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Coordinator: University of Malta, Department of Arts, Open Communities and Adult Education within the Faculty of Education
Research Team: Prof Raphael Vella (Malta Project Lead), Prof Milosh Raykov, Dr Isabelle Gatt, Dr Karsten Xuereb, Margerita Pulè |
Artists: Toni Attard (director), Simon Bartolo (playwright); Benjamin Abela; Josette Ciappara; Stephen Mintoff; Ray Mifsud; Clare Agius; Chris Vincent Jung (actors).
Local Stakeholders: Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement (MGRM), Culture Venture Explored Media: theatre |
Study September 2020 - March 2021
How can socially engaged arts projects expand knowledge and influence attitudes towards those living with HIV? How can representation in the arts empower those living with or at risk of HIV in learning about the condition?
Very few people living with HIV in Malta have publicly disclosed their status or speak about the subject. People living with HIV still fear of discrimination, (self-)stigmatisation, alienation and loneliness; by disclosing their status they fear repercussions to their day-to-day life.
The theatrical production Il-Pożittivi was made to put a focus on the stigma of people living with HIV in Malta; the play was the first in Malta to address the specific issues faced by people living with HIV and the day-to-day matters that impact their lives.
In order to protect the privacy of the participant group, interviews were carried out anonymously by social workers, engaged by local advocacy organisation MGRM, a non-governmental organisation which has as its central focus the challenges and rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Malta, extending also to people living with HIV through its separate campaign entitled HIV Malta. Participants were asked about their lives, prejudice they had encountered, and their experiences of living with HIV in Malta.
From the data gathered, playwright Simon Bartolo wrote the first draft of the performance, which follows the lives and experiences of a group of people with HIV. A rehearsed reading of this first draft took place online, with six actors reading their parts to an invited audience. The audience, made up of people with a background in theatre, as well as many people from the LGBTQ community, were invited to provide feedback on the story and script. The original participants were invited to join the rehearsed reading anonymously.
The live performance was planned to be staged in May 2021, but because of COVID-19 restrictions, was instead designed for online viewing and streamed to a ticketed audience.
The theatrical production Il-Pożittivi was made to put a focus on the stigma of people living with HIV in Malta; the play was the first in Malta to address the specific issues faced by people living with HIV and the day-to-day matters that impact their lives.
In order to protect the privacy of the participant group, interviews were carried out anonymously by social workers, engaged by local advocacy organisation MGRM, a non-governmental organisation which has as its central focus the challenges and rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in Malta, extending also to people living with HIV through its separate campaign entitled HIV Malta. Participants were asked about their lives, prejudice they had encountered, and their experiences of living with HIV in Malta.
From the data gathered, playwright Simon Bartolo wrote the first draft of the performance, which follows the lives and experiences of a group of people with HIV. A rehearsed reading of this first draft took place online, with six actors reading their parts to an invited audience. The audience, made up of people with a background in theatre, as well as many people from the LGBTQ community, were invited to provide feedback on the story and script. The original participants were invited to join the rehearsed reading anonymously.
The live performance was planned to be staged in May 2021, but because of COVID-19 restrictions, was instead designed for online viewing and streamed to a ticketed audience.
Photos: Elisa von Brockdorff
