an important event in the College’s calendar. The festival demonstrates how students work collaboratively across disciplines to develop the skills and knowledge needed in the sector. Exhibiting work is an essential part of preparing students for work in the cultural sector, and the festival also allows students to share their achievements with a wider audience. Nurturing the learner’s creativity and preparing students thoroughly for the world of work is at the heart of what the College stands for. The management and lecturers at the Institute for the Creative Arts have been working hard to ensure students don’t miss out on the chance to exhibit their work because of COVID-19 restrictions. The pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for the education and the creative sectors. Over the past year, our priority was to teach our students the importance of persisting in their work against all odds through difficult times. Indeed, their work was also inspired by these extraordinary circumstances. It is a privilege to see the creative energy of these talented students across the different sectors. This year’s festival also coincides with the College’s 20th anniversary. It gives us more reason to celebrate MCAST’s legacy in developing skills and competences for successful careers in the cultural and creative industries. We now look forward to promoting the
new generation of creatives as they join the arts community and take the next step to enter the workplace. Our students are thrilled to be sharing their work which is a defining moment in their learning journey. I encourage aspiring students to look at this work and be inspired to take on new learning opportunities. We want you to visualise possibilities of where you wish to advance in your career path. MCAST offers over 190 courses offered by six institutes in Malta and Gozo. The Institute for the Creative Arts offers over 25 courses, from entry-level courses to courses at Bachelor’s and Master’s level courses. Our tagline ‘Designed to shape your future’ highlights MCAST’s vision of being more than a course provider but a space for growth where students embark on a life-changing learning experience. MCAST offers learners the chance to immerse themselves in hands-on learning through work-based and direct experience within industry. My heartfelt thanks to the MCAST ICA Director, Management, staff and students – you have shown resilience and grit, and it is a credit to your dedication and passion for the arts.
Prof. Joachim James Calleja Principal and CEO
Prof. Ian Refalo
President Board of Governors
Space C1 and Cinema, Spazju Kreattiv
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Ryan Agius One of the most vitally essential aspects of camera work is the human connection, which is why Ryan tends to focus on visual story telling and working with people. With regards to moving image, he focuses his efforts on personal style through contextual and aesthetic elements of imagery that keep the viewer engaged throughout the entire video,
and developing a personal colour style and aesthetic that permeates with orange and teal throughout. For him, the secret to success is to always trust yourself and to trust in the creative process, embracing the beauty of filmmaking through a connection with your subject and one’s ability to tell a story visually.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Creative Media Production
Sean Bacica
Sean is an aspiring Maltese American filmmaker who specializes in poetic and abstract narrative. His journey into film began after watching Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” (1980). Stylistically, Sean tells his stories through visual film language rather than written dialogue, and his style is characteristically inspired by the visual storytelling of Andrei
Tarkovsky, the complex and layered narratives of Charlie Kaufman, and the cinematic style and execution of Stanley Kubrick. Sean’s life goal is to direct his own feature films which will focus on character study, the inner workings of a character’s mind and an adaptation of previously established poetic literature.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Sarah Marie Baldacchino Sarah is an aspiring artist with a passion for every aspect of creativity, whether it’s visual design, story building, photography, or creating a film from scratch. She has her own unique style that focuses on reaching her audience in every conceivable aspect, capturing beauty in different objects and places, while expressing different ideas and emotions through her visual work. Sarah works with whatever she is given and still strives to create a professional output in
whatever she does. With an interest in graphics, an eye for detail, and a passion for design, Sarah has become increasingly experimental throughout her studies. Her pieces are influenced by her love of Maltese and Japanese culture, and are inspired by different factors such as food, fashion, music, street life, and nature, encouraging her to use these elements in her visual projects to aid in the creation of previously untold stories.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Creative Media Production
Andriy Camilleri
Advancing through the various courses of creative media production, Andriy has become more confident with equipment and differing techniques of film work, techniques such as varying colours with lighting, experimental camera work and advanced post-production techniques, which are crucial to any production. Andriy focuses on technical quality and does his utmost to get the picture he imagined. This
can obviously be done with good lighting techniques and camera work. Therefore, he always keeps his pre-production targets realistic, calculating his capabilities with the resources available to him. His visual inspirations are mostly taken from local and international television, and he strives to produce work that utilises the skills and techniques learnt throughout this journey, making his work unique and of good quality.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Kyle Cutajar Kyle is an aspiring artist who always intends to use emotion as the main element of his projects, both while filming and editing. With a very dramatic approach, Kyle tends to reach deep down into his viewers’ hearts and make them emotionally aware of what is being seen. He believes there is power in the evoking of certain emotions, and that a message can be transmitted ten times more powerfully. His practice provides a useful set of tools which
helps with his approach, and there is a perceivable emotion in the way depth of field is used in his shots believing it makes his work more dramatic and more visually pleasant. Another major focus is in the music. Kyle sees this element of storytelling as very important. Whether it’s in the background or the driver of the project, he always uses specific music to extract certain emotions from his audience.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Creative Media Production
Daniel Gauci
Daniel’s art is very stylistically ‘in your face’ and focused on action and impactful material. His art is a mix of bright colours and bold shapes with a touch of avant-garde. Power and imposing figures interest the aspiring artist above other things. Visual displays of power are very interesting to him as are the many ways one can go about displaying them such as architecturally imposing buildings
seen in epic fantasy settings. Violence is also of interest in terms of how it displays emotion in art rather than its use as a method to create harm or destruction; it is an emotional builder much like Valhalla in the Norse pantheon, where epic warriors fight and kill each other in an eternal spiritual war but stay friends simply because they had fun doing it.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Luke Meli Luke is a self-driven person whose interest is to continue expanding his knowledge in the media industry. His interest began as a hobby from a very young age, and over the years has continued to evolve into a career choice. He enjoys working within the broadcasting sector where he can engage in different roles, thus inspiring him to continue working and
learning while maturing in the industry. His studies have led him to produce various projects and work with many different people that are professionals in the industry. In his productions, such as short films and documentaries, he always tries to include a message in the narrative so that the production can leave an impact on the audience.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Creative Media Production
Kurt Micallef
Kurt is a creative videographer who started his journey at the tender age of 14 when he received his first video camera. Since then, Kurt has improved dramatically and has developed a love for capturing authentic moments as well as creating stories, and showcasing the world using his cinematography
skills. His style focuses mainly on non-fictional work like documentary film making and journalism, and he has won national filmmaking awards such as the #MySecretMalta short film competition (2017) and the Tumas Fenech Education Foundation in Journalism Best Non Fiction Film award (2019).
