Cultural Heritage Skills
Director’s Message ‘Distinct’. This is the focus of the 2019 edition of the MCAST ICA Festival, a creative arts festival which builds on the achievements of my predecessors, and which this year has been extended to span a full month between 4 July and 4 August. ‘Distinct’ is represented by a stylised fingerprint - the mark that distinguishes one individual from another. Such is the work showcased during this festival; students from the same cohort having followed the same programme of studies and therefore having experienced a similar formation are showing that which distinguishes themselves from their peers. Moreover, through this festival one can also appreciate the various idiosyncratic outcomes reached through the diverse areas of studies within the creative arts – Fine Arts,
Photography, Game Art & Visual Design, Interactive Media, Graphic Design, Creative Media, Journalism, Spatial & Product Design, Fashion & Retail, Performing Arts, and Cultural Heritage. Our learners have gradually developed an identity, facilitated by the experiences afforded them along their journey within the Institute for the Creative Arts. We did not walk this journey alone. Supported by our mother institution MCAST, an institution that also has a distinct identity within the field of further and higher education, and in partnership with numerous stakeholders in the industry, such formation has taken shape in a unique way that rightly deserves to be celebrated.
The context of this year’s celebration is Spazju Kreattiv – Malta’s national centre for creativity - which provides a meaningful platform to further bridge the gap between student life and life within the community and industry. Within the heart of Valletta, last year’s European Capital of Culture, it acts as a fitting venue for ‘Distinct’. Sincere thanks go to ICA staff and students who have worked tirelessly to make this event possible, colleagues within MCAST for their support and contribution, and industry partners who have been key players along the way. I trust that the result of this collaborative effort will translate into a truly distinctive experience for each one of you.
Dr Martina Caruana
Perfect Binding
Andrew Zammit Montobello Student Bio: Andrew Zammit Montebello is interested in history and its many components since his early years. This deep curiosity for events which had transpired lead to an appreciation for books and reading, which in turn lead to understanding about the concept of Cultural Heritage. Spending his early years in a home which encouraged his interest for reading and information, Andrew grew up with a desire to understand and read more, often commented as having spent many days with his nose in books, and if not, visiting heritage sites. With this drive and support, Andrew came to understand about historic sites and concepts, along with the destruction caused by both neglect and intentional harm. With this understanding, Andrew signed up for the Mcast Advanced Diploma course in Cultural Heritage, wanting more hands on experience and better grasp on the concepts regarding the many fields which make up Heritage,
his main focus being put towards Paper materials and Archival work. Artist Statement: Through this course, I’ve gained new knowledge for materials made of paper, with emphasize on books. Learning about how one method of paper production had been the use of recycling of clothes, how the everyday ‘Perfect binding’ on paperback books isn’t ‘Perfect’, how much effort and works goes in binding and securing leafs of paper to construct a vessel which helps to contain knowledge to pass down to others. With the project, I’ll showcase various bindings and productions we had learnt in the course. I hope through this project you will see the work me and my fellow classmates have put into our course
Clifford Bonnici Student Bio:
Artist Statement:
From a small age his interest was always in Malta’s unique culture and history it had to offer. All of this was transmitted from his father which had the same taste mand passion. Growing up he began to realize that all of this heritage needed care and attention to ensure its preservation for future generations. Choosing this course led him to different paths in the cultural heritage sector.
As part of his course work, he choose to craft a particular metal object using traditional skills in metallurgy. This particular object is the Maltese ‘logg’ which can be found on numerous house facades all over the islands. All of this is done under the guidance of professional blacksmiths.
Jacob Formosa Student Bio: Jacob Formosa has always be intrigued by traditional methods used for creating visual or functional art. This interest was further enhanced by the introduction to trade of blacksmithing. From childhood he started an endless journey of further research and practice through painting and sculpture that enhanced both his knowledge and ability within the use of traditional methods when creating visual art. With this experience in blacksmithing and sculpture, Jacob furthered his studies within these trades and he currently focused more in depth on blacksmithing and metallurgy. This has helped Jacob attain further knowledge in traditional methods of creating visual arts; the ability in designing and creating metal objects
along with the ability to recognize and interpret historical metallurgical objects. Artist Statement: The idea behind the project is to re-introduce what is being lost through modern industrialization. The project is about the reintroduction of methods, designs and motifs that show how traditional metallurgy designed and manufactured through the exhibition of a wrought iron gate made using traditional methods which incorporates traditional motifs. The aim of this project is to reintroduce traditional design and educate people how even complex tradition can still be used, developed and integrated within today’s modern society.
