The exhibition is being organised by Grupp Armar Zabbar, an NGO within the Zabbar Parish. The name of the exhibition is: ‘QADDISIN – fil-Qalb tal-Festa Maltija’ (SAINTS – at the heart of Maltese Festas) and is set up on the 1st floor of Sala Notre Dame. It is being organised in close collaboration with the Zabbar Sanctuary Museum and the Zabbar Local Council together with the local band clubs and other festa organisations and band clubs in Malta. The Exhibition will be held over 2 weekends, including weekdays specifically to be able to hold a number of workshops on the two Sundays of the exhibition chaired by experts in the field.

Visitors to the exhibition are first led on the theatre stage where a mini cinema will be setup with wooden benches (from the old Notre Dame Hall) and a short audiovisual documentary is  shown on screen. The documentary purposely researched by members from the Zabbar Grupp Armar and prepared for the event focuses on the Maltese artists which have contributed to the theme i.e. Statues used in Demonstration / Band Marches, the various statues over the island and how most probably the first statues were developed. Also the influence of the maritime industry in the way these statues were brought up etc.

Following the documentary, visitors are led in the hall where the display / exhibition is set. Statues on display will be arranged in order of year in which they were made and according to locality. A special area would be dedicated to the three Zabbar statues, for instance Our Lady of Divine Grace  by Manuel Farrugia, Malta by Giuseppe Caruana k/a Marcjol and the Madonna of the Great Seige by Glormu Dingli . The exhibition setup will lead the visitor from one statue to the next whilst providing information on the statuarian, the statue, the way it is brought up and the respective hymn. The music played in the hall would be the various hyms by Maltese composers used during demonstration with these statues. This exhibition is a first in its theme, since in one place and under the same roof one would find on exhibit the works of nine Maltese statuarians.

Also being this year an important year for our capital city as European Cultural Capital – Valletta 2018 and the collaboration with the Valletta 2018 committee, another special area would be dedicated to the four festa statues of Valletta i.e Our Lady of Carmel, St. Paul & St. Dominic by Alfed Camilleri Cauchi and St. Augustine by Wistin Camilleri.

The display will be open between Friday 13th and Sunday 22nd April (both days inclusive, including weekdays) between 6.30pm and 9pm. Saturdays and Sunday the exhibition will be open between 9am and midday.

This event is endorsed by the Valletta 2018 Foundation,