FIRST April 2018

APRIL 2018

MALTA INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL SARA EZABE – THE 21 YEAR OLD WORKING TO EXTINGUISH FEAR THE STRUGGLE OF SMALL-SCALE FISHERIES

Editor’s note

hen you read this, I will be visiting a town in America for a project, where, on a technological level, residents are living as we did in the 1980’s or early 1990’s – no Wifi, no smartphones, no microwaves. As I write this, a few days before travelling there, I can predict one thing: I will definitely appreciate the no news feed and no mobile phone-ringing break. (Actually I can predict another: I’m going to miss the warm weather in Malta which is slowly peeping through on the days when winter decides to give way to spring.) However, in a world where news is more often than not anger-inducing, I think that a mental breather from information overload would do all of us good – even just to take some time to process our own thoughts on situations.

When it comes to news, I also often find that the sparks of hope in discouraging situations are sometimes drowned out. And I think they are important to keep in mind and weigh in.This issue looks at a few people from the many who are working for causes about which they care. Sara Ezabe, a 21-year-old who recently got a mention as a Forbes honoree for influencing policy, directs all her energy towards challenging fear in Malta when it comes to Islam and racism in general. In Fishing in the Dark, Consuming in the Dark, we take a look at the struggle faced by small-scale fisheries, and speak to Gilbert Calleja and J.D. Farrugia who, through photography and activism respectively, are understanding and raising awareness about the issue, which is tied closely to sustainability in the catching and consumption of local fish.

Our Bookmark this month shows the addition of the picture of Slovak journalist Jan Kuciak to the makeshift memorial for Daphne Caruana Galizia. By uncovering corruption, the two were activists on a daily basis. The placing of flowers and candles surrounding the pictures has also turned into a form of activism in itself. We also speak to Rosalind Agius from the Association for Abandoned Animals which is taking in dogs that that have been abandoned, sometimes even after living with a family for years. On a different note, we take a closer look at the latest work of artist Victor Agius in time for his upcoming exhibition, and ask expert Doreen Mercieca some questions related to autism locally.

I hope you enjoy this issue as much as you do the ever-increasing days of sunshine. Until next month!

JOANNA DEMARCO Editor

Editor Joanna Demarco jdemarco@independent.com.mt Advertising Manager Sean Ellul sellul@independent.com.mt Designer Conrad Bondin cbondin@independent.com.mt Production manager Andre Camilleri acamilleri@independent.com.mt Publisher Standard Publications, Standard House, Birkikara Hill, St Julian’s. Tel: 00356-2134-5888 Printer Print it E-mail first@independent.com.mt Online www.independent.com.mt Facebook firstmagazine.

Cover details: Malta International Music Festival. Photo © Julian Hargreaves First is published as a complimentary magazine with The Malta Independent on Sunday and is not to be sold separately.

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Contributors GRETA MUSCAT AZZOPARDI Writer, project manager, branding specialist, documentation geek. Greta operates between the art, business and environmental fields, looking to build bridges and work towards more meaningful ways of interacting. She co-manages The Amber Spark that offers creative services with the same aim at heart. www.theamberspark.com www.greta-ma.com

HELENA GRECH Helena is a journalist with The Malta Independent, and is fascinated by social policy and its wider effects on various communities within Malta. She also transforms into a bumbling fool around dogs.

DORIANNE MAMO Dorianne is a content creator and a fashion stylist. She’s interested in all things fashion, travel and beauty and blogs on whatever she finds intriguing on www.askdorianne.com

MATTHEW SPITERI Matthew Spiteri is a local, award-winning fashion photographer.

Find him on his ‘Matthew B Spiteri photographer’ Facebook page.

ALESSIA CARUANA Alessia is a full time theatre-goer, art lover and satirical writer. She loves painting in her off time and enjoys travelling and laughing as much as she does dressing up.

Follow us on Instagram @firstmagazinemalta Want to be a contributor? Email us on first@independent.com.mt

CONTENTS [ A PR IL ISSUE 2 01 8 ]

10.

42.

60.

The struggles of small-scale fisheries

Spring Lamb Tajine by The Mediterranean Culinary Academy

ENVIRONMENT

CONVERSATION WITH Charles and Ron

13.

INSIDE

Meet the 21-year-old working to extinguish fear

24.

8

30.

FASHION

47.

ART

Victor Agius’ new exhibition ‘Terrae’

White on stone

51.

ART

38.

ANIMAL RESCUE

AWARENESS

Work by Picasso and Miro gracing the capital

A closer look at dog abandonment in Malta

Autism in Malta. Where we are now, and the way forward.

RECIPE

62.

OPINION Are fashion bloggers and social media influencers the same thing?

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INTERVIEW

CONVERSATION WITH Charles and Ron FIRST SPEAKS TO CHARLES AND RON VAN MAARSCHALKERWEERD BORG, THE PAIR BEHIND THE CHARLES AND RON FASHION DESIGN HOUSE

Interview by Joanna Demarco

HOW WOULD YOU DEFINE FASHION? Fashion is a very important part of our life but in general fashion should be fun, a form of self expression and not taken too seriously.

WHAT DID ANNA WINTOUR’S RECENT COMPLIMENT MEAN TO YOU? WHY? We were privileged to be part of the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange and attended the launch of the exhibition at Buckingham Palace. Seeing your design inside Buckingham Palace is quite surreal and to make it even more special, Vogue’s Hamish Bowles and Anna Wintour complimented us on our gown. This is a great satisfaction and in the fashion world you can’t get any more important praise then Anna Wintour’s praise!

MALTESE ELEMENTS HAVE A STRONG PRESENCE IN YOUR BRAND. WHY ARE THEY AN INSPIRATION FOR YOU? Malta has always been of enormous inspiration to our work, and throughout the years we have always enjoyed designing from a Mediterranean point of view.

For us it’s important to incorporate certain aspects of culture, architecture and tradition and show them in a different and unexpected way. From the beginning we always incorporated these references as they define us as a brand, and it’s important to embrace and appreciate your heritage.

WHAT DOES 2018 LOOK LIKE FOR YOU? 2018 has started off in a very busy and exciting way, we have shown our latest collection during Fashion week in NY and LA and in between there was the launch of the Commonwealth Fashion Exchange in London. In the coming months we will open a new shop in Malta and in summer we are invited to show our collection in Gibraltar and Romania.

WHAT IS THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE SOMEONE HAS EVER GIVEN YOU? Do your own thing and don’t follow others.

WHAT PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ASPIRING FASHION DESIGNERS? The same advice we were given: Do your own thing and don’t try to follow in someone else’s footsteps. And secondly: work, work, work.

HOW DO YOU WANT WOMEN TO FEEL WHEN THEY ARE WEARING YOUR CLOTHES? In the past year we’ve had the pleasure to dress many international celebrities and this is very satisfying for a designer, however we take pride in designing for all kinds of women. The Charles & Ron woman does love statement pieces with a feminine silhouette and is never afraid of standing out in a crowd.

WHEN YOU ARE NOT WORKING, HOW DO YOU UNWIND? This is very rare, but we both love spending time in Gozo and this is the only place where we truly relax.

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INSIDE

SARA EZABE THE 21-YEAR-OLD WORKING TO EXTINGUISH FEAR Sara Ezabe is a 21-year-old Maltese law student who was recently awarded the title of a Forbes honouree for her role in influencing law and policy in Europe. She is also a recipient of Queen Elizabeth’s Young Leaders Award. Her activism is mainly aimed at challenging the fear towards Muslims in Maltese culture – an underlying emotion which she believes is brought about by a lack of understanding.

Interview and photography by Joanna Demarco

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INSIDE Sara, as someone who has grown up in Malta as a Muslim, can you describe your experiences of discrimination?

“I think that, rather than discrimination, it is racism or Islamophobia. It is fear. In general, I don’t face discrimination but rather this fear and these misconceptions from people.

“Here is an example: on the bus, I feel people will not sit next to me, even if it’s the last free seat. I do feel the Islamophobia – and that’s a problem in itself. The fact that you are uncomfortable in the presence of someone is worrying. There is, however, a general discrimination against people who wear a headscarf. Many people have said that, in the private sector, they have often been discriminated against because of this.”

In your opinion, what needs to be done in order for this fear to be reduced?

“I feel that, in various sectors, there are different things which can be implemented. For example, in education: students should be taught certain things from a young age, especially since education is compulsory. Through this compulsory education, everyone should understand that Malta is part of a bigger world than just that of Europe. This is very important, because most of our misconceptions come from not being knowledgeable about certain things. One example of this is how close we are to other countries!

“You would be surprised by how many people think that Africa is one country, when it is actually the continent with the most countries. Generalisations then come from this lack of knowl-

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edge. For example, if we know a person is Muslim, then we assume that they are from Africa or Saudi Arabia.

“I was educated in a state school and feel that we never really had the opportunity to learn about different countries and to understand that (despite geographical and cultural differences), everyone is just another person like us. Despite our differences, there are also many similarities that we share, and I think it is very important to learn this.”

What could be done at the political level?

“In order to reduce fear, I would like to see politicians making stronger statements against discrimination, Islamophobia and racism. Sometimes, without really knowing – especially when it comes to immigration and refugees, politicians unfortunately end up saying things that ultimately harm the community at large. One example of this is referring to individuals as ‘illegal immigrants’ when discussing deportation. It is not even correct because the people described as ‘illegal immigrants’ are people with temporary human protection. Situations of this nature require familiarity with the jargon and are very sensitive. Misconceptions will then result in fear – fear of the unknown. ▶

“On a bus, I feel people would not sit near me, even if it’s the last seat that is free.

