There was a complement of 26 part-time adult educators, including four foreigners.

The courses offered covered Drama, Drama Therapy, Personality Development, Community Theatre, History of Theatre, Costume Design & Manufacture, Freestyle Dance, Flamenco and Classical Ballet. Senior students also entered successfully the London Academy (LAMDA) Performing Arts Higher Certificate and Performing Arts Diploma.

There were 127 students in all entering LAMDA examinations at Grades 3 – 8, with a 100% success rate and 78% of students awarded a distinction.

Freestyle students took part in several regional public performances and, together with Flamenco and Classical Ballet students took part in Educational programmes on Channel 22. On the other hand, the Community Theatre group presented a docu-drama related to youth issues in centres located in Hamrun, Mosta, Qormi, Siggiewi and Burmarrad.

The Freestyle group also took part, together with two guest actors, in the launching of The L-Istrina edition 2010. Their participation was filmed at the President’s Palace and screened in over 25 schools.

Another outreach programme was devised for the summer months, presented at seven residences for the elderly. Based on interactive performances, interviews and choral singing, the programme was partly sponsored by the Parliamentary Secretariat for the Elderly.

A full-scale concert featuring the respective performing arts offered at the Drama Centre was presented at the University Auditorium in April 2011 and several open days for parents were held for them to watch actual sessions in Classical Ballet and drama techniques.

This year, The Drama Centre ventured into Digital 3D Assimilation filming. Forty students were cast in a filmed version of a long poem (Magoy) by Mario Azzopardi, directed by Lino Farrugia. The film was entrusted to the Film Desk at the EU Commission in Valletta to explore possibilities for diffusion.

In 2011, the Drama Centre was involved in another tripartite project with the Manoel Theatre and the American Embassy. The play selected for this year, The Rose Tattoo by Tennessee Williams, directed by Albert Marshall received critical acclaim. The cast featured a mix of veteran guest actors, new graduates of the Drama Centre and a number of adult educators.

Another project for 2012, Desire Under the Elms has already been agreed upon with the same partners.

The last outside performance for 2010/11 was held in September in Marsascala, where the Drama (Senior) group, directed by Lino Farrugia presented a parodic take on key episodes lifted from the history of Malta. Also taking part were the five groups taking Flamenco classes with Ms Svetlana Silina.

On the foreign front, in January 2011, Ms Dorothy Singh attended a Grundtvig Lifelong Learning Active Laboratory and Empowerment workshop in Krakow, Poland. Ms Singh coordinates the Community Programme at the Drama Centre.

Early in September 2011 Ms Svetlana Silina, Flamenco instructor represented the Malta Drama Centre in Seville, Spain and negotiated two exchange programmes with the Manuel Betanzos Dance School of Seville.

In view of further courses and the extension of classes at the Drama Centre for 2011 / 12, the Malta Drama Centre, in conjunction with the Lifelong Learning Department, issued a call for application. All the incumbent adult educators were retained and there were eighteen new interviews to fill positions related to Voice Technique, Classical Ballet, Freestyle, Body Movement, Choreography, Musical Theatre, History of Theatre and Zumba.

Opportunities for graduates of the Malta Drama Centre are opening up, particularly in the field of television drama. An increasing number of certified students are also being recruited by local stage companies, while others are pursuing further theatre studies at upper secondary and tertiary level.

The Malta Drama Centre wishes to acknowledge the constant, unfailing and appreciative support extended by the Directorate of Lifelong Learning at the Education Division

Mario Azzopardi
Officer in Charge
Malta Drama Centre