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Rachel Micallef Somerville Rachel is an aspiring visual artist who expresses herself mainly through moving image and photography. Over the years, her primary interest has been the human form, which she continues to explore through a variety of approaches. Rachel is driven by story and has always sought visual means of expression above all else. Something within is pushing her with immense
strength to convey intense emotions and explore poignant themes, creating moments and experiences so striking that they lead people to question things they otherwise would not, and to grapple with truths she needs to dig out from within herself. Rachel strives to constantly push herself out of her comfort zone and to challenge herself, her ideas, and her audience.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Creative Media Production
Stephanie Montebello
Stephanie’s innate passion in her art is one that bloomed naturally with early artistic exposure and inspiration from her father, a videography and photography enthusiast. Her true fascination for cameras though was sparked at the age of 11, when her father intervened once more and gifted her with her first camera. Today, that same excitement flows through her with every touch of a camera, and shines clearly through her work. Artistically, Stephanie
thrives because of her deep admiration for cinematography, with a special appreciation for experimental films. Her creations toy with the audience’s imagination, spurring a use of one’s own creative interpretation to arrive at revealing conclusions. Intertwined with her creative input behind the camera is her great enthusiasm for video editing, approaching it as an invisible art or unspoken language of moving image.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Christabelle
Rapa
Christabelle’s three favourite roles in the media industry are cinematographer, boom operator and editor. Her primary focus is feature length and short film making however she has worked on several other projects like music videos and commercial adverts. A major highlight in her career to date is when she went to London in 2019 on an Erasmus trip where she learned how to deal with tough deadlines,
organise tasks, and to deal with demanding clients, returning again later that year for a course on red camera operation and again in 2020 for another course on Steadicam where she learned many different skills that are an asset to her work. Her inspirations come from everyday experiences of the people around her, and she is a perfectionist with an immense attention for detail in her work.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Creative Media Production
Tyler Sant Fournier
Tyler creates art based on his idealistic view of reality, seeing tragedy and pain as a normal everyday occurrence. Tyler’s art is his way of showcasing such ineffable feelings that deeply affect the way he feels. He wishes to push his internal suffering and pain, considering all violence and needless desensitization of individuals’ mental and physical trauma. Most notably, Tyler focuses on the hardships of mental illnesses as well as the senselessness in people’s behavior
towards such topics. A combination of these factors inspires him to create content that brings an awareness to such issues as society’s misunderstood views on drug users and how they are looked down upon and mistreated. The work Tyler creates is intended to hit close to home, most of the time created in the most experimental ways possible, not abiding by traditional rules of film but rather creating a unique form of them.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Ian Sargent Ian’s primary aim when he entered the MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts was to focus on creating productions of great quality by focusing a lot on passion and determination when it comes to elements like emotion, fear and intellect. His intention is to convey such concepts into moving image.
This helps creating an environment of interest and excitement for audiences who view his productions. Ian’s goal has always been to create a horror film and now, in his final year, is creating one for his dissertation project that is a reflection of cultural fears and anxieties.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Creative Media Production
Sera Schalabi
Sera is a freelancer and media student with a passion for all things related to moving image, and through her studies has gained an understanding of all the departments involved in moving image production. She lives for the capturing of emotions, true stories and real-life situations that she can share with her audience. This is what drives her
to work, believing that projects such as documentaries are a source of storytelling that allow her to connect with her audience. She is motivated and inspired by filmmakers who think similarly and utilize similar techniques in their work and who aim to raise awareness about current events and situations.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Liam Scicluna Liam is an aspiring videographer who focuses on short films with non-linear narratives. He is drawn to the strange and uncanny, and finds solace in the works of writers such as Edgar Allan Poe and H. P. Lovecraft. Liam’s work is often poetic in nature and focuses on creating feeling associated with dark themes like nightmares and mental health which he finds intriguing. This may
be since these subjects deviate a lot from the mundane and give a sense of thrill that daily life lacks for him. However, his works also reflect peace that one can find in the solitude of daydreams. He finds that working in an unstructured manner and avoiding planning helps in generating more creative and often different results.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Creative Media Production
Rowena Testa
Rowena Testa is an aspiring filmmaker whose work in both photography and media revolves around classic techniques with a modern twist. She loves artistic work, classic narratives and fantasy story lines that can take the audience on a journey through her work. She takes inspiration from books and movie
narratives, and enjoys turning those classic stories into a visual art piece - a drawing, a photo or sometimes a comic book. She already works in the photography industry, and her goal in life is to give people a lifetime memory with her work. After she graduates, Rowena intends to go abroad to take her studies to the next level.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Isaac
Vella
Isaac Vella is an aspiring filmmaker and is in his final year of studies with an interest in film remake production. He started experimenting in editing first, finding ways to express his artistic vision, which started with experimenting with VFX such as making a VHS filter from scratch to give his short films a desired retro
look. His films also utilize masking in order to give his characters a surreal appearance and presence. More recently he delved into spoof and experimental dramas as he expresses more of his creative vision and has more flexibility in these respective genres.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Creative Media Production
Brandon Zammit
Brandon Zammit follows the art of minimalism throughout all his work, be it film or graphics. The subject is his focus and he lives by the belief that “less is more”. Inspired by the symmetrical works of Stanley Kubrick and the recent rise of “Neomorphism” in graphic design, Brandon found his footing and has forged a stylistic path of his own. Geometry, depth and contrast are the three pillars which Brandon’s art
stands on. Learning 3D computer graphics at a young age, having a mentality of precision and artistic perfection since childhood have shaped him. Furthermore, depth and contrast are two concepts at the centre of Brandon’s understanding of cinematography. Brandon’s work may not be “in your face” but with its attention to detail and abstraction, it will surely leave you pondering for a bit longer than usual.
