Transgressing the fortress...creativity in the borderlands

Abstract

Migration is no stranger to the Maltese narrative. Accession to the European Union coincided with new possibilities for migration for the Maltese, and the arrival of migrants from the European Union and beyond. For many, migration has created opportunities for adventure and new possibilities – for others it has served as an escape route, in the search for safety and security. The attempts to securitize the European Union and control the migrant ‘other’ have been violent, divisive and dehumanizing; the consequences on human lives have been devastating. But this is only part of the picture. The border also embodies a creative, exciting and humanizing space that provides the possibilities for transformative practice. In this short piece I position Malta and contemporary migration patterns within a historical and geopolitical narrative, and present some of the creative initiatives implemented by a team of young people committed to working beyond the border.