People have this kind of fear”

INSIDE

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INSIDE ◀ “Some people tend to just see migrants as people who are here illegally. Again, this is the exception rather than the rule. People seeking asylum spend a lot of time going through checks, before they are allowed to live freely. It should also be understood that not all migrants are Muslims – they can be Christians, Jews or atheists. Understanding the bigger picture is important in reducing the fear because it is usually our prejudice that brings us to the wrong conclusions.

“When making such statements, politicians need to be more careful in the words they use. Some people accept everything that politicians say so a degree of caution is needed.

In addition, this subject should not just be tackled by NGOs but also the government and various other entities to create safe spaces in which to listen to different religious communities, as well as anyone else who is finding it difficult to feel that they belong. This will also help them (the authorities) acquire a better insight when designing policy, and will ensure better implementation of the policy in question once it is adopted.

When I began wearing my headscarf at secondary school, I felt that it was at the discretion of the headmistress, as there were no clear guidelines. It could very well be that another headmistress would have been uncomfortable with this situation. Having clear guidelines would ensure a common approach and the protection of the individuals concerned. Things need to be highlighted in more concrete terms, and taking more proactive action is key.

Can you tell me a bit about your activism?

I have co-founded the campaign called ‘Redefining Us’, together with my friend Naomi, which mostly tackles identity, so is quite broad-based. In fact, the name itself is derived from the idea of redefining (Maltese) identity. We have organised a number of events and raise awareness about such issues linked with racism, Islamophobia and discrimination. Sometimes I am invited to attend events because of the campaign, and sometimes as an honouree of the Queen’s Young Leaders Programme.

I have also worked on policy recommendations, especially in the area of online hate speech.

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However, there have been other initiatives that are not policy-oriented but more action-based; I do it out of passion, making the most out of every opportunity which comes along. Attending conferences by anyone who offers me the space always means there is a different audience, and you never know who might be listening. At the end of the day, this activism is not something you can put a lot of funding into –it depends on people really, and whoever is there to listen.

You just have to take the opportunity – and also have an ear open yourself to what the audience has to say.

In your opinion, Islamophobia growing?

is

Yes. If you look abroad as well, it is an evergrowing movement with the support of young people too. Again – it is education that needs to change, and not just in Malta.

These days the information is available to us, but if you see the way things are reported it always seems to be feeding the prejudice.

How would you describe Islam as a religion?

With many of my relatives and friends being Christian, I find that the idea behind all religions is the same: peace, understanding, respect, love and the idea of God is that there is one protector.

Even when it comes to religious practices such as fasting, praying and visiting Mecca in Islam, there are similar customs in other religions. For example, the Muslim day of prayer is Friday, whilst for Jews it is Saturday and for Christians it is Sunday.

Ok, fasting for Muslims is different from fasting for Christians, but at the end of the day, the basic idea of sacrifice and self-restraint is fundamental. Islam speaks a whole lot about giving and sharing as well, and what I feel attached to most about Islam is that, in its ideal form, there is no hierarchy and that the Quran is subject to interpretation.

“Some people would just see migrants as people who are here illegally. It is not the case. They spend a lot of time in detention centres, they go through a whole process.

They are not only Muslims but there are Christians, Atheists, Jews.”

In many cases, people’s opinions don’t change until they meet someone – and this is something I see through my own experience. I am always being asked questions, including why am I Muslim and who do I believe in. I’ve actually looked up all this information in order to better educate myself and be able to give better answers and explanations. People’s opinions depend on their experiences, education and to whom they are exposed.

It is also just about being more respectful and understanding towards people. Personally, I have never met a Hindu person, but if I do, I will be understanding and respectful towards them because being human is something that we can all understand, before identifying differences. At the end of the day, it is a lot about that: ultimately, everyone is just an individual.

In my opinion, politics has somehow abused this however. Obviously, religion is a very complex subject, but it is the simple things that give it value – such as peace, love and understanding – which, again, are not exclusive to Islam. This is something I feel my experience has taught me, as I grew up with half of my external family practicing Islam and the other half practicing Christianity. It taught me that love, empathy and understanding are universal and that the more you educate yourself to appreciate differences, whilst also cherishing the similarities, the more peaceful and united the community will be.

After all, whatever our religion, nationality, skin colour, ethnic background or other differences, we all long to belong and to find happiness.

BOOKMARK

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BOOKMARK

A picture of investigative journalist Jan Kuciak and his fiancee Martina Kusnirova is placed in March next to one of Daphne Caruana Galizia at the Great Siege Memorial, which has become the makeshift memorial for Caruana Galizia. Jan Kuciak and Martina Kusnirova were murdered in their home at the end of February.

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Photography by Alikhan Photography

PROMOTION

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PROMOTION

A CONSTELLATION OF CLASSICAL MUSIC STARS The Malta International Music Festival 2018

he 6th Malta International Music Festival will take place in Valletta from the 15th of April to the 1st of May 2018. This year, the festival has attracted a significant number of the world’s most famous musicians: the incredible superstar violinist Maxim Vengerov, the Berliner Philharmoniker solo-clarinetist Andreas Ottensamer, the most celebrated Italian violinist of his generation Salvatore Accardo, the breathtaking pianist Nikolai Lugansky, and Ray Chen, who is among the most compelling young violinists of today.

The famous Russian opera singer Lyuba Kazarnovskaya will not only put on a concert, but will also recount the events of the festival in detail in an exclusive programming of the medici.tv channel. Legendary pianist Grigori Sokolov will take part in the festival for the second time in a row with a recital.

Also, the winners at the final stage out of eleven international piano competitors will be known, for a first prize of 100,000 Euro and a prize fund of 200,000 Euro. The series began in July 2017 and since then has been taking place in 11 cities located across the Eurasian continent.

The 115th anniversary of the great Armenian composer Aram Khachaturian will also be celebrated with an exuberant symphony concert featuring celebrities and a large-scale exposition. Meanwhile, the fans of the most popular and loved Russian composer Sergei Rachmaninov can celebrate his 145th anniversary at the concert of the great pianist Nikolai Lugansky.

Moreover, many celebrities are expected to feature the festival, including stars of classical music, composers, leaders of famous festivals and publishing houses. “MUSIC, LIKE LIFE ITSELF...�, the title of one of the concerts within the festival, will be devoted

to the works of the outstanding Georgian composer Giya Kancheli who will attend the whole duration of the festival.

World class orchestras and chamber ensembles like Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and Malta Philharmonic Orchestra will participate in the festival by conductors Sergey Smbatyan, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Sergei Stadler and Tigran Akhnazarian.

The festival highly emphasizes contemporary composers, especially the pieces by the contemporary Maltese composer Alexey Shor. Among a number of works, his symphonic cycle for two orchestras Images from the Great Siege will be premiered. The composer has dedicated his work to one of the most significant and famous historical events in the history of Malta: the unsuccessful attempt by the Ottoman Empire to invade the island in 1565, then held by the Maltese Knights.

Some of the young, rising stars in the field will appear in the festival: once again, the winner of the Tchaikovsky Competition, cellist Narek Hakhnazaryan, and, for the first time, the winner of the Queen Elisabeth Competition, the pianist Denis Kozhukhin.

The symphonic concerts and events of the festival will take place at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, which is situated in one of the oldest European buildings Sacra Infermeria. The chamber concerts will be held in the Robert Sammut Hall, one of the unique Maltese architectural structures of the 19th century.

Photography by Wolf-Dieter Grabner

From ancient times, the rise of the Pleiades constellation in spring was thought to be a favourable omen for the beginning of navigation.

Similarly, a constellation of classical music stars in Valletta will mark the beginning of a season of summer festivals across the Mediterranean.

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2018 15

19 APRIL•8 PM ana

APRIL•8 PM

Robert Samut Hall, Flori

Robert Samut Hall, Floriana

CONCERTO EXTRAVAGANZA

COSMOPOLITAN TRIO VIENNA

Julia Zilberquit Piano Dmitry Sitkovetsk y Conductor / Violin Arm enia n State Sym phony Orch estra

HAYDN•VELL A•SCHUBERT

16 APRIL•8 PM MCC Republic Hall

GALA CONCERT

VIVALDI/BACH RESPSIGHI•SHOR VIVALDI THE FOUR SEASONS

FO: KETS &&IN TICKETS INFO: TIC

w.showshappening.com www.showshappening.com ww 05 7 777705 +356 2787 6 278 +35 info@maltafest.eu @maltafest.eu info

8 PM 22 APRIL• Hall, Valletta MCC Republic

THE GREAT SIEGE

www.maltafest.eu www.maltafest.eu

26 APRIL•8 PM

8 PM 29 APR• t Hall, Floriana

SEASCAPES

TRIO KHACHATURIAN

MCC Republic Hall, Valletta

Joint Concert of Armenian State Symphony Orchestra and Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Sergey Smbatyan Conductor

SHOR "Images from the Great Siege" KHACHATURIAN Pieces from "Spartacus"

8 PM 23 APRIL• Hall, Valletta MCC Republic

TRAVEL NOTEBOOK

20 APRIL•8 PM Valletta

Armenian State Symphony Orchestra & Soloists of of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra Sergey Smbatyan Conductor

RIL — 5 AAPPR 115 AAYYIL — 11M M Robert Samu

Ray Chen Violin Armenian State Symphony Orchestra Sergey Smbatyan Conductor

Karen Shakhgaldyan Violin Armine Grigoryan Piano Karen Kocharyan Cello

SMETANA The Moldau PELECIS•VELL A•SHOR

8 PM 30 APR•Hall, Valletta

27 APRIL•8 PM

MCC Republic Hall, Valletta

KHACHATURIAN•SHOR BABADJANYAN MCC Republic

THE MAGIC CELLO

GRIGORY SOKOLOV

MCC Republic Hall,

RACHM ANINOFF

MOZART•STRAUSS •WIENIAWSKI

17 APRIL•8 PM

Concert is dedicated to the 14 5th anniversar y of Sergei Rachmaninoff

MCC Republic Hall, Valletta

MUSIC, LIKE LIFE ITSELF...