fine Arts BA (Hons) in
Space C3 and C4, Spazju Kreattiv
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Amanda Bartolo
Amanda is an aspiring visual artist with a main interest in printmaking, drawing, and painting. The individual disciplines are used on their own but sometimes are combined to create a new mode of expression. Her current research focuses on how traditional printmaking techniques are being adopted and developed together with other different media. Amanda’s body of work explores various subject matters as she is mainly influenced by current situations. Her ideas take on from observations of the current surrounding environment, including physical structures and social issues. Hence, changes
in themes can constantly occur according to personal areas of interest and influences. Such influences are triggers to drawings on paper that can turn into a creative exploration of the main art elements and new concepts. Constant research is an important aspect of Amanda’s practice as it allows her to explore and employ new elements in her work, whilst allowing to strengthen her visual language.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Fine Arts
Kristabelle Bonett
Kristabelle Bonett is a multidisciplinary artist-in-the-making whose work explores an ongoing dialogue between painting, sculpture, drawing, and photography. Influenced from embodied experience and feelings of self, her practice expands on the idea of drawing in space. Kristabelle is interested in how things are perceived, and her work centres
on the relationship between two- and three-dimensional elements. She has always been fascinated by engaging with her audience, hence involving them. Her current body of work focuses on the idea of comfort and privacy where she is finding a new interest in transparent media, light, and layers.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Redent Camilleri
Redent is a storyteller who uses narrative-driven art to visualize various fictional scenarios that are fuelled from his dreams and daydreams. His primary form of expression is the comic book which he employs as a contemporary instrument for activism. In his current project he attempts to intricately weave personal ideologies, criticising and raising consciousness through silence. Redent works in a wide range of media, including traditional and experimental ink methods, as well as digital art. The developed
illustrations are then transformed into comics and animations which are influenced by the ’60s comic culture. Drawing inspiration from the Underground-comix era, he employs a variety of styles within his comics, varying from semi-realism to avantgarde absurd imagery. His interest in experimenting with new modes of expression has contributed in the development of various narrativebased projects. Despite not always using traditional pen and ink, these projects typically retain the same level of vitality that his comics withhold.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Fine Arts
Kezia Ivana Falzon
Kezia is an aspiring multidisciplinary experimental artist who often involves her own body in her work. She is driven by the idea of immersion and intimacy in her artistic processes. In Kezia’s work, the artist’s body takes a significant role where at times it is the subject matter and in other instances it is the initiator of ideas. She explores her
body’s potential by offering new challenges to herself in her experiments. In her paintings and drawings, she comes into direct contact with the materials she works by smearing herself with a strong pigment and behaving as a brush to create different forms and textures on a surface. In video and photography works, she chooses to be the main performer while directing and capturing her own performances. Common aspects in her work are themes of eccentric quality which evoke curiosity such as the unsettling and the obscure.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Shanice Farrugia
Art is a way of seeing and perceiving. Shanice Farrugia is after revealing truths and falsehoods, making sense of them, and communicating her responses to the viewer. She holds a fascination for the human body and communicates this through drawing and painting focusing on light, texture, and colour. Her oil paintings consist of visible brushwork and a painterly approach, while her drawings are more meticulously detailed. Shanice’s subject matter is usually influenced by the realities of social life, about which she keenly learns more through the process
and development of her work. Her response to her topics of interest is mostly filtered through a personal point of view and is affected by her emotional state. The stills from life stories she adopts are translated into paintings where she chooses to take a more representational approach. Viewers are invited to experience the realities of the subjects presented, to apply their own reasoning, and relate to the work.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Fine Arts
Therese Micallef
Therese is an aspiring visual artist using painting, sculpture, drawing and printing to explore her artistic ideas. Her work sets its foundation in personal lived experience, attempting to engage an audience of all ages. Her creations can be realistic representations or abstract forms depending on the theme or story she is working on. Whatever the case, her work always relies on symbolic and metaphorical meanings
that delve deep into the personal. Her attempt is to make these available to be owned by the audience. With this mentality, Therese believes that art can be therapeutic. Her current work tackles the stages of one’s life while looking back to challenging past experiences (abuse), living the present (willing to cope/resilience) and working for a better future (hope).
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Daniel Mifsud
Daniel is an aspiring artist who values the process of creating an artwork as much as the artwork itself. The work he produces subtly transmits his existentialist views, often through abstraction and surrealism. His thoughts manifest themselves in the form of drawings, prints, paintings, and sculpture. Daniel is constantly on the lookout for oddities and objects to add to his ever-growing collection of curiosities, something he often draws inspiration
from. Unspoken narratives are frequently present in his work as he adopts images from different contexts and uses them to convey his ideas. Most recently, Daniel has been experimenting with the relationship between objects and human perception through drawing and installation.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Fine Arts
Edera Muscat
Edera is an aspiring visual artist with a main interest in oil painting. She also likes to explore ideas through drawing and photography, and has an interest in the ceramic medium. Her work focuses on the exploration of everyday themes, with the aim of capturing the beauty and comfort of life’s simple moments. Through her art, Edera makes sense of the world around her and finds a deeper connection with the people present
in her life. While previous works were concerned with exploring the human body, with a focus on colour and anatomy, her current work gives importance to the human aspect, connecting the figure with its surrounding space. By delving into other people’s reality, she finds a personal sense of longing and serenity. Her aim is for the audience to relate to these borrowed instances and share these experiences and emotions with them.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Mary Rose Saliba “Nature is the spirit of my body and soul when depicting an artwork.” Saliba’s work revolves around the meditative process between the aesthetic form of nature and human presence. It encompasses a philosophical, biological and spiritual meaning through the way the artworks are created. The aspiring artist investigates uncertain divides between the opposing poles of nature’s harmony and human manipulation. She communicates this tension in her work by making
use of found natural objects, earth colours and bold brush strokes, resulting in highly textured surfaces full of energy and aesthetic forms. The whole composition is meant to leave the viewer submerged in his thinking within an enigmatic, surreal world. “Existence Precedes Essence” is an ongoing project where the artist explores the themes through mixed-media paintings, site-specific land art interventions, and sculptures.
Atrium Approach and Upper Atrium, Spazju Kreattiv
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Jessica Farrugia
“What really matters is what you do with what you have.” - H.G. Wells We sometimes underestimate our potential, but Jessica does not. Also known as ‘Linjetta’ (pronounced Lin-yet-ta), she is an aspiring game artist, illustrator and designer. Jessica is inspired to create work that moves the viewer emotionally through meaningful messages embedded in her art. She finds her inspiration in horror and aspires to create more
horrific creatures that will haunt the viewer in their nightmares. Jessica uses both digital and traditional media to create her characters and creatures. She likes to experiment with 3D environments in Unreal Engine 4. She also likes to study and practice graphic design during her free time.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Game Art and Visual Design
Zoe Marsh
Zoe’s works are crafted to tell a story; she wants her work to be able to bring characters and situations to life. As an aspiring generalist artist, she works in various areas of asset creation. She believes stories can be infused into anything to deliver exposition or give an air of mystery that makes the viewer curious. This can be observed in her project - a short story evoked narrative video game which required various
disciplines such as narrative design, UI design and programming. Zoe believes stories and artists find benefit in fluctuating art styles. In this project, you will find that the art style employed is a type of minimalism combined with the Chibi style. The evoked story is based on the world of the online web novel series “The Wandering Inn” by Pirateaba.
