MaltaMedia.com

The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts (MCCA) has published the Cultural Calendar for February 2012:

Carnival Festivities:

12th February

Carnival-The Nadur Local Council will be organising a carnival event consisting of various carnival attractions, including costumes, dances, floats, and the traditional “kukkanja” which will be held at St. Peter and St. Paul Square.

13 February

Carnival Soiree – organised by Għarb Local Council. A carnival soiree filled with various items. Amongst others there will be costume competitions, dance groups from Malta and Gozo and special guests. The Council will also hold the ‘Il-Maskarat Misterjuz’ competition and the traditional carnival game, Il-Kukkanja.

Venue: Main Square, Għarb

Time: 19.30 hrs.

17 - 21 February

Carnival

Carnival is celebrated outdoors in the five days preceding Lent in a number of towns and villages around the Maltese Islands, mainly in Valletta, Floriana and Ghaxaq in Malta and Nadur in Gozo. The Valletta Carnival offers a colourful spectacle, and prizes are awarded for the best artistic dances, costumes, floats and grotesque masks.

17 February

Carnival Grand Parade organised by Qormi Local Council.

Venue: Qormi.

17th - 21st February

The traditional, unique carnival known as the spontaneous carnival will be held in the centre of the village of Nadur.

18 February

Carnival Weekend - organised by St Paul’s Bay Local Council. Carnival band and costume competition, along the promenade and the village core.

Venue: Opposite San Pawl il-Baħar Parish Church, St Paul’s Bay.

Time: 14.00 hrs.

19 February

Carnival Variety Show with the participation of Banda Maria Mater Gratiae organised by Żabbar Local Council.

Venue: Bus Terminus, Sanctuary Street, Żabbar.

Time: 09.00 hrs.

Concerts:

3 February

Malta Philharmonic Orchestra – Teatru Manoel Joint Collaboration Concert (2)

Presented by Teatru Manoel and the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.

Conductor: Brian Schembri.

Programme: Beethoven Violin Concerto in D. Soloist: Alexandre Da Costa, Beethoven Symphony No. 7.

Venue: Teatru Manoel, Valletta.

Time: 20.00 hrs.

6 February

Malta Cultural Institute Concert

Venue: Hotel Le Meridien, St Julians.

Time: 19.00 hrs.

9 February

Baroque Concert by Malta Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor/harpsichord: Michael Laus.

Programme: C.P.E. Bach Symphony in E flat major, H.664 Wq.183, J. S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto no. 6.
Soloists: Stephen Galea, Ina Georgieva (viola); Angelica Galea, Angela Rahia Awalom, Frank Camilleri (cello); Gjorgji Cincievski (double bass).

Antonio Vivaldi Gloria RV589 – the Goldberg Ensemble choir.

Venue: Robert Samut Hall, Floriana.

Time: 19:30 hrs.

Exhibitions:

2 – 9 February

Photographic exhibition commemorating the 40^th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Malta

Venue: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Merchants Street, Valletta.

Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9.30 – 11.30 hrs, 15.00 – 17.00 hrs.

17 February – 20 March

A Different Perspective - An exhibition of paintings by John Martin Borg

Free Entrance.

Venue: The Contemporary Hall, National Museum of Fine Arts, Valletta.

Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 09.00 hrs – 16.30 hrs (Last Admission 16.00 hrs).

Feasts and Festivals:

4 February

Cultural Fair in Celebration of Chinese Lanterns Festival

Venue: China Cultural Centre, Melita Street, Valletta

Time: 09:30hrs-17:00hrs.

12 February

Ġieħ Mġarr - organised by the Mġarr Local Council

Venue: Kulleġġ San Nikola, Skola Primarja, Mġarr.

Time: 19.00 hrs.

19 February

The Wignacourt Tower Festival – organised by St Paul’s Bay Local Council. The project is based on cultural and historic activities, pageants, folklore, crafts, traditional food displays, knights parades, entertainment performances and other activities. The event originated from the need to organise a cultural activity linked to the Wignacourt Tower where one can celebrate the oldest surviving coastal defence post in Malta.

Venue: Next to Wignacourt Tower, St Paul’s Bay.

Time: 10.00 hrs.

Other Events:

1 February

Music and Literary Evening organised by the Żabbar Local Council. Certificates and Ġieħ Ħaż-Żabbar will be given to those who distinguished themselves with their work.

Venue: Teatru Notre Dame, Żabbar.

Time: 19.00 hrs.

3 February

Film Reception – “China in Celebration of the Spring Festival” “Lion Dance”

Venue: Multi-functional Hall, China Cultural Centre, Melita Street, Valletta

Time: 19.00 hrs.

11-17 February

I.D. Internati u Deportati

An emotional and intimate rendering of a historical event which happened during WWII, a number of Maltese citizens who where at first interned and eventually deported to Uganda, accused of being Fascist sympathizers. The first phase of this project started seventeen years ago, a collaboration between Guzeppi Schembri Bonaci and Pino Scicluna, on the detention experience in Malta of Pino’s father, Joseph Scicluna. This new performance is based on the whole historical event which include both the Maltese detention(1940-1942)and the exile period in Uganda (1942-1944). The new script acknowledges the work, research and help by Dr Marco Galea, Max Farrugia, Dr Mario Stilon Depiro, Richard Muscat, Herbert Ganado and Ray Bondin.

Venue: Auberge de Castille

16 February

Film Screening -“Close to the Sun”

Venue: Multi-functional Hall, China Cultural Centre, Melita Street, Valletta.

Time: 18:30hrs.

25 February

Nostalgic Film Show on big screen – organised by the Żabbar Local Council in collaboration with the Civic Council, Żabbar.

Venue: The Hall, Żabbar Local Council, Żabbar.

Time: 19.00 hrs.

25 - 26 February

Colores del Tango

The Beltango Quinteto from Belgrade, Serbia is the first authentic tango orchestra from the Balkans and one of the most popular tango orchestras in Europe. The performance fuses the passionate steps of the Argentinean tango with the sounds of a

5-piece tango ensemble consisting of accordion, piano/vocal, violin, electric guitar, and double bass.

Venue: Teatru Manoel, Valletta.

Time: 19.30 hrs

Recitals:

14 February

Baroque Solo Favourites

Beatrice Martin performs on the theatre’s new Jacques Braux 1998 harpsichord. Programme: Baroque solo favourites.

Venue: Teatru Manoel, Valletta.

Time: 20.00 hrs

23 February

Piano Recital by Gabi Sultana

Programme: contemporary music featuring works by Huber, Moore, Ligeti and Crumb.

Venue: Sala Isouard, Teatru Manoel, Valletta.

Time: 20.00 hrs

Theatre:

10 - 12, 17 - 19 February

Yes, Prime Minister!

a stage production presented by Mellow Drama of the popular sitcom. Great institutions have a way of riding punches and bouncing back unscathed. Will it prove to be so for Jim Hackett and his team of close advisers? The play will be performed in English.

Venue: Teatru Manoel, Valletta.

Time: 20.00 hrs