Nikolai Lugansky Piano Armenian State Symphony Orchestra Sergey Smbatyan Conductor

Denis Kozhukhin Piano Armenian State Symphony Orchestra Sergey Smbatyan Conductor

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV “Scheherazade” SHOR "Travel Notebook"

8 PM 24 APRIL• Hall, Valletta

21 APRIL•8 PMValletta MCC Republic Hall,

Armenian State Symphony Orchestra Sergey Smbatyan Conductor

THE WELL TEMPERED CHANSON

18 APRIL•8 PM

LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING!

Lyuba Kazarnovskaya Soprano Quintet "HARMONY"

The Beatles•Shor•Sinatra Pavarotti Callas•Schaljapin Minnelli

8 PM 25 APRIL• Hall, Valletta

MCC Republic Hall, Valletta

28 APR•8 PM

MCC Republic Hall, Valletta

SALVATORE ACCARDO

MCC Republic

MA XIM VENGEROV

Arm enia n State Sym phony Orch estra Sergey Smbatyan Conductor

BIZET “Carmen” Suite MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto ALEXEY SHOR "Flight of a Falcon"

29 APR•1–6 PM

MCC Republic Hall, Valletta

David Aaron Carpenter th

Concert is dedicated to the 115 anniversar y of Aram Khac hatur ian Aiman Mussakhajayeva Violin Sergey Smbatyan Conductor Malta Philharmonic Orchestra

ARA M KHACHATURIAN "Masquerade", Violin Concerto, "Gayaneh"

ORGA ORGANIZED BY:NIZED BY:

Viola Sergei Stadler Conductor Armenian State Symphony Orchestra

TCHAIKOVSKY “The Sleeping Beauty” SHOR “The Well Tempered Chanson”

ENDORSED BY:

ENDORSED BY:

PARTNERS:

PARTNERS:

Maxim Vengerov Violin Armenian State Symphony Orchestra Sergey Smbatyan Conductor

TCHAIKOVSKY “Swan Lake”, Violin Concerto

TCHAIKOVSKY “Romeo and Juliet” ELGAR Cello Concerto in E minor SHOR Three Pieces for Cello and Orchestra

PM 1 MAY•8Hall, Valletta MCC Republic

MCC Republic

Vocalise, Paganini Rhapsody, Symphonic Dances

Concert is dedicated to the music by Giya Kanc heli Andrea Cortesi Violin Giorgi Zagareli Viola

HAYDN•SCHUBERT

Narek Hakhnazaryan Cello Armenian State Symphony Orchestra Tigran Akhnazar yan Conductor

THE ENCHANTMENT OF THE CRYSTAL SOUND

Andreas Ottensamer Clarinet Armenian State Symphony Orchestra Sergey Smbatyan Conductor

CAMILLERI Malta Suite PROKOFIEV “Romeo and Juliet” PENDERECKI Chaconne SHOR Verdiana

MALTA INTERNATIONAL PIANO COMPETITION 2018 FINA L ROUN D

MEDIA PARTNERS:

MEDIA PARTNERS:

RECOMMENDED BY:

RECOMMENDED BY:

PROMOTION

CELEBRATING SUCCESS IN LIFELONG LEARNING The National Diploma in Teaching Adults was launched in 2014 by the Directorate for Research, Lifelong Learning and Employability within the Ministry for Education and Employment. The Directorate launched this programme accredited at level 5 to improve the quality of adult education in Malta. he diploma was designed to be completed by those already working or interested in adult education and training. It gave participants the flexibility to accommodate different personal and work requirements. Applicants who completed 13 modules were awarded the diploma. As part of the course, participants completed a practicum which involved creating, planning, delivering and evaluating a course for adults.

“We are thrilled that these newly-graduated adult educators will now be able to guide adult learners on the diverse range of subjects offered by the Directorate, as well as through other learning offers organised by other providers.”

The Directorate is the National Support Service for EPALE, the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe, which is an online platform community for professionals working in the adult

Speaking at the graduation ceremony held last November, the Honourable Evarist Bartolo, the Minister for Education and Employment, stressed that the future of the world depends on lifelong learning. “Whatever your stage in life, it is vital to invest in yourself, to become better skilled and to have better values,” he said.

“I commend the companies that are putting work-place learning at the forefront of their development and am eager to see them taking a pedagogical approach to the up-skilling of their workers. We must continue building on what has already been achieved.’’

“Three years down the line and 130 students are celebrating their success with regards to these courses,” says Mandy Mifsud, the Education Officer within the Directorate. “The journey hasn’t been an easy one – especially as this was the first time that the Directorate offered a Level 5 course – but it has been very positive. We believe that our aim – to improve the professional adult educator for lifelong learning – is being achieved and we look forward to seeing what these graduates achieve now as a result of their new-found skills.”

“We believe that these courses help to underline the culture of learning that encourage freedom of thought,” says Daniela Blagojevic, Assistant Director. “Lifelong learning is about so much more than ‘going back to school’ and helps to equip adult learners with skills that they can use in so many different aspects of their lives, whether they are hoping to forward their careers or want to gain new competencies or try new things.”

education sector. EPALE is funded by the European Commission, in an ongoing effort to improve the quality of adult learning in Europe. The platform enables the sharing of content related to adult learning, including news, blog posts, resources, events, and courses.

EPALE has a community of over 30,000 registered members.

Register on the Electronic Platform for Adult Learning in Europe: https://ec.europa.eu/epale/en Lifelong Learning courses: www.lifelonglearning.gov.mt Facebook: Adult Learning in Malta LinkedIn: EPALE Malta Twitter: EPALE_MT

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ART

Joan Miró Tête, oiseau [Head, Bird] February 18, 1976 Oil on canvas 65 x 54 cm Private Collection on temporary loan © Successió Miró 2018

Pablo Picasso Femme nue assise, la Tête appuyée sur la Main [Seated nude] March 9, 1934 Burin/ Montval laid paper 278 x 198 mm / 445 x 340 mm Fundación MAPFRE’s Collections © Sucesión Pablo Picasso, VEGAP, Madrid, 2018

OVER 100 WORKS

by Picasso and Miro gracing Valletta

icking off this month, works by two of the most influential 20th century Spanish artists – Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro will be displayed at the Grand Master’s Palace in Valletta, under the exhibition name ‘The Flesh and The Spirit’.

World-renowned Picasso is acknowledged for many things, including co-founding the cubist movement, and is believed by critics to be one of the founders of modern art, amongst others. Meanwhile, Miro is known for his work in surrealism.

Brought to Valletta from the La Suite Vollard collection, the exhibition displays 100 prints

by Picasso alongside 40 paintings of Joan Miro from the Espacio Miro exhibition in Madrid.

The exhibition, which will be on until June, is presented as a double journey – one from black and white to colour, and the other

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from violence to the celebration of life – from carnality to spirituality.

The exhibition will be brought to Malta by Fundacion Mapfre, in collaboration with the Office of the President of Malta and Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti (FPM), as part of an international project titled ‘Picasso-Mediterranee’ – an initiative from Musee national Picasso – Paris. The latter is an international cultural event held between spring 2017 and spring of 2019. In total, more than 60 cultural institutions have come together in order to conjure up a programme around the Mediterranean work of Pablo Picasso.

Fundación MAPFRE believes that Culture enriches people’s lives and they have spent many years bringing art and history closer to the public through exhibitions, courses and publications which combine the interest of experts with the public.

Pablo Jiménez Burillo, director of the

Culture Department at Fundación Mapfre and curator of the show, explained: "This project intends to display something more than a show of two of the most significant creators of the 20th century who really shook up traditional art. This exhibition not only tries to delve into the soul of the artists through their powerful passions, feelings and inspirations, but it will also demonstrate the significance of their personal universes, full of symbols, which depict their personalities. While Picasso unties the dark forces of the male obsessions and delights in female beauty, Miró instructs us in pure colours and free gestures, which represent the generosity of nature and the key to attain happiness.”

The Flesh and the Spirit Grand Master's Palace, Palace Square, Valletta. Tel: 21249349 Open daily 7th April to 30th June 2018 (Mon-Fri 10-4:30, last admission at 4; Sat and Sun 9-4:30, last admission at 4).

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PROMOTION

LA FEMME PRADA L’EAU

INTRODUCTION When imagining the ideal summer escape, perhaps sounds and sensations come to mind first. It’s a combination of heat and refreshing coolness: mist spraying over hot white sand, crunching through dry fields towards a sparkling river surrounded by greenery, the sun glimmering through leaves. It’s the first blast of cool air indoors on a too-hot day, or the unexpected temperature shift under a lush shade tree.

These are the textures and temperatures of freshness, and the inspirations for the newest Prada scents, La Femme Prada L’Eau and L’Homme Prada L’Eau. Whereas the first fragrances in the La Femme Prada et L’Homme Prada line represent a full spectrum of feeling – like a full weekend away, all in one bottle – were the intense iterations were as heightened emotionally as just one urgently romantic night. In comparison, L’Eau is like a bright and breezy day, in which everything is made perfectly clear.