Space B, Spazju Kreattiv
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Christopher Busuttil Christopher values fulfilling projects and client satisfaction first and foremost; spreading positive messages and devoting time to worthy causes are more important to him than money. His desire to help others was the primary motivator behind Christopher choosing a career in graphic design. This altruistic design philosophy often requires a flexible design approach and allows Christopher to experiment
with various graphic styles influenced by diverse contexts, cultures and circumstances. These samples of his work produced voluntarily for the Scouts Association embody this; each example’s design is tailormade for the event associated with it, representing various influences and techniques. Aside from branding and product design, Christopher also dabbles with film and video editing as part of his voluntary work.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Graphic Design
Malcolm Cassar
Malcolm is a supporter of the Body Positivity Movement and an inclusive society. He favours a minimalist aesthetic, and this shows through his flat art designs. Already having a strong passion for inclusivity, he aspires to promote body positivity in the hopes of it becoming a social norm. The work shown here, which is part of his dissertation, features a set of illustrations portraying body types lacking representation within the
Maltese advertising and media landscape. The designs are contemporary in their appearance, using bold colours and striking contrasts. Also referred to as “the art of today”, such pieces allow us to reflect on today’s societies and the issues that affect them. Together, these illustrations form a look book intended to invite discussion around the types of body objectification happening on our shores.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Christa Lis Dimech “Allavojla Differenti, Imma Ahna Ahwa Promineneti” is a series of illustrations intended to empower women. Christa believes that, via her project, she may enable women to be comfortable in their own skin while also spreading the message that women can also do men’s jobs and ascend the career ladder.
Women should be free to be themselves and pursue their desired path in life, free from fear or discrimination based on their bodies, looks, or careers. Christa’s project is most effective on social media, where it can spread its message most effectively and create the most awareness.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Graphic Design
Astrid Dorkens
Astrid believes that design is an essential part of an exciting and varied existence. Consequently, she gravitates towards aesthetics filled with excess, namely maximalism. In fact, in a world brimming with excessiveness, Astrid aims to place the array into disarray. Her project seeks to identify how adolescent magazines can be adapted to this design philosophy and capture the consciousness of their target
audience. The adolescent spirit can embody many complicated, often conflicting, aspects; it is risky, colourful and bold. Text, colour, and texture assault the reader’s imagination. The magazine’s style is not defined or limited by any particular time or place; however, it promises to be trend-setting and provide the escapism adolescents often crave.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Tristan Galea Tristan’s project explores what constitutes a “grotesque” image and how people perceive such imagery. Everyone’s definition and perception of grotesqueness are highly subjective and influenced by individual perceptions and experiences. Tristan is intrigued by what prompts other artists and creatives to create grotesque imagery. These motivations and works inspired him to undertake
this project and depict six different grotesque images using digital paintings. But, not content with merely creating these images, Tristan also delves into the viewers’ reactions to these digital paintings, questioning the source of their unease while raising an ethical debate around the pieces themselves.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Graphic Design
Bryony Grech
Bryony is an aspiring graphic designer whose goal is to create aesthetic projects while simultaneously challenging established graphic design ideologies. She also addresses beauty, individuality and acceptance via editorial design and photography to portray her subjects candidly
within their natural environment. Bryony’s emphasis on individualism and context is also visible in her approach to branding. Turning a static logo into a dynamic brand focusing on merchandise allows the “The Travellers’” band to reinvent itself and its image according to the spirit of its latest album.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Ben Laferla Ben is fascinated with retro aesthetics and electronics. By re-imagining a typical Maltese landscape as it would appear on an ‘80’s Nintendo Gameboy, Ben helps us imagine what it would have been like if the iconic portable console were available in Malta at the peak of its popularity. These images used a 1-bit pixel width and the original console’s screen resolutions to
remain faithful to the desired aesthetic, i.e. 160px by 144px, and are therefore limited to a maximum of two colours. Simplifying these landscapes as much as possible while retaining enough detail to ensure they remain recognisable is a delicate balancing act, which serves as a tribute to the ingenuity of ‘80s technology.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Graphic Design
Jamie Pace Bonello
Jamie is an aspiring graphic designer whose main influences are the ‘60s and ‘70s popular culture and alternative music scene as a whole, perhaps due to his experience as a musician. These influences are apparent in his work’s style and subject matter. He aims to combine vintage charm and alternative culture with modern practicality to create a unique aesthetic. In this project entitled “Sound and Vision”, Jamie
challenged himself to elevate live musical performance supporting visuals to a new level by introducing a conceptual dimension. He produced a program that creates these visuals in real-time according to a musical performance. The music is processed and interpreted by the software as it plays before it generates these visuals, which the user can then display according to their preference.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Thomas Pace Motivated by his sense of humour, Thomas uses photo manipulation and character art to create work incorporating elements of irony and controversy, often involving religious figures in incongruous or contradictory situations. Modernday society’s obsessions are the inspiration behind his final project, consisting of a re-imagining of the
last supper that replaces Jesus and his apostles with modern society’s “New Gods”. Via this juxtaposition, Thomas hopes to draw attention to how current consumerist behaviours sometimes take on a sacred dimension, and in some cases, even replace established religious traditions.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Graphic Design
Maria Parnis
Maria is an aspiring graphic designer with a multi-disciplinary approach, including typography, branding, and image manipulation. The mantra of “Less is More” is a driving force behind much of her work, as evidenced by her design style. Apart from design, her other passions include travelling and exploring different cultures.
Maria’s design philosophy and other interests are significant influences in her animated infographic portraying the importance of culture and the impact of advertising on its recent evolution. Through this project, Maria hopes to help promote a deeper awareness and understanding of different cultures and advertising.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Dasser Prendergast Dasser’s work examines issues related to diversity and advertising. As advertising campaigns attempt to engage more varied and broader audiences than ever, diversity has become an essential part of the industry. Via his project, Dasser attempts to re-contextualise older advertisements by combining them with contemporary marketing techniques. In addition, Dasser’s project, which consists of a series of billboards executed in a “flat”
illustration style, also addresses minority representation and inclusivity issues, featuring social media influencers forming part of Malta’s LGBT community. This project also acknowledges the contemporary advertising reality where social media influencers have become authentic content creators, and hopes to expand their presence beyond smartphone and device screens while simultaneously championing minority rights.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Graphic Design
Lyon
Virgo
Lyon’s project provides insight into how new forms of social media like Tik Tok are helping their users construct individual narratives by delivering accessible and engaging storytelling tools, and consequently shaping a new media landscape with the aid of humour and hashtags.
