½ñÈÕºÚÁÏ

In a world where creative practice is being challenged by automated forms of creation and established cultural identities are under scrutiny from revisionist approaches and cultural gentrification, what does it mean for something to be Maltese?’, and ‘How is that expressed in terms of cultural practice?’

This Unit will explore facets of Maltese Identity that have shaped our current understanding of Maltese culture. It will examine not only historical circumstances, but also contemporary cultural practice from a practical perspective. How do artists respond to cultural stimuli and the concept of being Maltese? More importantly, how do different, something contradictory, narratives converge and emerge through creative processes?

This Unit will focus primarily on performative arts as an immediate manifestation of cultural identity. It will explore such diverse expressions as Maltese ghana, the emergence of a Maltese classical music tradition, and the use of the Maltese language in creative practice. However, it will look beyond the boundaries of performance art, and consider the influence and effects exerted by other factors such as political events, and external cultural phenomena.

The Unit will also look at areas of cultural identity that are often overlooked or taken for granted. This includes public rituals (e.g. festa, football culture, contemporary pop culture), and subversive and satirical approaches to identity.

Lastly, the Unit will also include input from the lecturer who is a composer on personal approaches to matters of cultural identity when it comes to contemporary creative practice.

Method of Assessment

Main Reading List

Cultural Identity:

• Gruen, and Gruen, Erich S. Cultural Identity in the Ancient Mediterranean. Getty Research Institute, 2010.
• Hall, S., & Du Gay, P. (Eds.). (1996). Questions of cultural identity. Sage Publications, Inc.
• Mulcahy, Kevin V. Public Culture, Cultural Identity, Cultural Policy Comparative Perspectives. 1st ed. 2017.. N.p., 2017.
• Zajda, Joseph, and Suzanne Majhanovich. Globalisation, Cultural Identity and Nation-Building: The Changing Paradigms. 1st Edition 2021. Vol. 23. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 2021.

Maltese Culture & Cultural Identity:

• Bonello, Borg Cardona, and Bonello, Giovanni. Music in Malta: from Prehistory to Vinyl. Malta]: Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, 2019.
• Farrugia, Godfrey. Fireworks?: the Vibrant Celebration of the Maltese Islands. Malta: the author], 2023.
• Farrugia, Godfrey, and Patrick J. Fenech. The Maltese Village Festa: a Traditional Yearly Ritual. San Gwann]: BDL, 2016.
• Vella Bondin, Joseph. The Great Maltese Composers?: Historical Context, Lives, and Works. Birkirkara]: APS Bank, 2016.