OLFACTIVE In this newest addition to the La Femme Prada et L’Homme Prada line, differences between the complimentary scents are heightened with an extra crush of delicateness. La Femme Prada L’Eau is an airy mix of green Frangipani flower and green Mandarin oil, a stripped down version of its predecessor’s spicier, fruitier notes, with an increased floral petalcy.

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PROMOTION

L’HOMME PRADA L’EAU As Miuccia Prada asserts, “There is the idea of La Femme Prada and L’Homme Prada, but actually they don’t exist; there are many,” and for the perfumer Daniela Andrier who creates the juices under the creative direction and inspiration of Miuccia Prada: “When the starting point is the definitive article – La Femme Prada and L’Homme Prada – this provides the ideal prism through which to question and reconsider the role that gender plays within the olfactory experience. Whether merging, inverting, layering or simply challenging so-called masculine or feminine ingredients, the aim, as ever, is to disrupt the status quo and the clichés, in order to forge new and unexpected realities.”

THE DESIGN These two essences represent the binary over which Prada obsesses – two sides at times interchangeable and at times at odds. The glass bottles serve as two pieces of a cylindrical puzzle that, when put together, has no front or back. As a lighthearted reference to the multitude of delineations stemming from feminine and masculine identity, the L’Eau glass bottles are capped in contrasting metals and accented with normative shades: La Femme Prada L’Eau boasts pale pink leather on gold metal. The contrasts continue on the bottles’ outer packaging, with a white-accented box for La Femme.

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PROMOTION

CHANEL Interview with

OLIVIER POLGE

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PROMOTION

Why the name Eau de Parfum Intense? What does it evoke?

COCO MADEMOISELLE Eau de Parfum Intense is an oriental fragrance with a stronger character. Because it is more intense and sensual, this new fragrance leaves a deeper trail.

Where are they sourced?

The tonka bean used in this Eau de Parfum Intense CHANEL comes from Brazil and Venezuela, and the vanilla is sourced from Madagascar. The vanilla pods are processed in Grasse to control the production and guarantee absolute quality.

How does this new fragrance follow the creative How is the patchouli processed? approach of the COCO MADEMOISELLE line? What In 2001, for the creation of COCO MADEMOISELLE, the CHANEL Fragrance Laboratory developed a unique technique to is the common olfactory signature?

These four interpretations of COCO MADEMOISELLE are oriental. All of these compositions were created with common notes of Sicilian orange and Calabrian bergamot with a heart of jasmine and rose absolute.

How does this differ from the other COCO MADEMOISELLE fragrances?

Unlike the other COCO MADEMOISELLE fragrances which are fresh orientals, this new fragrance is an oriental-woody-amber fragrance with stronger, more intense, more sensual character for a deeper trail with contrasted freshness.

fraction the patchouli in order to remove its sombre aspect and to retain only the noble and feminine part of the essence with its lively and contrasted top note. For this new interpretation, I wanted to increase the proportions of the fractionated patchouli, in order to push it to the limit and unleash its power on the skin without altering the freshness of the top notes. The olfactory composition is thus made denser; it has more texture and more substance for a greater play of volume, depth and fullness.

Could you describe this new fragrance in one sentence?

This new interpretation reinvents itself and reveals a fragrance that is more sensual and full-bodied which conveys all the sensuality and intensity of COCO MADEMOISELLE’s personality.

How was this new fragrance composed? How did you craft it?

I have strengthened the presence of COCO MADEMOISELLE by intensifying its signature with an overdose of patchouli, and adding warmth and comfort with a new ambery accord.

What are the key notes?

For the Eau de Parfum Intense, I have associated a heart of patchouli and the ambery accord composed of vanilla absolute and tonka bean.

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FASHION

WHITE ON STONE

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FASHION

STYLING: DORIANNE MAMO FROM WWW.ASKDORIANNE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY: MATTHEW B SPITERI HAIR: ROBERT AGIUS FROM STRANJÉ HAIRDRESSING, ATTARD MAKE-UP: MARLENE VASSALLO MODELS: KOTRYNA AUGUSTINAITE FROM MODELS M ALL CLOTHES AND ACCESSORIES: MARKS&SPENCER, THE STRAND, SLIEMA AND STRAIT STREET, VALLETTA

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FASHION

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FASHION

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FASHION

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FASHION

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TRENDS FLAMANT THE ESSENCE OF ‘HOME’ Flamant is a luxurious Belgian home interiors brand with a global reputation. From classic, country to modern vintage and contemporary urban design, Flamant merges past and present in perfect harmony making tradition and innovation, simplicity and design meet. The result is a vast and diversified collection of products, allowing for the creation of a very personal interior.

Flamant – Pjazza Tigné, The Point, Sliema. www.flamant.com

LA FEMME PRADA L’EAU and L’HOMME PRADA L’EAU. Challenging convention, La Femme Prada L’Eau is a fragrance that charts a new territory in freshness through an olfactory signature that re-imagines and exalts an inherent sensuality.

Notions of freshness take on new meanings for L’Homme Prada L’Eau as the tensions between strength and subtlety, airiness and depth reveal themselves through a new olfactory signature.

Exclusively distributed by Ta’ Xbiex Perfumery Ltd, Tel: 2133 1553 LES MONSTRES DE NINA. We all have a monster slumbering in us. What if we liberated it? It is a dance of demons, singular, unique, unchained. In the swirl of an enchanted forest, charming snakes, flowers, butterflies and mushrooms revise the bottles of Nina in this exclusive edition. #FREETHEMONSTER

Exclusively distributed by Ta’ Xbiex Perfumery Ltd, Tel: 2133 1553

WE ARE GIVING AWAY 50ml bottle of Les Monstres de Nina courtesy of Ta’ Xbiex Perfumery.

FOR A CHANCE TO WIN, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTION: WHERE HAVE CHARLES & ROB BEEN INVITED TO SHOW THEIR COLLECTION THIS COMING SUMMER? Like First magazine on Facebook and send your answer the good, old-fashioned way, by post, to: FIRST COMPETITION, The Malta Independent on Sunday, Birkirkara Hill, St Julian’s, by 30 April.

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DIRTY WORKS loves to create sophisticated products to brighten up any regime. With its fresh, classy appearance Dirty Works offers everything for beautiful skin, believing that looking after your skin is so important, yet so simple. Full of hydrating and soothing ingredients, the range ensures that skin is kept silky smooth and refreshed. Our antioxidant-rich and skin conditioning ingredient featuring Shea Butter provides skin with a long lasting radiance for younger-looking complexions – to boost, tone and lift skin.

Exclusively distributed by Alfred Gera & Sons Ltd, Tel: 2144 6205

With 30 years of clinical experience in baby feeding, PHILIPS AVENT has created products to meet your needs, inspired by nature and developed through extensive research, clinical trials and by listening to mums like you. Our products support the choices you make, whether breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or both. As your baby develops, the ranges’ interchangeable design features can adapt to meet your baby’s developing needs.

GOOD THINGS PORE-FECTLY CLEAR is a simple skincare routine which gently but effectively draws out impurities for deeply cleansed, clearer skin. Its ingredients also soothe and clear oily, blemish-prone skin. Good Things Overnight Serum helps reduce appearances of blemishes and spots and helps prevent future breakouts. Good Things Spot Clearing Gel helps stop spots in their tracks. Found in all leading supermarkets and pharmacies.

Exclusively distributed by Alfred Gera & Sons Ltd, Tel: 2144 6205

Exclusively distributed by Alfred Gera & Sons Ltd, Tel: 2144 6205

If fragrance is as much your addiction as fashion, you’ll love the fun, feminine and flirtatious scents from SO…?, bringing both together in one beautiful bottle. So…? takes its cues from latest catwalk trends, mixed with street chic and divine femininity; the So…? Eau de Toilette, Body sprays and Dry Shampoos collection has a classic, desirable and ultra-feminine fragrance to suit every girl’s attitude, at affordable prices.

Exclusively distributed by Alfred Gera & Sons Ltd, Tel: 2144 6205

WINNER FROM THE FEBRUARY ISSUE Lino Schembri from Hamrun has won a Prada Candy Gloss EDT 50ml courtesy of Ta’ Xbiex Perfumery.

s e t No

FASHION

from the stylist - April

Summer is fast-approaching, meaning any excuse to reach out for the white items in our wardrobe (actually, I get to wear my whites all year round, but shops are bursting with white beauties during Summer so in our defense it becomes more tempting to go for the whites!)

Tips

MOR E. * L ESS IS outfits oolest of

The c ff from a can start o e basics (whit couple of d nd croppe linen tee a d hen layere t s) r se u o r t cardi or with a nice yled. But scarf and st more. yes, less is

re * Shirt dresses a

a must-have item and can be worn on their own but look amazing even over trousers, leggings, or a denim skirt.

*

Accessoriz e: Whethe r it's decora ting the o u tfit or yourse lf, don't m iss out on th ose jewel l ery pieces, sun glasses, scarves, ba gs or distinctive shoes.

Dori

www.askdorianne.com

ANIMAL RESCUE

ABANDONMENT AS THE MOST PREVALENT FORM OF CRUELTY In light of Animal cruelty prevention month, Helena Grech speaks to Rosalind Agius from the Association of Abandoned Animals (AAA).

Words by Helena Grech.

Photography by Joanna Demarco

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ANIMAL RESCUE

he Association of Abandoned Animals (AAA) has seen its fair share of dogs found in the most deplorable of conditions but Rosalind Agius, who runs the sanctuary, says that abandonment is the most prevalent form of cruelty.

