MatriART – Past Beneficiary of the Culture&Health Platform for the Maltese Islands 2025

MatriART is a community-based arts and wellbeing programme supporting women navigating life transitions. Through creative workshops held in safe spaces, participants explore different art forms such as storytelling, movement, visual art and writing as pathways to connection, expression and shared learning. Co-designed and facilitated by women—including artists, cultural practitioners, and healthcare professionals—the pilot programme uses a participatory action research approach where participants are active partners in shaping the experience. Rooted in Malta’s cultural context and intergenerational wisdom, MatriART explores how creativity can strengthen wellbeing, identity, belonging and social connection, while contributing to a future Arts on Prescription model for Malta.

Here is what Pamela Abela, creator of MatriART, had to say:

“The fund is an enabling and creative opportunity to put to practice our ideas as practitioners in the field of art & health. It allows us to do more than dream, it gives us scope to explore with others the myriad possibilities that exist. Trials is this area are very context driven and community specific revealing a very much needed understanding of effects together with ways of working and doing”

This project is a beneficiary of Strand 2 of the 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬. This strand supports projects and/or programmes which bring together professionals and organisations across the arts, health, and social sectors that aim at supporting creative projects designed to deliver health and well-being benefits. Projects could include: participatory art programmes, arts in healthcare environments, productions in healthcare settings, artist residencies in healthcare or social care settings and practice-based research activity.

Don’t miss out on this opportunity to develop your practice on an international platform

Application deadline: 7 April 2026 at 12:00pm.

Pamela Abela portrait Credit: Therese Debono
MatriArt photo Credit: Elisa Von Brockdorff

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐚.

𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐀𝐧𝐝𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨-𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 

Visit the link below for more info and application details