Il-Kantilena (2014) : Maltese identity and metalinguistic fusion through multidisciplinary performance

Abstract

Why is the poem Kantilena (1450) by Pietru Caxaro (1400 – 1480) so meaningful for Maltese culture? Why revolve a whole production around a single poem? What is so special about its connotations? How did the artists manage to make use of it within their creative process? How were things put together for the final multidisciplinary production? Why not interdisciplinary? These questions will be analysed in this dissertation, which seeks to examine the notion of Maltese identity on stage through the fusion of different art forms. Through an analysis of the poem, the reader will gain some insight into the philosophies embedded within it while potentially linking it to the meaning brought out of it by twenty-first century artists. Creative processes from the music, dance and videographic scenes as meta-languages will be analysed, providing insight into ways through which the poem influenced the artists. Finally, Malta’s cultural scene will make its way into the paper, highlighting possible aspects which might be restricing the creation of interdisciplinary work on the island.