Apart from being a time to enjoy the warm weather and pleasant sunshine, April is also international animal cruelty prevention month, with animal sanctuaries – and animal lovers in general – vamping up their efforts to encourage the public to join the fight against animal cruelty.

Agius, along with a few other key individuals and organisations in Malta, is on the frontline of this issue. In addition to the heartache felt whenever a badly abused dog has been found, she explains that it is endlessly frustrating when a family decides to abandon its pet, after caring for it for years, for seemingly no good reason. â–ś

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ANIMAL RESCUE ◀ Last year, Animal Welfare Commissioner Emmanuel Buhagiar announced that animal cruelty was slowly on the decline.

Asked if she agrees with this statement, Agius replies: “From year to year, I haven’t seen the numbers going down. If we’re talking about abandonment, then this has certainly not gone down. All it takes is a telephone call to any of the sanctuaries to quickly realise what the problem is. Maybe there are slightly fewer cases of cruelty but, having said that, we still see case after case of animal cruelty.”

Just last week, a dog that had been severely abused for years was found with her intestines popping out of her back-side, bad scarring around her neck due to being constantly tied up and in a severe amount of pain. After being rescued by AAA and undergoing surgery, she appears to be on the mend.

Animal abandonment “Our sanctuary is always full of abandoned animals”, says Agius. “The issue is that if in one week we find homes for 12 dogs, the next week we will take in another 12. We never have an empty room. For every dog we re-home, another one takes its place. I’m not saying we are so full that we cannot accept more animals, but that the population within the sanctuary is continually changing.

Rosalind Agius with Snoopy.

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“Turnover is high: we’ve actually re-homed 14 dogs in one week, all with perfect families, after we’ve carried out a home visit.

The problem is that so many people call the sanctuary wanting to leave their dog with us… I spoke about homing 14 dogs in one week, but I’ve even received 14 calls in one day from people wanting to leave their dogs at the sanctuary. There is continuous abandonment.

“You have to remember”, she continues, “that I’m just talking about us [AAA], I’m not talking about Animal Welfare, which is on the front line, together with other sanctuaries,” she says, forcefully stressing that the issue here in Malta is abandonment.

“We will not solve this problem unless people change their attitudes and begin looking at their family pets as being theirs for life.”

“We will not solve this problem unless people change their attitudes and begin looking at their family pets as being theirs for life.”

At this point Agius, with distinct exasperation in her voice, says: “It seems as if everybody, for the tiniest reasons, wants to give up on their pets.” She points out that a lot of people think sanctuaries take in animals that are wandering around the streets but, in reality, they take in pets belonging to many families and people who no longer want them in their home.

“When I ask why they want to abandon their pet, you know – to get a better idea of what the dog is like, some people just shrug their shoulders. They can’t even come up with a proper reason,” she says, incredulously. “It’s as if people have borrowed a book from a library and once they’ve read it, they simply want to return it.

“We’re not talking about families who have had their dog for a few months; these are people who have cared for their dog for years and years and they still come to the decision that they no longer want that dog.

This change in environment is a hugely traumatic event for pets.”

She says that, most of the time, if the abandoned dog is a puppy or a smallish dog, there are many people willing to take them in and give them a forever-home. If a person abandons a large dog, however, “it’s like giving them a life-sentence to spend the rest of their days at the sanctuary. Nobody ever wants to adopt a large dog.” This is quite

ANIMAL RESCUE understandable, considering the size of apartments nowadays and the difficulty that tenants can have trying to find somewhere to rent where pets are allowed.

A feeling of omertà Many have described a feeling of omertà (a conspiracy of silence) in Malta when it comes to animal cruelty and people filing reports with the police when they have witnessed abuse. “I agree with this 100 per cent,” says Agius. She pointed out that people will even file a report with AAA so that it can, in turn, file a report with the authorities, because they do not want to contact animal welfare or the police themselves for fear of being found out. She explains that this is all done out of a fear of repercussions. “For example, if someone is reporting their own neighbour they will think that if that neighbour is capable of hurting an animal, without a doubt they can expect some form of repercussion for speaking out. This is something we sympathise with and understand.”

She adds, however, that in the case of Horace – the boxer dog, for example – she cannot understand how absolutely nobody came forward with any information.

Horace was rescued by AAA in January last year. Photographs of him had shocked the public after the sanctuary described how he was found roaming the streets, caked in blood due to one burst eye and several other injuries. It transpired that his body was peppered with lead pellets, meaning that he had been shot several times.

It took them four hours to catch Horace, due to his deep-rooted fear of people.

Thankfully, a series of operations – along with love, care and affection – has allowed Horace to recover sufficiently to be able to enjoy a good quality of life.

“If you don’t want to get involved in a particular case personally, out of fear, that’s fine – but find a way to pass on the information to somebody who can file a report themselves because otherwise offenders will just find their next victim to prey upon,” says Agius.

Horace finds a new home and a better life Turning to Horace, whose story aroused

sadness and anger all rolled into one, Agius happily says that he has been adopted by an extremely loving family that provides her with weekly – if not daily – updates on his progress. “He’s doing extremely well, she says, with palpable excitement in her voice. “He’s a very happy dog”.

Agius cautions that this does not mean his saga is over, believing that the lead pellets left inside him will eventually start to poison him at some level. The veterinary surgeons who operated on Horace could not remove all the lead pellets because, apart from being very small in size, they were everywhere – even in his brain matter, his remaining eye, his teeth and his skull bones.

“There is some damage, which means that – despite being rescued – it doesn’t necessarily follow that he will live to a ripe old age,” she says, adding that for the time being, however, he is doing very well without any medication.

Asked about the stage of the investigations into who could have been cruel enough to torture the poor dog, Agius says that beyond filing the initial report with the police, the AAA does not know much else.

“The police had a few leads, but we will not get up-dates on how those leads have progressed. Should the case come to court, and witnesses are needed, then we will get involved.”

Enforcement People often complain that lawenforcement is a shortcoming of this Mediterranean island and animal lovers often decry the lack of action on the part of the authorities to tackle animal cruelty.

In terms of enforcement, Agius says that, for the first time, Malta has an Animal Welfare Director who really cares.

However, “At the end of the day, unfortunately, even the director needs to go through the court-system.”

She says sadly that she has personally given up appearing in court to provide testimony in animal cruelty and abandonment cases.

“For the judgment to be meted out after spending some three years in the courts, it’s just not worth it. Apart from this, Animal Welfare and AAA have no lawyers, so we are fighting these battles on our own. “For example, where AAA is concerned, when we go to testify in a case, if I don’t find a lawyer who offers to appear for us free of charge, I just don’t feel I should be using people’s donations on legal fees – and I don’t want to pay out of my own pocket either.”

Agius concludes that it’s not just a case of enforcement, it’s trying to keep the ball rolling when a case does finally get to court. She says that Animal Welfare is constantly there, fighting the good fight, but speedier processing and judgments would go a long way towards fighting animal cruelty in Malta.

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ENVIRONMENT

FISHING IN THE DARK, CONSUMING IN THE DARK In the light of International Mother Earth Day on 22 April, First takes a closer look at small-scale fishing in Malta by speaking to documentary photographer Gilbert Calleja about his project ‘Lampara’, and environmental activist from fish4tomorrow JD Farrugia.

Words by Joanna Demarco. Photography by Gilbert Calleja

t is well-known that small-scale fisheries in Malta are experiencing an ever-challenging struggle to survive as time goes by: fighting the backlash of the industrial boom on the part of large-scale fisheries.

Fuelled by his fascination with our relationship to the sea, Maltese documentary photographer Gilbert Calleja found himself delving into the subject of small-scale fisheries when he met Antoine Abela, the owner and captain of the boat Joan of Arc in Marsaxlokk. Experiencing and photographing life on Joan of Arc slowly developed into a body of work called Lampara, an ongoing personal documentary project on which Calleja has now been working for about five years. ▶ 42

ENVIRONMENT

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ENVIRONMENT

◀ He began taking photographs about 18 years ago, and was immediately taken with the medium – not only as a way of imagemaking but also as a way of meeting people. He says it was this social aspect that drew him into long-term documentary work and he believes that this human dimension is “extremely important” in his work. “The challenge is not taking beautiful pictures,” he says.

“The real challenge is to be able to put your camera to one side and take time to observe, listen, learn and develop sensitivity to an environment in which you, as a photographer, are an alien.”

Through this project, he has had the chance to witness the work of a small-scale fishery in this day and age, from an up-close and personal view, as an outsider.

“The more I learnt about the boat’s history, the family’s relationships, the crew, etc., the more engaged I became,” said Calleja. The setting in which the trade is practiced – in the darkest hours, at sea: miles upon miles illuminated by little more than moonlight – also creates an interesting yet challenging canvas for a photographer. “I was seduced by the challenge of working in almost complete darkness,” he said, listing the sea itself as another factor that he found aesthetically engaging.

In fact, darkness is as significant to the project as it is to the trade.

Lampara, an old method of fishing in the dark, is practiced during the summer months and Antoine Abela’s family of fishermen has been using this method for more than 50 years.

Breaking the picture-postcard imagery of fishermen Gilbert Calleja is currently pursuing a practice-based PhD in Creative Media at the University of Westminster, where his Lampara work is the focus of his studies. “I am exploring new documentary

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formats and hoping to give more of a complete understanding of the lives of fishermen, which goes beyond the stereotyped image you see in postcards and tourist brochures,” he said.

In breaking these picture-perfect tourist brochure depictions, Calleja mentioned the struggles that small-scale fishermen currently face in trying to adapt to a world “in which all the odds seem to be stacked against them.