Heavily inspired by Lev Manovich’s work, this project uses a timeline to organise and present the images gathered throughout Lyon’s research alongside quotations so that unfamiliar audiences may more easily understand his findings.
Atrium Approach and Upper Atrium, Spazju Kreattiv
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Luca Bruno Originally on course to enrol in software development, Luca decided to pursue creative outcomes, through the vehicle of web development, as a means to accompany design with his programming background. His works cover numerous themes, from technology to authoritarianism. Often featuring juxtaposing aesthetics, his marriage of web development and graphic design bring static pieces to
life and allow for new interpretations to be derived. This ‘technical approach to design’ ethos is central to both his career aspiration of becoming a full-stack developer, and his dissertation project, which analyses the practical effectiveness of current AI technologies for the automated creation of functional basic front-end webpage layouts.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Interactive Media
Vincenzo Calafiore
Vincenzo is a 3D generalist who aspires to become a technical artist. He poses extreme attention to details and always tries to find the reason why some designs work and others do not. His featured work is titled: “Mea-Significatio”. It is an interactive installation that consists of five different abstract interactive projections designed to instigate different narratives and
meanings for each person who tries them in a specific order and certain conditions. Vincenzo has a strange obsession for pipelines efficiency, non-disruptive workflows, procedural techniques and being fast between design iterations. The installation was produced with a completely procedural workflow in order to adapt to any screen size and light conditions.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Kelsey Lee Falzon “Consistency is the key to success” - David Oragui. Kelsey is a selfdriven individual who continuously strives for personal growth. He works well in teams and boasts a variety of technical skills including the production of 3D assets, games, mobile applications, and animation. Through his dissertation project, Kelsey aimed to identify the
shortcomings of online learning as exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The concept of a mobile learning application that improves on existing platforms was produced for use in higher education by students and educators. The final product is envisioned to serve as a tool for the traditional classroom and to facilitate the online learning process.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Interactive Media
Ylenia Marie Magri
Ylenia has always had a passion for design and digital interfaces, which led her to pursue her studies in interactive media. Her minimalist and modern visual style takes inspiration from her experience creating mobile applications, games and visual assets for mixed media. Her dissertation project reaches out to help the elderly and support
their loved ones in times of unprecedented difficulty. Influenced by personal experience and shortcomings brought to light by the COVID-19 pandemic, Ylenia has worked on the design of a prototype mobile application to benefit elderly independence whether old people live with family or in a home.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Ian Mallia Ian’s interest in motion graphics stemmed from his experience working in the moving image sector. His visual work typically makes use of visual flow which he applies in a way that can be pleasing and entreating for the viewer. Recent research and studies pushed him to work with photogrammetry, a 3D modelling technique that allows an
artist to create photorealistic 3D models for use in computer graphics and videogames. His project uses augmented reality to render 3D hyper-realistic models of restaurant dishes. Taking inspiration from his culinary background, this application attempts to mitigate a customer’s expectations when ordering food from a kitchen.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Interactive Media
Aaron Sammut
Inspired by video games and drawn by his studies, Aaron finds interest in the fields of 3D modelling and product design. In his work, Aaron tries to push realistic visuals into the virtual domain. The objective of this project is to discover the efficacy of visualization tools for the customization of a vehicle in the automotive industry. It builds on
existing tools and explores improvements that can make a more immersive experience. His work features a realistic and interactable virtual car showroom through which a consumer is able to fully customize a defined vehicle. The application includes an accurate quotation system based on the different qualities that were applied.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Manuel Vassallo Manuel is an aspiring UX/UI designer with an affinity for digital marketing and graphic design. He finds that both disciplines were pivotal to the development of his skills and go-to techniques. Manuel’s personal work makes use of a design style that is minimal, clean and modern. He works to understand his audience
and resorts to contemporary trends to make products that are relevant to the market. Extensive target audience research pushed him to study the consumer’s purchase decision journey and opted to create the prototype of a social network for tech product reviews.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Interactive Media
Nicholai Zammit
Nicholai’s interest spans different disciplines, including graphic design, motion design and game development. He is always ready to learn new skills to add to his arsenal and give his work a creative edge. The majority of his time is spent working on graphic and motion design projects in the sectors of videogames and sports.
His project tailors augmented reality for use as an instructional platform for gym equipment. The mobile app is able to identify specific equipment and present appropriate health and safety guidelines for each machine. A combination of instructional text and superimposed videos was used to better showcase the proper use of equipment and reduce the risk of injury.
Space C1, Spazju Kreattiv
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
https://kabarnader. wixsite.com/ sahafabioredan Nader Kabar The work being showcased here is divided out in two aspects, the dissertation and the portfolio. In essence, both represent different fields of interest of the student, and while both are connected, they separate in the way that the subjects in them are discussed. The dissertation is about media influence, and explores the extent to which the news media has an influence on, or can change the opinions of, the general public. The main idea behind
the dissertation is to find out how strong this influence by the news media is. The portfolio, on the other hand, mainly contains written journalistic work, but also includes a number of interviews and photojournalistic work. In conclusion, the idea is to convey the message that his work is mainly that of writing and of interviews, above all else. The main areas of specialisation are political journalism and social justice.
