Those looking to take up a new art or craft, or to develop their creative skills, are spoilt for choice this summer. The courses being offered at the MSA range across the visual arts, applied arts, and performing arts, all taking place within an environment where the contemporary meets history, in the beating cultural heart of Valletta.
The Malta Society of Arts (MSA) is delighted to share the news of its Summer 2026 courses programme, running from July through to September, at the Palazzo de La Salle in Valletta. The selection of courses on offer ranges across traditional handicrafts, such as ganutell and lace-making, and courses that look towards the future, such as the one-off workshop on AI for artists.
The programme features some popular returning favourites - giving those who missed them the first time round another opportunity to apply.
The assorted visual arts courses on offer cover a variety of media and cater for different levels and age groups. There are art classes for children, teenagers, adults, and mature students. Other courses cover a range of 2D and 3D media, including clay, oils, lino printing, pencil, charcoal, and digital art.
In an exciting first for the MSA, one of the courses on offer this summer is a one-off introductory workshop on AI for Artists. The workshop is designed for artists who want to understand how artificial intelligence can support and expand their creative practice. Through examples, discussion, and guided exploration of tools, participants will discover how AI can be used for idea generation, experimentation, creative collaboration, and workflow enhancement. The session also addresses important questions around authorship, originality, ethics, and the role of the artist in an AI-assisted creative process.
The ever-popular applied arts courses include dressmaking, sewing, knitting, lace-making, ganutell, tailoring, crochet, embroidery, and creative writing. All are open to beginners, while also supporting the development of skills in these crafts. These courses provide grounding in basic techniques, as well as demonstrating avenues for their creative use.
The MSA's summer performing arts courses centre on music and drama. Those looking to take up an instrument are spoilt for choice, with double bass, flute, piano, guitar and violin courses available.
The theatrical arts are also strongly represented, boasting a selection that diversifies approaches to theatrical performance: film and theatre makeup, puppetry, and acting classes. Theatre Anon will be conducting workshops on making puppets using simple materials and tools. Students will be introduced to puppetry of different kinds, including shadow puppetry, hand puppets, and tabletop puppets, and will explore animating their creations through storytelling. Makeup for Theatre and Film provides the building blocks for an essential aspect of stage and screen. The acting and drama classes are designed to encourage students aged 10-15 to explore new imaginative horizons while gaining confidence through characterisation, improvisation, and performance as means of expression.
Dr Joe Borg, President of the Malta Society of Arts, says: "Courses in the arts and crafts are a vital part of the Malta Society of Arts' mission, actively growing and sharing the love for art in the community and always welcoming newcomers."
Early registration is encouraged - spaces are limited and the new offerings are expected to fill quickly. Visit the MSA website for full details, schedule, and enrolment information at www.artsmalta.org/courses-summer/.