“A fisherman’s life is undoubtedly one of hardship, with limited financial return,” he explained. “Very few young people want to spend their days and nights on-board a fishing boat doing back-breaking work, when they can find an 8 am to 5pm job on shore, get better pay and enjoy their friends and family at the weekends. This has made finding local crews very, very difficult.”

Environmental activist J.D. Farrugia from eNGO fish4tomorrow – a group that is actively raising awareness on sustainable fishing and the sustainable consumption of fish on a local level – supports Calleja’s opinion. He explained that large-scale industrial fishing operations have had a negative impact on both small-scale fishermen and fisheries in general, much like what happened with large scale agricultural industries.

“Industrial fishing, like anything else industrial, has a lobby. This means that they have a stronger pull and influence on policy-makers: you can afford to have people in Brussels pushing your cause, being supported by the EU to get bigger and richer,” he argued.

According to Farrugia, small-scale fishing accounts for up to 90 per cent of fishing operations. “In terms of impact, this is much less but obviously still significant, and it still needs to be regulated with quotas, etc. By nature, however, most [small-scale fishing operations]

ENVIRONMENT are very environmentally conscious and we have spoken to smallscale fishermen who say their goals are long-term – not short-term profit. There is an awareness of sustainability and preserving fish stocks, so as an NGO we tend to promote fish caught by small-scale fishing operations.”

So how does this affect the communities and families of the fishermen?

“Fishing communities and families are no different from other communities in terms of experiencing changes,” said Calleja who, in recent years, has been researching the subject thoroughly. “Everyone is living in specific times under specific conditions. Life changes and people, traditions, livelihoods and so on, change, adapt or die out.

However, what we need to ask ourselves is not whether we can ‘preserve’ the old traditions but how we can develop the present local industry in a more sustainable way.”

According to Farrugia, in order for sustainability to be maintained and to ensure healthy fish stocks for generations to come, continuous data collection and research of all fisheries (small and industrial) is vital.

Consumers kept in the dark

regimes and cooking habits all have an impact on small-scale fishermen.

In many ways, Farrugia believes that consumers are kept in the dark about what they are eating. He points to the lack of clarity about the fish we are buying as a common factor that consumers come across in Malta.

“This could be because the wrong names are used and living in a bilingual country makes this even trickier. Most of the time there’s a lack of information about where the fish was caught, how it was caught or even how fresh it is,” he said. “A lot of this could be resolved through the use of appropriate labelling, which is actually an EU requirement.”

What can we do?

Did you know that swordfish (pixxispad), bluefin tuna and dusky grouper (ċerna) are three fish which are heavily threatened in the Mediterranean? Why not substitute them for Atlantic mackerel (kavall), bogue (vopi) and saddled seabream (kaħli)? The latter are extremely tasty, sustainable and generally affordable.

As with many things, education and making small yet significant adjustments in your daily life is key. In this day and age, there is no room for the ‘one person won’t make a difference’ mentality.”

Undoubtedly, in order for sustainability to be maintained, it is not only the fisheries which need to be under the spotlight but also the general public as consumers. “Are consumers sufficiently educated about the fish they are putting on the table?” Calleja asks, providing food for thought. “How many different types of fish can the average Maltese teenager identify? What are the health benefits of cooking and eating certain types of fish such as mackerel or sardines? How are the fish best cooked?”

Fish4tomorrow is working hard to provide people with the information they need to make sustainable choices when eating seafood. Throughout the year they organise campaigns and activities in which members of the public can engage. Their pocket-size guide on sustainable local fish may be just what you need to change your choice of seafood to ones that are more sustainable.

Although varied, the implications of such questions are linked. It is necessary to understand that education, eating preferences, health

Visit www.fish4tomorrow.com for more information and check out Gilbert Calleja’s work at www.gilbertcalleja.info

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ART

AT ONE WITH THE EARTH Greta Muscat Azzopardi talks to multi-disciplinary artist Victor Agius about his work and his current exhibition Terrae.

Words by Greta Muscat Azzopardi. Photography by Joanna Demarco.

first met Victor Agius a few years ago during a session of Valletta 2018’s Curatorial School. He was telling the story of how, in 2015, one of his pieces burst into flames while he was making it and was completely destroyed. He subsequently painstakingly managed to create a second version of it but the piece was later taken down from its commissioned location in a public space without his knowledge, before he had even had the chance to photograph it properly. I

was intrigued with the dramatic story and surprised that his work had somehow completely slipped my art radar up until then. Multi-disciplinary, matter-of-fact and completely at ease in his connection to earth, I find Agius’s work an extremely important narrative for the times in which we live.

Victor Agius works from his studio and workshop in Xagħra, Gozo. Ġgantija and the Xagħra Stone Circle, located nearby, are

important influences, along with their rituals of life and death and a sacred connection to the earth. A lot of the material for Victor’s ceramics, mixed-media pieces, paintings and performances comes from locations around the island of Gozo. He collects clay from construction sites that dig deep into the clay layer in preparation for the foundations for big apartment blocks and his workshop is peppered with buckets of clay undergoing different phases of material research, some with location labels. ▶

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ART ◀ Agius has been doing personal research on Gozitan clay for the past 13 years. “I have always felt inclined to use natural materials and am now trying to become aware of my own native luggage of materials. I’m trying to confront it through my own way of working,” he said, as I sat in his studio, surrounded by his work.

“I want people to have a direct affinity to my work. I want them to feel as if they found it in nature, rather than reacting to something made by man. That link between man and the earth, between man and nature, has to remain vital. My mission is to leave matter and earth and nature to speak: the spirit inhabits the material.”

Within the backdrop of traditional, Catholic Gozo, this almost Shamanistic approach to the role of the artist might seem alien. However, Agius points out the similarities that are present at the basis of human rituals, be they ancient burial ceremonies at the Xagħra Stone Circle, Catholic celebrations or a performance by an artist who seeks to tap into the very essence of such rituals.

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“Through ritual we are trying to make something unseen present by creating something senses can feel. Nature also fills this void of making the unseen tangible.

From the times of the Altamira cave drawings – drawn around 15,500 years ago – to the present day, each community has its own rituals of survival. As an artist, I also have my own rituals: I collect my own material just like a farmer works the land.”

“In Gozo, we are people who love rituals.

We want to feel secure doing the things that our grandmother used to do. When I am away for Easter I feel as if I am missing something important. As part of the 2013 Ġgantija Project (an interdisciplinary performance with participation in sculpture by Agius, original music by Mariella Cassar-Cordina and lyrics by Immanuel Mifsud held inside the Ġgantija Temples) I exhibited casts of stone as containers of communal rituals. The Temple was a container for rituals just as the football ground/theatre contains some of our rituals today.”

Having grown up with his sculptor father, Agius was introduced to art at a young age.

However, it took some time for him to find the courage to show his work. “When I started out in 2008-2009, I kept my work to myself. I did not have the courage to show it to anyone. Vince Briffa saw some of it and encouraged me to get it out there.

Studying at Central St Martin’s was also a huge source of encouragement to share my work.

“The Ġgantija Project opened a window for me to somehow define myself. Five years later, I still get a lot of questions and interest about what I did there – and this keeps me going. I feel that I am still at the start of this conversation. People ask me whether I’m a sculptor or a painter or a performer, but this is all part of the same search, the same questioning.”

Agius’s current exhibition Terrae deals precisely with this search. “I’m using elements from the last six years of my practice as a way of gaining perspective on my work. I’m coming to terms with my own relationship within Terrae (Earth).

This might lead me to part with the type of work that I have been doing or to create a new conversation from it.”

ART The rugged ceramic and mixed media sculptures that Agius is perhaps now most known for will form the body of the exhibition running during the month of April at Iniala Galleries in Valletta. New work from his two ongoing series Mother and Genesis, made using unfired raw clay, will accompany his signature abstract stoneware sculptures. Somehow, both formless and full of form with rough and agitated skins informed by rock formations and seaside landforms, these sculptures have been described as baroque structures that bridge nature to man-made art.

“Nature is already inside us. It’s up to us to communicate with it and within it. Even if we negate it, we have to survive thanks to our destruction of it, thanks to our consumption of nature. Rituals, survival, claiming territory, the economy – all of these are forms of consumption of nature.

Everything starts and ends with nature. All of this is part of the same circle.”

Large-scale paintings featuring the application of soil, clay and found objects such as twigs or roots will also be part of Terrae. One of the exhibited pieces, Ricordi Ancestrali, shows the ancestral heritage hidden in our local rock layers, unearthing hidden forms and thereby throwing light on elements that we usually tend to ignore.

For Agius, the place from where material is collected is an important element of each piece he makes. “Material is not just material – it has a story.” Each painting and sculpture becomes a map and memento of the sites from which it originated, some of which have been forever transformed through urbanisation and the actions of man.

“The more we hear about development, the more numb we become. If we lose our soul, no one will come to see cement. If we lose our scenery and beautiful places it will be a tragedy. It’s very sad and I try not to talk about it. I am not yet ready to confront that in my art.

“The artist-shaman puts together a personal story with the communal story, weaving meaning and a sense of belonging into the work. Each place, each bay, each location has both a personal and a collective meaning. I start with my own personal story but when I finish a piece it starts to have a collective meaning, as

each viewer creates their own personal story from it.”

As we all try to make sense of our existence on earth, Terrae provides a much-needed moment of reflection.

Terrae is kindly supported by Michael Grech Financial Investment Services, RS2, Gozo Arts Furnishings Ltd, Marsovin and Vee Gee Bee. The exhibition will be open to the public from 5th April to 2nd May at the Iniala Galleries in Valletta.