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BA (Hons) in Journalism
https://nathanielmic. wixsite.com/ nathanielportfolio Nathaniel Micallef The main aim of this dissertation project, is to examine and analyze the role of an investigative sports journalist in local newsrooms. Nathaniel here examines the improvements made in technology and other crucial resources. Adding to this, through this study he also aims to discover if sports followers locally are seeing enough sportsrelated investigations and the relationship that they have with local sports journalists. The dissertation also discovers from where sports
followers and the general public access sports news. Another crucial question tackled in this study, is whether the participants consider foreign sports newsrooms to be more trustworthy than local ones. The portfolio on the other hand contains multimedia content produced throughout the diploma in media and the degree in journalism. The majority of the work exhibited in this portfolio consists of multimedia features and written journalistic projects.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
https:// mattheasghendo. wixsite.com/portfolio Matthea Sghendo The main area of work of the dissertation consists of research from different conflict events and in terms of broadcasted reportage specifically on television. This subject has always been an interesting field to further knowledge in. The research project explores the effects that war reportage on television have left on journalists and viewers – adults & children. Another reason why this area has been chosen is to explore the possibility of having an opportunity to work in this field as an
aspiring journalist. The dissertation made use of triangulation, including a questionnaire and a set of interviews of to further explore the topic. The portfolio shows variety of work, from text based to audio visual work, mainly composed throughout the degree. Different subjects and categories showcase different journalistic approaches. There is interest to work in the social media sphere, making use of writing skills as a content writer.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Journalism
https:// owenteuma1999. wixsite.com/website5 Owen Teuma The work presented reflects what is most enjoyed. Writing stories especially human stories and doing interviews are the two most favourite parts of the job. Numerous people were interviewed on a whole variety of subjects. These interviews focused on woman empowerment, church organisations and priests. “Il-Benniena” is a project which was recently started and these interviews
promote Gozitan heritage, traditions and culture. Vox pops are very beneficial because this way, you would be meeting different individuals in the street and reporting opinions. Journalism is not an easy job but it is a very rewarding one as you interact with many people and talk with them about their life challenges and rewards.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
https://michelatufigno.format.com/ Michela Tufigno This portfolio aims to showcase the questing mind of the student. The projects showcased in the portfolio relate to out of the box thinking and visuals that evoke every emotion under the sun. Heavily inspired by the works of George Orwell and Wilfred Owen, Michela’s approach aims to always explore all the different shades of colour that give answers to what and why things happen. Her conscience is ruled by
the idea that everyone’s reality is different, that no one is either right or wrong or possibly all right. Through her portfolio one can see this clearly through the different features where Michela’s values, opinion and heart are shown through her work. Everyone has a story to tell, and Michela will always be out to find it and tell it from every perspective.
Supported by
Theatre and Atrium Approach, Spazju Kreattiv
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Lisa Baldacchino “Natters that Matter” is a limited series podcast in which six sectors of the performing arts are tackled. These include Opera, Theatre Collectives and Dance. This podcast is an extension of Lisa’s B.A. dissertation titled Exploring the benefits of an Artistic Association in Malta. Lisa enters in dialogue with people from the different sectors, discussing the good, the bad and the
ugly. The listeners learn about how COVID-19 affected the sector and also about aspects like contracts and payments. Through this podcast Lisa hopes to get a better idea of such topics and bring forward these performing arts stories to the public. Acknowledgements: CMYK Advertising; MCAST ICA; Dr Tyrone Grima; Dr Victor Jacono; Ms Valentina Cauchi; Dr Jeanine Rizzo.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Performing Arts
Daniel Borg
“One Step Forward, Two Steps Back” is a satirical comedy performance, inspired greatly from the Renaissance theatre style, Commedia Dell’Arte. It portrays the first day back to school and the mischief that ensues. In this project, Daniel aspires to revive Commedia Dell’Arte in a contemporary setting, to make it more relevant to today’s audiences and also to share his passion for this theatre form. This stemmed from his educational journey, where he first encountered Commedia Dell’Arte, and fell in love with both its simplicities and complexities.
This project couldn’t have come to fruition without the help of these individuals who I thank from the bottom of my heart, namely: Ms Valentina Cauchi; Dr Victor Jacono; Dr Tyrone Grima; Dr Martina Caruana; Malcolm Micallef; Gianluca Bianco; Luke Camilleri; family Borg; friends and loved ones.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Katrina Borg Heavily influenced by the events that occurred because of the Covid-19 pandemic, “Thinking Inside the Box” is an exhibition that aims to discuss online performances. Delving into how the local performing arts were impacted, Katrina shares local practitioners’ opinions about the current restricted reality.
Special thanks to all the participants who agreed to sit for interviews, as well as my family and friends for their endless support.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Performing Arts
Emma Chetcuti
Emma’s solo performance explores how a hip-hop dancer can expand her performance aesthetics through theatrical characterization, following Konstantin Stanislavski’s System. The objective of this project is to shed light on the expressive range of hip-hop dance, beyond the stereotypes normally associated with this genre. She thus aims to show how important it is for a dancer to convey feelings through deep characterization to the audience.
Emma also wishes to explore ways in which hip-hop can develop further through the use of the System. Thus, Emma wishes to open yet another avenue that can bring dance and theatre practitioners together. Acknowledgements: My class peers; Dr Victor Jacono my tutor and teacher; Dr Martina Caruana; Dr Tyrone Grima; Dr Rene Mamo; Mr Moritz Zavan Stoeckle; Ms Valentina Cauchi; my family and friends.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Rachel Farrugia Hardie
“Geek Out” is a community-based performance, centered on the significance of music to geeks. The main aim of the project is to understand the role music plays in a community, its significance and treatment. This is a passion project by Rachel Farrugia Hardie, incorporating two loves, music and geeks, into one. It is a fun and colourful performance for an audience of 16+, making several references to pop culture and media that many geeks would understand
and enjoy. “Geek Out” follows an average day in the life of our character, Steve, and music is the medium that drives Steve, and the story, forward. Cast: Director - Rachel Farrugia Hardie; Actors - Shaun Calleja, Neil G Xuerab, Edmilson Zammit, Rachel Farrugia Hardie.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Performing Arts
Kyra Lautier
“Billy’s Game: A Saw Parody!” is a direct parody of the horror film “Saw” (2004). This anticipated adaptation serves to showcase how horror and comedy can work effectively together in a local theatre performance. This project is derived from a script that Kyra wrote and directed, with a young and enthusiastic cast consisting of Lisa Baldacchino, Katrina Borg, Jake Graves and David A. Muscat (don’t worry about them during the show, the blood will be fake). During rehearsals, she frequently collaborated with her actors and encouraged them to experiment with different ideas based on their own knowledge of the horror and comedy genre. In simpler terms, Billy’s Game
is what happens when you give a hyper-fanatic Performing Arts student full liberty to be chaotic. Due to the use of gore and strong language featured in this project, “Billy’s Game: A Saw Parody!” is rated 16+. Cast: Lisa Baldacchino, Katrina Borg, Jake Graves, David A. Muscat Special Thanks to: Dr Tyrone Grima, Ella Lautier, Robert Lautier, Sarah Lautier, Dr Martina Caruana, Valentina Cauchi, Lizzie McGee, Erica Muscat, Myron Ellul, Michael Farrugia, Neville Coleiro, Dominic Potter, The Big Apple, Studio 18,Team Starkid, Yoko, Level 6 Performing Arts Cohorts
Space C2, Spazju Kreattiv
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Cursty Bugeja Briffa “The Face of a Pandemic” is a social photodocumentary featuring people varying in age, gender and walks of life. These individuals are tied together by their experience of living in a global pandemic. This project aims to convey the dignity and humanity of each subject’s character to be remembered. Each photograph is accompanied by a handwritten note from the sitter aiming to create a stronger link between the image and overall narrative.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Photography
Laura Caruana
The project “Moment in Time” aims to explore people’s reliance on photographs to recall significant events in their lives, even though the majority of the photographs found in family albums are likely to depict happy events.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Andreas Hartz “Day Dreaming” is a surrealistic approach to visualising dreams and nightmares. What makes a dream solely depends on the individual’s personality, history, and upbringing. In this body of work, a number of individuals contributed their dreams and nightmares to be visually interpreted.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Photography
Mark Kitcher “Dissociate Possession” aims to challenge preconceived perceptions and break stereotypes. The project makes use of both portraiture and objects allowing the viewer to make up their own connections between the two.
