The Malta College of Arts, Science, and Technology (MCAST) together with the Institute for the Creative Arts (ICA) launched the eighth edition of the MCAST ICA Festival on 4 July at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta. This year for the first time, the festival will run for eight weeks till 8 September 2024.

This year’s theme aims to showcase the dynamic journey of problem-solving and creativity, inspired by the ever-shifting process of discovering innovative solutions.

The eighth edition of the MCAST ICA Festival celebrates the achievements of final-year students of eleven Bachelor of Arts (Honours) courses offered at MCAST’s Institute for the Creative Arts in Mosta. The festival offers a valuable platform for participant students to gain exposure among stakeholders in the industry on a national and international level.

Addressing the audience, MCAST ICA student, following a course in graphic design Ms Patricia Chibuzor Utulu said, “Our theme centres on problem-solving, a journey that involves sifting through various ideas to arrive at a final solution. The theme mirrors the process of creating this festival and the daily challenges we students face in our creative pursuits.  Our success is a testament to the power of collaboration. We have worked closely with the interactive media Department which captured the behind-the-scenes moments and student spotlight photos for our social media.”

The MCAST ICA Festival’s purpose and goal is to celebrate the students’ creativity and hard work that came to fruition throughout their challenging but gratifying years of education. It also acts as a showcase of students’ work to industry experts outside the formal educational context.

The festival features work by the final-year BA students from MCAST’s Institute for the Creative Arts (ICA). Importantly, the festival acts as a link between the institute and the local art and design community.

Ms Julia Cipriott who is following a product design course at the ICA highlighted the importance of teamwork and collaboration between students following different courses at the Institute, “Students following different creative courses at the Institute have come together to prepare, organise and launch this year’s ICA Festival. The festival is a testement to how different creative artists can come together to create one unified exhibition. I would like to congratulate the efforts made by each and every fellow student that worked to make this festival a reality”

Various study areas feature in this year’s edition, including creative media production, fashion, fine arts, game art and visual design, graphic design, interactive media, journalism, performing arts, photography, product design, and spatial design.

Collaborations involving MCAST and other local creative institutions, like the annual MCAST ICA Festival are crucial for fostering new generations of artists and creatives, offering hundreds of graduating students the opportunity to pursue careers in the cultural and creative sector and beyond.

Spatial design student at the MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts (ICA) Ms Milena Spiteri explained, “We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to our lecturers for their unwavering support and dedication to us students. Your resilience and steadfastness inspire us to persevere through trying times, and we are profoundly grateful for your continued encouragement and mentorship. Let this exhibition be a reminder of the power of art to transform, to heal, and to unite us all.”

The MCAST Institute for the Creative Arts offers a wide array of courses, ranging from Level 1 entry-level certifications up to Level 6 Bachelor Degrees and Level 7 Master Degrees. Study programmes are designed to help students flourish and land careers within the creative industry. Interested applicants can apply to join the Institute in October 2024 by submitting an online application via the MCAST website. Applications open on the 15 July 2024.

The eighth edition of the MCAST ICA Festival was supported by the Arts Council Malta, Spazju Kreattiv, and VIBE FM Malta. For further information please visit the MCAST ICA Festival and Spazju Kreattiv’s social media pages.