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Autism Advisory Council launched Aimed at breaking the deadlock often faced when different worlds collide, the Government through the Parliamentary Secretariat for Persons with Disability and Active Ageing launched the Autism Advisory Council as an overarching body, dealing with all autism-related matters in Malta. It factors in the multi-faceted nature of autism, and sets out to ensure that the country adopts a policy to address this phenomenon, a policy as unique and as diverse as the autism spectrum itself.

The key deliverable the Council is tasked with is the creation of a cradle-to-grave national strategy – christened the Autism State Support Plan – within one year. Further tasked with advising and assisting Government in anything else autism-related, while engaging the general public and different stakeholders, the Council must also oversee implementation, monitoring and updating of the national strategy. However, the name of Malta’s autism law – the Persons within the Autism Spectrum (Empowerment) Act – points to a factor that adds a unique and very fundamental slant to Malta’s intended take on autism. We cannot keep on viewing the disability world – and this holds equally good for autism – from a tragedy/ charity point of view.

Every human being is endowed with fundamental, inalienable human rights, as from birth, as stated in the UN’s Universal Declaration on Human Rights. Persons on the autism spectrum and their families are no exception. Therefore, any national strategy, and any policy or practice would be useless if they did not, at their core, place a person and their needs. Hence the unique Empowerment factor carried in our national legislation’s title.

We must ensure the provision of the right tools, and the appropriate skilling and access to resources, to ensure a level playing field. Empowerment comes from levelling out the starting point in life, and further translates into giving people the freedom to be free. Hence, the law’s insistence on personal autonomy and self-determination. Whether this autonomy be fully-fledged in the end, or supported or assisted in any way, it is about ensuring that everybody has access to the same choices, as far as practicable.

Career choices, through workplace accessibility and provision of reasonable accommodations. Educational choices, through ensuring inclusive adapted education, with additional supports and accommodations as and when necessary, allowing one to pursue one’s dream career eventually – whatever that might be – and become a productive, happy member of society. Health choices, the right to a diagnosis, and to dignified, person-centred healthcare and therapy, addressing needs and wishes, and not simply bending a person to the wishes of a society that refuses to break out of its comfort zone.

Bringing together representatives of relevant Ministries, Government entities, academia, and civil society, including persons on the spectrum, the Council is aware that it has a mountain to climb, but has gladly accepted the challenge.

Av. Dr. Alistair S. de Gaetano B.A., LL.D. (Melit.), LL.M. (Maastricht), Ph.D. (Dubl.)

Chairperson – Autism Advisory Council

AWARENESS

AUTISM IN MALTA: WHERE WE ARE NOW AND THE BEST WAY FORWARD April is Autism Awareness month and in view of this, First spoke to Doreen Mercieca, Autism Spectrum Disorder Advis or on the Expert Panel at Inspire, and asked her about the condition in relatio n to Malta.

Interview and photography by Joanna Demarco.

Children with autism are very often sensitive to light and bright colours. For this reason, rooms specifically designed for children with autism would have dim light and colours which are not overly arousing.

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AWARENESS

Doreen Mercieca

How common is autism in Malta?

There are no exact figures regarding the prevalence of autism in Malta. The general indication used in the UK is one out of every 100 people – ie one per cent of the population.

Do you think autism is on the rise here and, if so, why?

The incidence of autism has been noted to be on a steep increase across the world, especially in developed countries. Having said this, is there truly a rise in autism or can the following be possibly reasons for this?

• There is more awareness of this condition and therefore an increase in the number of diagnoses;

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• There is an ‘expanded definition’ of the condition, therefore those at the higher functioning end of the spectrum are being diagnosed and included in prevalence rates; • More precise assessment tools are being used, which means that higherfunctioning people are being identified.

• There may be an actual increase in the

“Inclusion is not just physically having the autistic student in the classroom”

incidence of autism due to a variety of environmental factors.

There is a lot of controversy about the actual rise in the incidence of autism.

Research studies such as one carried out in the UK, where the rates of two studies were compared, found that the rates were comparable and so concluded that the incidence of autism was stable. On the other hand, other studies carried out in the USA point to an actual increase in autism rates.

Is it very common that people with autism cannot live independently?

There is no straightforward answer to this. Autism is a ‘spectrum’ condition ▶

AWARENESS ◀ (hence the term ASD – Autism Spectrum Disorders), which means that it includes a wide range of symptoms, skills and levels of ability. Individuals with autism have: • Social challenges that include difficulty in communicating and interacting with others; • Repetitive behaviour, as well as limited interests or activities; • Sensory processing difficulties Depending on the degree to which the above impact on the life of the autistic person, his or her ability to carry out everyday activities, along with challenges when it comes to functioning socially at school, at work or in other situations, may be affected. Therefore the person’s ability to live independently may be affected.

Having said that, many adults on the spectrum do manage to live a fulfilling life independently or with minimal support, and also successfully continue their education to tertiary level providing that the necessary support systems are in place, which is not always the case due to a lack of understanding of the condition.

this can be improved: How are these individuals being included? Are their colleagues aware of what autism is? What are the attitudes and behaviour of those colleagues towards individuals with autism in both settings? Can we really say that inclusion is taking place due to a rise in statistics?

Do you think there is still a stigma in society regarding autism?

Sadly, yes. There is still a stigma and a gross misunderstanding of this condition.

Sometimes the media has ‘glamourised’ the condition, leading to further misconceptions and generalising the notion that all autistic people are the same. Not all autistic people are ‘Rainman’ or ‘The Good Doctor’. Autism is a spectrum of conditions ranging from extremely intelligent, high-functioning and independent people to those who are lower-functioning and will need full-time support throughout their lives.

Are many people with autism in Malta part of the workforce or studying and are the numbers increasing?

What is the way forward to further accommodate autistic people in Malta? What needs to be done in schools and in society at large?

The numbers are increasing in both the workforce and in further education.

Despite this, however, we still need to focus on the degree of inclusion and how

Awareness is key! Sadly, parents raising a child with autism may not only be dealing with the challenges that this condition can present but also having to face the

battle of being unfairly judged by society.

People are quick to judge and assume that either the parent is failing or the child is simply out of control. The last thing a parent needs is to be told to ‘discipline’ their child, who may be having a meltdown due to a sensory overload and it is help that should be offered, not judgement.

Teachers must be supported and empowered with more information and training to enhance their understanding of the condition. Inclusion is not just physically having an autistic student in the classroom, it’s about ensuring that the student participates in the class’s activities and benefits from actually being in a mainstream classroom. Inclusion may not be an option for some autistic students, as they may need more specialised help: specific resources, including specially trained staff, communication aids, sensory equipment and environmental considerations that cater specifically for the condition.

Employers must recognise the strengths of many people with autism, such as integrity, honesty, attention to detail, accuracy, an ability to see unique solutions, perseverance and loyalty.

Research, although limited, indicates that workplace adjustments can make a huge difference to the employee, members of their team and their employers.

What can a person do in their day-to-day life when accompanied by someone with autism?

EVERYTHING AND ANYTHING AS LONG AS ONE IS PREPARED!

The sequence of activities are presented in the form of picture cards. For someone with autism, structure, order, predictability and routine tend to be beneficial.

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Doreen Mercieca has been working in the field of autism for the past 30 years.

She was responsible for the founding and coordination of STEP (Structured Training and Education Programme) for children with autism, which she currently manages, and is the ASD Advisor on the Expert Panel at Inspire.

She forms part of the National Autistic Society (NAS) UK Autism Accreditation Programme as a member of the Autism Awards Accreditation Panel and she also participates in evaluating specialised services and schools in the UK as a NAS Accreditation team member.

AWARENESS

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE WITH

AUTISM GROW OLD? If you mention autism to most people they will think about children, but it is a lifelong diagnosis.

Children with autism grow up to be adults with autism. Little is known about how the symptoms change with age. This is because autism is a relatively new disorder, first described in 1943 and not regularly identified until the 1970s. It is only now that those people first diagnosed are reaching older age that we can start to learn whether the disorder changes over a lifetime.

Words by Rebecca Ann Charlton here have been some suggestions that symptoms may reduce as people get older. These reports, describing fewer difficulties with older age, are often from people with autism themselves and from their families.

But how much evidence is there for this?

Our latest research provides some answers, and also raises some new questions.

Working with the Autism Diagnostic Research Centre in Southampton we assessed 146 adults who were referred to the centre seeking a diagnosis of autism between 2008 and 2015, and who consented to take part in the research. People were aged between 18 and 74 years old. A hundred of these adults were diagnosed with autism, and 46 people did not receive a diagnosis. This gave us an opportunity to explore the subtle differences between people who receive a diagnosis and those who don’t, even though they may have some other similar difficulties.

Our analysis showed that age and severity of autism were linked; that is, as age increased so did the severity of autism symptoms in social situations, communication and flexible thinking (such

Our analysis showed that as age increased so did the severity of autism symptoms in social situations, communication and flexible thinking. Photo Seemi Samuel.

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as coping with change or generating new ideas or solutions). We also found that older people with autism were more likely than younger people to extract rules from situations or prefer structure (for example, wanting to know how committees are organised or always following the same routine during a task).

This pattern did not occur in the group of 46 people who didn’t have autism. Whether this tendency to extract rules is a “worsening” of autism symptoms or a general trend among all older people is not yet clear.