Supported by
HAO LI LAI
Space A, Spazju Kreattiv
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Matthew Dalli A visionary alternate approach to hardware used within industrial sites – Matthew’s project is a study dedicated to enhancing the workflow of heavy machinery operators by implementing modern technology into personal protective equipment. Currently, operators depend on displays fitted to their radio remote controls to observe live data from their respective machines, which is both time consuming and uncomfortable for the operator. As a result of this unnecessary motion the operator continuously cranes his neck resulting in unwarranted fatigue and increased possibility of repetitive
strain injuries. The fundamental aim of the study was to provide operators with instrumental improvements such as: enhanced ergonomics, streamlined connectivity, and unhindered focus. Equipped with an augmented reality display from Sony, the designed helmet now makes data and statistics an eye glance away, eliminating unnecessary head movements. In addition to all of the above, the product applies existing technologies and materials with the scope of achieving a more affordable price-range within the market of smart helmets.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Product Design
Yiying Sui
Yiying’s project explores the relationship between physical objects and the human mind, which helps people to be tidy and caters to persons who suffer from OCD specifically subtypes of symmetry obsession and contamination. Persons who suffer from OCD are stuck in a repetition cycle while doing
their everyday tasks. The main inspiration was that there isn’t any furniture that could specifically benefit persons who suffer from OCD. This project not only helps people to subconsciously interact with the object, but also caters to persons who suffer OCD subtypes to break away from their routine and reassure them while performing daily tasks.
Supported by
HAO LI LAI
Space A, Spazju Kreattiv
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Maria Azzopardi The motive behind Maria’s project was to introduce a crematorium facility. Her idea emerged from the fact that currently there are no burial alternatives to traditional underground burial. Her vision was also to create a hospitable environment that helps aid the healing process of grief. The spatial configuration consists of a series of rooms reflecting the cremation process to allow mourners to meditate, leading to an experience of bereavement and remembrance.
Hitherto, local cemeteries lack design which focuses on the mourners themselves. Contrastingly, Maria’s endeavour projects a fresh impression of the phenomenon that is death by developing interactions between the individuals and the space they occupy. She believes that there is a great need for renovation to transform places of mourning into welcoming places where one can gather, grieve, and reflect when experiencing the loss of a loved one.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Spatial Design
Tamzen Bonavia
Tamzen’s project tackles loneliness in the elderly, and attempts to minimise and rectify some of the resulting problems. Knowledge and creativity in spatial design are instrumental and valuable to create a suitable activity area in a friendly, stimulating and safe environment. By giving the elderly something to look
forward to and a chance to socialise again will surely help them to regain their feeling of belonging in the community. The ultimate intent and main aim is to offer an alternative to the elderly that will eventually prevent or reduce negative impacts, resulting from loneliness, on both their physical and mental health.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Aidan Bonnici Aidan’s project provides an approach to promote local cultural heritage by introducing small structures along a coastline trekking trail. The structures themselves are inspired by the history and value of the site where located, and provide reliable information on the site through interactive media. The main purpose of introducing these structures is to attract more visitors to the sites, making the experience of learning about Maltese heritage more fun,
and making us appreciate more the beautiful scenes that the Maltese coastline can offer. The whole project consists of eight structures spread along the coastline from the areas of Hal Far up to Dingli. The project can also offer trekking enthusiasts the opportnity to plan their adventure around these local heritage sites, as incorporated in the proposed structures are also resting areas for the trekkers to have a place where to stop and take a break.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Spatial Design
Mariah Borg
Mariah’s project explores the ways design psychology affects the human mind, specifically those with a form of mental illness, exploring the physical and metaphysical relationship between humans and their surrounding built environment. The ultimate intent of this endeavor is to create an alternative space wholly separate from the inhumane conditions of our mental health care systems present to this day. Creating
facilities free from physical representations and reminders of stigmatization has become an urgent need within our society. It is time to prioritize the safety and comfort of patients suffering from mental illnesses by actively incorporating design psychology into our spaces. Doing so will return these people their dignity and start to address the stigma surrounding these issues.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Rebekah Borg Rebekah’s project investigates how design psychology influences people’s stress and anxiety levels, particularly those who are about to donate blood. The overarching goal of this project is to create a space that not only attracts donors, but also makes them feel at ease and relaxed from the moment they enter the building up until they donate. Creating a space that can handle diverse users with different levels of
stress and anxiety has become a pressing necessity in our society. Since blood can neither be made nor preserved for a long time, this would inevitably increase the amount of donations made, making it easier for those in need. It is therefore important that one feels comfortable when donating blood to help society, as this can lead to the donor returning to donate again and inspiring others to do the same.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Spatial Design
Hale Cakirci
Hale’s project explores the positive effects of design on human psychology. In particular, it explores how to improve the living spaces of refugees to help them improve themselves physically and psychologically after the traumatic experience they may have encountered till they found refuge. The focus of this dissertation project is to provide a new alternative environment that is completely safe and void of the inhumane conditions that exist in today’s refugee camps. By acknowledging that everyone is deserving of self-esteem and to be
treated with dignity it is evident that refugees in Malta deserve to live in much better conditions than they are today. By addressing these individuals’ physiological and safety needs, we would be aiding these individuals to move past their traumas and improve themselves. This project thus aims, to omit the social injustice which is currently present with the inhumane conditions of refugee camps and introduce a new design which would enable the refugees to reclaim their dignity and wellbeing.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Adriana Cilia Adriana’s project aims to instil more interest in reading while exploring the concept of a library in an openair space. It explores the aspects of having people educating themselves through reading while relaxing and enjoying the surroundings around them. The main idea is to provide a space where one can sit down and relax, away from the usual hectic life, while enjoying a good book and the natural environment. The design is
created in a way to complement the artistic aspects of the surroundings. It also looks at the sustainable aspect by using solar panels to power its lighting, and glass windows to allow natural lighting. Furthermore, it also includes plants to create a more natural look to the library pod. This project will give another space where Maltese people can relax, and enjoy nature while reading in this new modern idea of a library.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Spatial Design
Sara Ann Curmi