Metal Heritage Skills
Glenn Carter Student Bio: Glen Carter is a 24-year-old, third year student currently attending an advanced diploma in cultural heritage at MCAST institute for the creative arts. Being surrounded by history his whole life, he discovered his passion and appreciation for culture from an early age. Having worked with restorers, Museum curators and other heritage caretakers, he too hopes that one day can be a part of a team that care and protect these items and monuments for future generations. Artist Statement: Born and raised in Malta, a country filled with history and culture both tangible and intangible from a young age, experiencing its rich culture has instilled a love and appreciation for all that has cultural significance and a believe, that these items must be protected and cared for.
During his second year attending a diploma in cultural heritage at MCAST institute for cultural heritage he was exposed to traditional metallurgic techniques at a local blacksmith and quickly fell in love with the technique and work involved in creating these historic objets d’art. In his works by the use of traditional techniques, Glen seeks to create handmade items and replicate historical elements found in wrought iron examples throughout the Maltese islands and strives to continue learning the manufacture process involved in order to preserver these historic techniques quickly being lost or forgotten.
Metal Heritage Skills
Sebastian Said Student Bio: Sebastian Said is a 19-year-old, third year student currently attending an Advanced Diploma in Cultural Heritage at MCAST institute for the creative arts. History and culture are vast and rich in Malta, and that’s why he found his utter amazement when he started his course in Cultural Heritage. Having worked with museum curators, conservators, restorers and various other heritage caretakers, he aspires to emulate them and start working in a sector that is devoted to protect and preserve different sites, museums and monuments, so that the future generation can be inspired by our beautiful cultural heritage. Artist Statement: Hailing from the island country of Malta, boasting a history spanning more than 7000 years and having tremendous culture both tangible and intangible, infused from a tender age with this history and culture, helped him learn to admire, appreciate
and love all that makes him and his fellow countrymen Maltese. During his second year attending an Advanced Diploma in Cultural Heritage at MCAST institute he started working at the ‘National Museum of Archeology’ in Valletta. In this apprenticeship he’s been given a main project to digitise and preserve the vast collection of old photographs, documents and books that are located within this building. Seeing how it helped in preserving these very important pieces of information, documenting very important instances in our history Sebastian made it his mission to finish digitising as much as possible of the museum’s collection. By digitising these various documents researchers, students or anyone seeking information will one day by able to go online and by the click of a button.
Josef Micallef Student Bio: Being born in an ‘artist-free’ environment he was able to express and explore his abilities from a very young age, beginning from simple drawing of horses on school copybooks. Josef Micallef is 21 years old and was born in Dingli, and this location automatically helped his interest in art, with the everyday scenery. At the age of seven he attended Malta Society of Arts in Valletta for a couple of years, and soon drawing became an obsession. His father’s set of Good Friday’s statues exposed him to religious art and soon from drawing he was then interested in clay sculpture; clay that he used to buy from his pocket money.
His entry at the MCAST Institute for Creative Arts was unexpected, as well as the hands-on experience of crafts such as bookbinding. Although this is not entirely art, Josef finds himself experiencing the same sensations he used to have when he used to draw horses.
Supported by
Prospectus Academic Year 2019/2020
The Online Application periods for the upcoming academic year 2019/20 will be as follows:
Monday 22nd July till Sunday 04th August Monday 02nd September till Sunday 08th September Friday 27th September till Wednesday 02nd October 2019 Access to the online application portal will be through the MCAST website, as from Monday 22nd July. Those who will be submitting an Application and are in possession of a National ID Number need to have a valid E-ID in order for them to apply for an MCAST full-time courses. Prospective applicants who do not have a National ID, will also be able to apply online. Further information about the online application process will be available by the second week of July. The conditions for application are found in the MCAST prospectus – an online version of which can be accessed through: https://www.mcast.edu.mt/mcast-prospectus-2019-2020/