Strategies for life It may seem surprising that people who received a diagnosis much later in life had more severe symptoms, as we might expect people with severe symptoms to be more likely to seek a diagnosis earlier in life. What we found was that the older adults with autism performed better than the young adults with autism on some cognitive tests we carried out. The group diagnosed with autism were faster on tests measuring speed of thinking during a task and did better when dealing with visual and shape information. Perhaps these abilities have helped adults with autism develop strategies across their lives that have helped them to cope with their symptoms which may explain why they were not diagnosed until adulthood.

When the group with autism was compared with the group without autism, we found that rates of depression and anxiety were high in both groups. A third of adults diagnosed with autism report high levels of depression or anxiety – rates much higher than in the general population. Depression among older adults is a risk factor for developing problems in memory and

cognition. Given the high rates of depression among people with autism, it may be important for doctors to monitor mood during ageing to ensure that individuals are not at risk for cognitive decline due to depression.

The people described in our research are not typical of people with autism. They all had cognitive abilities in the normal range and did not receive a diagnosis in childhood when autism is most often recognised.

Despite this, older people in the study showed more severe symptoms of autism.

This might suggest that symptoms of autism become more severe with age. However, reporting more symptoms could also reflect a change in self-awareness. Better selfawareness is generally a good thing, but might lead to greater realisation of one’s own difficulties.

It isn’t yet clear whether people with autism age in the same way as people without autism – it’s still early days, given the relative age of the disorder. Ageing may also be different for each person with autism.

People with autism may have developed strategies to help them age better, or may be at risk for depression and cognitive decline.

In future work, we aim to see people every few years so we can understand how they change over time.

We all deserve to age as well as we can. It’s only by understanding how people with autism change as they get older, that we can start to put services in place to support them.

Rebecca Ann Charlton Senior Lecturer, Goldsmiths, University of London.

Article originally published on The Conversation, theconversation.com

Pjazza Tigné, The Point, Sliema

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AWARENESS

EASING THE WAY MALTA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ROLLS OUT AUTISM-FRIENDLY PROGRAMME

Airport processes have become routine for most of us, yet the journey through the terminal can at times still be stressful even for the savvy traveller. For families of children with autism and individuals within the spectrum, this journey may appear to be too overwhelming to even consider. Not wanting anyone to miss out on the excitement of air travel, Malta International Airport recently rolled out a pilot programme aimed at easing the way to the aircraft for these airport guests. he programme allows passengers to fill in a form available on the airport website to inform the team when they will be travelling and whether they will need an extra helping hand. Through the form, one can also order a free wristband or cap: two accessories that put the airport’s trained team members in a better position to immediately identify the person needing additional assistance.

This includes the possibility of fast tracking through one of the most difficult points of the journey - the Central Security Area.

Even before taking the actual trip, passengers with autism can book a practice run that familiarises them with the airport procedures and the different parts of the terminal. This ‘rehearsal’ is aimed at helping quell the fear that can arise from not knowing what lies ahead. While the unknown can trigger anxiety in most of us, this is generally heightened in individuals with autism.

With an average of 16,000 passengers passing through the terminal every day, Malta International Airport can get pretty busy especially at peak times. While this airport buzz puts many travellers in holiday mode, for passengers with autism the onslaught of stimuli can cause distress that mars the experience. For this reason, the airport has designated rooms within the different areas of the terminal as quiet spaces that provide a calming environment away from all the bustle.

For more information about this pilot programme, visit www.maltairport.com.

The autism-friendly programme allows passengers to fill in a form available on the airport website to inform the team when they will be travelling and whether they will need an extra helping hand.

With an average of 16,000 passengers passing through the terminal every day, Malta International Airport can get pretty busy especially at peak times. The airport has designated rooms within the different areas of the terminal as quiet spaces that provide a calming environment away from all the bustle.

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FOOD

SPRING LAMB TAJINE

By The Mediterranean Culinary Academy We tried out many variations of the following dish for our upcoming course on the cuisines of the Maghreb and Arab Levant but this probably our favourite combinations of ingredients. The taste of local lamb in spring is wonderful and can really stand up to a fair amount of spice as well as bold flavours like briney olives, salty preserved lemons and the sweetness of dried fruit.

The ingredients in this recipe are merely a guideline, feel free to improvise to your liking. The same cooking method can be carried out with most meats that take well to braising (one of our favourites is a heavily-spiced squid dish). Adjust the vegetables, herbs, spices and additional seasonings to your liking – this technique isn’t only easy but also super versatile! If you do not have a tajine fear not, follow the recipe in the exact same way using your favourite heatproof pot or well covered casserole dish.

For more information about our upcoming courses check out our website: www.mcamalta.com INGREDIENTS: LAMB SHOULDER, LEG OR SHANK 500G ONION, SLICED 1 EACH GARLIC, SLICED 4 CLOVES CARROT, QUARTERED 2 EACH SPRING ONION 3 EACH DRIED APRICOTS 75G BLACK OLIVES 50G PRESERVED LEMON 1 EACH RAS EL HANOUT 2 TABLESPOONS SALT TO TASTE OLIVE OIL TO TASTE MINT, CHOPPED TO TASTE COUSCOUS (TO BE SERVED WITH) METHOD: • Begin by cutting the lamb into large pieces and placing them in a mixing bowl with the onion, garlic, carrot, olive oil and ras el hanout. Season liberally with salt and stir to combine.

• Place the sliced onion on the base of the tajine and layer the lamb and remainder of the vegetables over them.

• Add the dried apricots, preserved lemon and olives over the top of the lamb along with a splash of water or lamb stock if you have it and close the lid of the tajine securely.

• Place in a 160°c oven for 3 hours or until the lamb is tender.

Garnish with freshly chopped herbs. Serve with couscous.

Check out the academy’s Facebook page ‘The Mediterranean Culinary Academy’ or the website https://mcamalta.com for more information about future courses.

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FOOD STORES

OPINION

‘Don’t call yourself a PANDA if you’re a GIRAFFE’ Social media influencers and fashion bloggers are not the same thing Words by Alessia Caruana Illustration by Paper Yellow ashion blogging in Malta is becoming an endangered occupation. There was a time when saying you were a fashion blogger meant that you actually had a blog and that you updated regularly enough to at least be considered a blogger. This implied that the main focus of the blogger in question was to write and populate their blog with words – words that consequently turned them into bloggers. You cannot call yourself a fashion blogger without these constituents.

I myself have a hard time wrapping my head around how rapidly the local blogosphere has blown up over the past couple of years in Malta. It reminds me of the time when I was about 15 years old and everyone became a photographer overnight. No, really – it happened so quickly that I wondered if everyone was attending classes at some secret underground photography club that I didn’t know about. It turned out that the club never existed, but making your parents buy you a fancy Nikon or Canon camera for your birthday was just as good as having raw talent, who would have guessed? Everyone felt they had the right to suddenly deem themselves a photographer – watermarks and Facebook photography pages included.

Photography, like blogging, requires talent. The same applies to many other titles, including being an artist. Scribbling a couple of doodles on paper and knowing how to tell your primary colours from your secondary ones, doesn’t make you an artist. Calm down Rembrandt, you’re not Van Gogh-ing anywhere for now; Titian, did your mother teach you to be humble? This brings me to my main focus for this piece: fashion blogging versus social media influencers.

A lot of Maltese ‘social media influencers’, who call themselves ‘fashion bloggers’, seem to have forgotten that the cardinal rule of being a blogger is actually having a blog that you update, more than once every decade. What’s the use of having a blog if your followers are looking at the same post for over four weeks? Now there are a number of bloggers and vloggers in the Maltese game who do it right, and I will commend all of them for turning their online presence into a full-blown career. But others need to be reminded that knowing how to use WordPress doesn’t make you a blogger.

I am no insular hermit: I’m knowledgeable enough to understand that nowadays writing isn’t the only means of getting your opinions

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across to the general public. There are countless platforms – the most popular being Youtube and Instagram – where influencers can communicate with their followers through more visual means than an actual blog. But that makes you a social media influencer, not a fashion blogger.

Being a fashion blogger implies that you have something to say about fashion that exceeds far more than your hashtag limit on Instagram. I don’t just want to see whose clothes you’ve been loaned to wear for nothing, I want to know what you think about them.

We’ve become a culture of people-pleasers for money. Chiara Ferragni didn’t get where she is today just because she had a goodlooking Instagram feed. Before she became the jet-setting, Diorwearing Italian so many aspire to be, she had a lot to say on her now famous blog The Blonde Salad, which was updated often enough to engage audiences of millions, who sought her out for fashion inspiration and guidance.

Also, like everything else, it takes time to become a blogger, it doesn’t happen overnight. You need to work hard at it to really reap the benefits of the title it commands. You can’t wake up one day and decide you’re a blogger. If I could do that, I’d just wake up and be a trapeze artist because hey – why not? No matter how many sponsorship deals you may command, ‘likes’ you may garner or photos you may take in random locations where, come rain or shine, you always look great. Being a well-dressed person who knows how to take photos doesn’t make you a blogger; so don’t call yourself a giraffe if you’re a panda and please learn to walk before you can run.

If you’re going to blog, then do it and do it well, and take pride in the subjects with which you choose to identify yourself and the words by which you express yourself. Your blog should serve to be a reflection of you and your opinions, first and foremost. There is no shame in the game; if you can’t keep up with uploading frequently that’s ok too; it’s tough and – I’ll admit – hard to do when you’re also juggling a full-time job, which is one of the main reasons I’ve never started a blog myself.

But just stop reaping the benefits and titles of the Bryan Boys and Garance Dores of the world and retreat, because real blogging takes time and a lot of dedication. Will the real fashion bloggers please stand up?