Mumenti is a project currently carried out by the Maltese Catholic Action (AKM) and is funded by the Arts Council Malta as part of The Right to Culture fund. This project started in February of this year and will end in February 2025. The aim of this project is to create a series of moments where members of AKM from different generations have the opportunity to come together and participate in creative and cultural experiences together.
These moments serve as a space where the elderly, adults and young people interact while enjoying themselves. To date three cultural visits to Mdina, Rabat and Valletta and eight creative workshops in different AKM centres around Malta have been organised. These creative workshops include three art workshops, three music workshops, one dance workshop, one drama workshop and five creative writing workshops. These intergenerational workshops were only possible thanks to a number of artists who were engaged through this project, to deliver them.
During the art workshops, Ian Stilon the artist, asked the participants to visualise and discuss the challenges they face and to think of positive things that help them overcome them. The elderly and the young people then drew what was discussed and shared this with the others present. During the music workshop, Banjo Rancho the percussionist provided the members with a number of instruments and drums so that they were able to create a rhythm and a beautiful harmony together, in spite of the participants varying ages. Sarah Vella a dancer and choreographer helped the participants forget all inhibitions and overcome their shyness during the dance workshop. The participants found a sense of liberty to express themselves through movement. The actor Nicky Gambin helped the young and elderly participants build a connection through drama and role play for the creative workshops, while the writer Kit Azzopardi prepared different texts from Maltese literature for the participants to discuss. After this workshop the young people and the elderly members are now corresponding as pen-friends by sending short messages on postcards to each other.
The feedback of those participating in these creative workshops and cultural visits in the last months has been positive and encouraging. Ninette Borg Grech, an ex-president of AKM who is 88 years old, participated in the art workshop held in Iklin and mentioned that it was a beautiful experience where the young people expressed verbally and creatively the challenges they come across but they quickly shifted towards the positive with hope. In the group she was in, she was happy to see young people joking around and having fun.
Mary Micallef, an 85-year-old member of the Adult Section in Tarxien was impressed when she saw the honest energy and joy that young people had. She felt that the elderly were accepted and that they made them feel welcome. Even though Mary is a bit reserved in such situations, she still managed to enjoy herself a lot.
Violet and Joe Zammit, members of the adult section in Balzan also shared that the workshop was a pleasant and new experience for them, that they enjoyed conversing with the young people and they felt in sync with them. They appreciated the enthusiasm, genuineness and happiness the ŻAK members had to offer.
Eighty-one-year-old Joyce Pullicino, also ex-president of AKM was grateful to be invited to a workshop. She mentioned that the methodology used was innovative and that the artist delivering the programme was fantastic. She believes the mix of generations worked very well and all the participants present were accepted, heard and had an equal opportunity to express themselves. Joyce mentioned that despite the age differences there was an agreement on the values they each share.
Mary Rose Borg, a 67-year-old member of the adult section in Żebbuġ attended the dance workshop organised in Siġġiewi. Even though she feels she is not into dancing, she felt the artist made it easy and enjoyable for her to participate. The group was so bubbly and open that she did not feel the age difference. Another 76-year-old member from Żebbuġ, Carmela Fenech explained that this was her first time doing something like this. She thought it would be harder for her to integrate with the young people but the workshop was adequate for all ages and the enthusiasm of the young people filled her with joy. She felt good meeting people she never knew before.
Maria Zammit a leader of ŻAK Siġġiewi described how she felt that the cultural visit was similar to the ones she takes her students on, but on this one she felt a sense of fraternity where the participants took care of each other very well. Maria mentioned that she not only learnt new facts about the place they visited but she learnt from what the others asked and shared, for example how the elderly participants remember walking through the yard of Grand Master's Palace when it was still being used as offices. In the Greek Church she got a better understanding of the symbolism used. She was happy to get to know new people and thankful for such an event because it is not usual that the young and old get to go on such trips together. Maria believes this project is a nice experiment and due to its activities she has found the time to stop, learn and appreciate the cultural heritage our ancestors have left us to enjoy.
Isabel Micallef, also a leader of ŻAK Tarxien mentioned that the cultural trip was a fruitful one, especially the visit to the Greek Church. It was her first time visiting and she appreciated how Papas Martin explained the history of where the Greek Catholics originated from, and what similarities and differences they share with the Roman Catholics. She was impressed with the interest shown by the other participants, both young and old, and Isabel feels it was a great learning opportunity for all involved.
Mary Anne Muscat, a 65-year-old, who is also the current vice-president of AKM, said that the cultural trip to the Co-Cathedral was a special one. Even though she had been there numerous times before, it was never experienced with an intergenerational group and never led by Pietre Vive members. These guides explained the symbolism of the paintings and encouraged the participants to notice certain details that give meaning to us Catholics. Through the project Mumenti, Mary Anne had the pleasure to experience the co-cathedral as an important place for Catholics and not only as an art museum.
The next step for this project will be after summer and it will involve the production of three podcasts. A small group of young people will be receiving training to acquire skills in relation to media, public-speaking and preparation of an interview. These podcasts will feature people from different generations who from their knowledge and experience will recount the impact the Maltese Catholic Action had on the cultural and socio-political sphere of our society.
Photos: Mauro Attard