https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/107537 2026-04-14T19:43:50Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/120571 Title: Walking uncharted territory : a collective exploration of public space Abstract: The ability to move freely and safely is undoubtedly a vital function and fundamental right, that opens up opportunities, connections and explorations with our situatedness, widening our physical and cognitive horizons and capabilities. However, whether one moves or stays stationary intersects with the personal and the political, a realm of multiscalar, multitemporal and multispatial transformations and tensions. Between July and October 2023, a group of parents and children met me regularly at and around The Mill - Art, Culture and Crafts Centre, Birkirkara, Malta. We walked, reflected and created. Walking with clay, we explored safety and playfulness, and how the participants perceived, conceived and lived public space as pedestrians. Exploring spaces through our senses reframed some of the participants' perspectives about walking itself, injecting a newfound sense of discovery. The addition of clay as a documentary and affective material gave the group a tool for capturing ephemeral moments and situations into objects for reflection. Fun, boredom, heat, time, power fueled our reflections and imaginations. How do we experience public space? Is it a physical space we use to move from one place to the next, or does it hold deeper connections? Why is relational infrastructure important as much as physical pedestrian infrastructure? This exploration of public space resonated with Lefebvre’s concept of the production of space and right to the city and emerging theories of mobility justice. Walking Uncharted Territory opened up our understanding of different relationalities, and how these fluctuate in everyday life. The research process revealed how dis/connections between the self, the group, the surroundings, and power structures, exposed how mobility is entangled and a deeper understanding is necessary, not only of individual needs but also of relational assemblages, such as the parent-child assemblage. The group's reflections pointed towards the concept that pedestrian networks consist of relational infrastructure that contain tensions, power relations and urban care, which offers a more nuanced understanding of the pedestrian experience. Description: M.A.(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/119040 Title: Food for thought : to what extent can museum education address food and nutrition to complement formal education? Abstract: This study investigates the potential for museum education to address food and nutrition to complement formal education. The aim is to bridge the gap between food and museum education to improve food literacy and foster an appreciation for cultural heritage among children and adults. The literature researched focuses on museum activities related to food and nutrition, both locally and internationally, to inform the development of an educational museum programme that primarily aligns with the Home Economics curriculum but is also cross curricular. Data was first collected through an online survey with a random sample to discover the general public's views on museums, particularly where food and nutrition are involved. Secondly, interviews were conducted with two museum professionals from different fields: one curator and the other in charge of an outreach and education department. The survey and the interviews helped to obtain enhanced knowledge for developing a four-workshop educational museum programme on food and nutrition, with two workshops for adults conducted first as a trial and two for fourteen to sixteen-year-old students. After the workshops, focus groups were conducted to gather feedback on the program's success. The results demonstrated that the workshops developed could be a valuable tool to increase visitor engagement in museums, both for school children and adults, who showed an appreciation for lost traditions and our culinary heritage. Such educational museum programmes can be incorporated into the school curriculum, especially with subjects such as Home Economics. Hence, this study highlights the growing importance of museums in modern society to food literacy and cultivates an appreciation for cultural heritage. Description: M.A.(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/115189 Title: A healing journey : redefining environmental challenges Abstract: A socially engaged art research project brought together a group of local senior citizens and the general public to highlight environmental issues related to land conservation. This dissertation sought to answer the following research questions and to bring the results of this project to the attention of policy makers, and all other stakeholders in the environmental, economic and construction sectors. Does art change political views or do political powers change art? What is the true meaning of art? Is it an aesthetic form, a sensory or healing experience, or is it meant to change perception? The author addressed these challenging thought-provoking questions by the promotion of interdisciplinary practices and the use of qualitative methods through critical reflection, pedagogical approaches, and aesthetic representations. Arts-based research was deemed the most suitable approach for this project. Valuable information that was crucial to the development of the project was obtained from six senior citizens at the Active Ageing Centre, in Gozo. Qualitative data on their learning style and artworks was gathered from semi-structured interviews, focus group, photo-voice, observational skills, effective communication, painting processes, and land art intervention. The researcher explored the historical backgrounds and memorial insights of the protagonists/participants by making use of artistic strategies such as Photovoice. By gathering old photos related to the environment and taking recent photos of the same natural surroundings, participants could evoke memories of their childhood and make them take stock of the negative impacts of overdevelopment. Photovoice proved an effective self-reflective tool throughout the study as it enabled participants to investigate the differences between past and present environmental changes. The activity of walking helped participants reflect on the beauty of the surroundings in the face of the ruthless and relentless degradation of the rural and urban environment in Gozo. Working directly with nature helped the participating senior citizens to gain a deeper insight into nature’s value, its presence, and its purity. A spiritual connection with natural materials found in the field transmitted a powerful meaning which affected their visual senses, inspiring them to express these sensations by transmuting the same material into a series of mixed media paintings. The idea of participatory land art provided an important visual platform to convey messages of social awareness and engagement, and a safe space for participants’ artistic expression. Description: M.A.(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/108081 Title: From elderly day centres to lifelong learning hubs : possibilities and limitations Abstract: In a time when Malta, like the rest of the world, is experiencing the rise and consequences of an ageing population, strategies that enable people to live healthier and happier lives as they age are fundamental. Day centres for older adults have the potential to become lifelong learning hubs in the community, where older adults are empowered to fulfil their psycho-social and educational needs. This study explored the beneficial outcomes that participation in lifelong learning and other activities organized at community day centres bare on older adults, and investigated the factors that facilitate as well as hinder older adults’ participation in lifelong learning sessions held at community day centres. Moreover, the study delved into possibilities that community day centres can turn into opportunities that enable older adults to fulfil their educational goals, to stay informed, involved and socially connected, to maintain their physical and mental wellbeing, and to help them find a purpose in life so that they may continue to live life beyond retirement, meaningfully. Description: M.A. AE(Melit.) 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z