The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) has launched the seventh edition of the MCAST ICA Festival. This year's edition is being held until 30 July at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta.

This year's festival is inspired by the adventurous spirit of Don Quixote, embodying the values of creativity, authenticity and imagination. The motivation behind this year's MCAST ICA Festival iteration is to Dare to Be Quixotic. The aim of the festival is to act as a call to all creative individuals to embrace their most expressive, eccentric sides and freely express themselves.

During the festival, creative works and final-year dissertations executed by students following Bachelor of Arts (Honours) courses at the College's Institute for the Creative Arts (ICA) will be exhibited. Projects will vary from diverse creative disciplines, including creative media production, fashion, fine arts, game art, visual design, graphic design, interactive media, journalism, performing arts, photography, product design and spatial design.

This annual event serves as a platform by which the general public can discover the work done by MCAST students and how vocational education and training prepare them professionally for the industry.

Rupert Cefai, chairman of Fondazzjoni Kreattività, stated that: "This festival holds immense significance, as it provides a valuable platform for the MCAST students to exhibit their hard work and individual talents. It is through this event that they gain exposure among stakeholders in the creative industry and the local arts and design community."

Moreover, the festival serves as a perfect opportunity for current MCAST students to showcase their work and connect with industry professionals from diverse creative sectors.

Director for the Institute of Creative Arts (ICA) Dr Martina Caruana explained: "Don Quixote's qualities transcend those of the creative and had a strong sense of duty, determination, conviction and justice. An idealist and motivator of change, he was never discouraged by the challenges and mishaps he faced on the journey he chose to embark upon. Many of these qualities are collectively embodied in the students' work."

MCAST's Institute for the Creative Arts (ICA) offers a wide array of creative courses, ranging from Level 1 Diplomas up to Level 7 Master's Degree programmes. Online applications for all MCAST courses, including courses at the ICA, open tomorrow, 17 July.

Spazju Kreattiv and the Arts Council Malta together with MAC cosmetics and Bluerock sponsored this event.