Valletta 2018 is organising the series of workshops Performative Machines between 18-21 September, during which participants will design a model to be used as part of the devised performance project Każin Barokk next year.

Educators, students, alumni, and anyone involved in the fields of art and design, software development, mechanical engineering, and all other similar/related fields, are invited to attend. The workshops will be led by architect William Bondin, at the Microsoft Innovation Centre, SkyParks in Luqa.

The Valletta 2018 project, Każin Barokk, is a hybrid performance where visuals and music intertwine taking extracts from “Le Jouer” by Francois Renard. It is directed by Elli Papakostantinou, the artistic director of ODC Ensemble in Greece.

The name given to this performance is a delightful play on words. Każin being a local bar, but also leads to the word ‘casino’. Barokk refers to the Baroque period in arts and music, from about 1600 to about 1750, marked by elaborate ornamentation and efforts to create dramatic effects, but also to the mish-mash of cultures and identities. The latter is typically what Maltese culture is all about due to its location, history and globalisation. The performance explores if and how Maltese culture is being gambled away.

This promises to be a soul-searching journey where art, people, robotics, past, present and future come together to form a ‘Baroque pastiche’ based on local, contemporary identities. The audience will have a visual experience whereby they control the function and appreciate the intricacies of the mechanics of the set.

For more information on the workshops, please visit https://valletta2018.org/events/kazin-barokk-performative-machines-call-for-participation/.

The deadline for registration is Thursday 14 September.