Sara’s project examines the drive to create a space dedicated to music and dance in Gozo for the community, with an aim to engage the community in social, educational and recreational activities irrespective of their age, gender and race. Numerous cultural events take place during the year to promote culture which tend to focus on traditional aspects of Gozitan culture, such as “ghana” and Maltese folk dance. Yet Gozitan individuals have taken it upon themselves to build
their own platforms on which to showcase their work. Therefore, the intent of this community centre is to help those individuals who want to learn music and dance but also for artists. It is time to appreciate the arts and give the community a space with the finest facilities such as professional recording studios, dance studios, classrooms and a small-scaled theatre, where they can learn, network and showcase their talent in a friendly, interactive and accessible environment.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Deon Diedo The rationale behind Deon’s project was to introduce a professional, well-planned target shooting facility that would ensure adequate space for local and foreign shooters to practice the sport, irrelevant of their experience within such a field. Thorough research revealed that local facilities catering for this type of sport currently do not meet professional requirements. Therefore, creating an effective facility would ensure more
participation, improved practice conditions, and ultimately a safer and healthier environment. Furthermore the project also focuses on highlighting the user’s experience, embracing ease of use, integration, and interaction, through several design elements. The incorporation of design within a sport facility of the type would portray another approach to the sport, allowing a broad target audience to consider taking up such activities.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Spatial Design
Nicole Debono
Nicole`s project explores how designing a space could reduce loneliness in our seniors and increase empathy and kindness in our youngest generation by amalgamating both generations in one space. The aim of this venture is to create a new way of caring for senior adults in residential homes, and young children in nurseries. The space is designed for both
generations’ needs, and with the required safety standards to organise activities for them to participate together. It is time to develop and try a new way of care to help reduce loneliness for our older generation, and create a better future for our young generation to increase empathy and kindness from a young age.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Celine Farrugia Celine’s project is based on a co-working space that is specifically targeted to photographers and videographers, setting a step to start-ups and students in the industry and recognising their art. With the growth of co-working spaces and the developments around the world that are reshaping our views on work environments, the initiative for such
space is to create a collaborative environment of creative individuals from the industry where they could share their experience and knowledge while also displaying their work. This space includes all the gear and amenities needed by photographers and videographers, emphasizing the value of working and networking with other artists.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Spatial Design
Edward Grech
Edward’s project proposes a new method of how religious artefacts can be displayed and appreciated by the public in a new interactive way, creating a space where the present and future generations can experience and communicate the history of the village through these artefacts and related media. Since many churches in Malta, are in possession of valuable artefacts
which unfortunately are not stored or exhibited in spaces where these artefacts can be appreciated throughout the year, this project helps in creating an adequate space for this concept. Interactivity enhances the visitor’s experience in a museum, hence this concept is explored and applied for this space, as a model for further museums of this type.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Amy Micallef Amy’s project focuses on how a spatial environment can influence psychologically the process of coping with trauma. The objective is to promote awareness on the realistic challenges of PTSD by exploring ways on how to help with the healing process. In this day and age, mental health is a priority in our lives and the goal is to understand how the surrounding environment can change one’s behavior by emphasizing on different design elements that can
help reduce anxiety and stress from re-living such traumatic experiences. Designing such facility would increase the percentage of people seeking treatment whilst acknowledging them by creating a safe space and reducing the risk of substance abuse or mental illness. Hence, the aim is to endorse the idea of treating PTSD as a psychological response rather than a mental illness itself.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Spatial Design
Charles Moore
Charles’ project examines the notion of Maltese sacred spaces by investigating their typology and characteristics that evolved through the distinct eras. Through this project, Charles aims to rehabilitate the Kordin III temples surroundings, and the hall of the former St Joseph School. This demarcation of spaces presents a spiritual and sensory experience that exemplifies the journey of life vis-à-vis sacred spaces. The evolutionary journey commences from the largest node,
which embodies the early stages of one’s life, subsequently proceeding towards the Kordin III temples, from a choice of three unique paths that represent man’s diverse life events and spiritual journeys. The pathways illustrate life’s possible struggles, especially during adolescence. The Kordin III temples symbolise the peak of this journey that mirrors the culmination in one’s life. The journey proceeds to other landscape areas that signify other life phases.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Christopher Muscat Christopher’s project explores the importance of the life of convicts / ex-convicts’ after prison, to help them integrate back into society. The ultimate intent is designing a residence for convicts, where they can stay during the last months of their sentence and while participating in a rehabilitation program. This specifically designed space will provide residents their independence and also offer support to prepare
them for full integration within our society. The space will cater for a psychologist center for residents to improve their mental health. By designing this space for convicts, it will help remove the stigma that comes when a person is incarcerated. There is the need to build more similar residences to help convicts after prison because currently in Malta there is only one such house.
Diversify
BA (Hons) in Spatial Design
Martina Muscat
Martina’s project aims to propose a centre within a local context, which creates a space for all those within Malta’s art community. The purpose is to support the art culture within today’s society, while also helping the art community to grow by giving artists a space to utilize. The open art community centre being designed seeks to rehabilitate and improve an abandoned space by introducing essential resources. The objective of the centre is to create a space where
artists can be able to work in an adequate and safe environment, while also being able to use the provided resources to create and implement new art. By designing the centre into a space where creativity, knowledge, and skill-sharing can exist, the space in turn can help artists and designers to socially interact and learn from each other, while also helping to improve the community where the design is being implemented.
MCAST ICA Festival 2021
Tasha Thorne Tasha’s project explores the need of having a Parent and Baby Unit together with a Child Friendly Visitation Area for inmates at the Corradino Correctional Facility. Currently there is no such space since the prison is overpopulated and, if the prison is expanded, the design to facilitate these needs can be implemented. The ultimate intent is to provide pregnant mothers and children of inmates with a safer and
more secure environment, and most importantly a more comfortable environment. Currently, mothers are still mixed with other inmates, and children visiting their parents are still making use of the old visitation room. It is time to start giving priority to the mental health of the inmates’ children and pregnant mothers by providing them with an appropriate setting, while reducing stress and anxiety of these inmates.