Sip of Art: Inspire Create Activism Around

Inspire creative activism around you The Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta presents Sip of Art: Inspire Creative Activism Around You

Project Leader: Antonella Sgobbo, PHROM Secretariat Officer

The Platform of Human Rights Organisations in Malta (PHROM) is a national network of NGOs working to strengthen human rights in Malta. It is registered as a voluntary organisation with the Malta Commissioner for Voluntary Organisations, and its mission is to provide a national forum for human rights organisations to more effectively develop, promote and advocate for the values of human dignity and equality.

‘Rhea Bldg’,1A, Triq is-Santissima Trinita, Ħamrun, MRS 2280, Malta

Telephone: + 356 2010 6295 Fax: + 356 2010 6296 Email: [email protected] Web: www.humanrightsplatform.org.mt

Sip of Art Logo designers: Emmanuel Tut Rah Farah, Alessandro Tesei Photos credit: Antonella Sgobbo Art materials: Galea’s Art Callery, 70, South Street/221, Strait Street, Valletta

The views, opinions and/or findings contained within this report are those of PHROM itself and, unless otherwise stated, do not necessarily represent the views of all PHROM Member Organisations.

‘Sip of Art’ aims to bridge art and human rights. The initiative uses the power of Art to give human rights a voice, an expression, a moment to reflect, to open an intimate space for everyone and let the imagination wonder.

The project is funded by Arts Council Malta, through the Creative Communities fund. It creates an interaction between the community and the coffee shops in Malta, with the aim of triggering processes of creative activism. Four coffee shops around Malta gave patrons the chance to exchange a cup of tea or a morning coffee for an artwork about human rights.

Following an extensive call for interest, four coffee shops agreed to participate in ‘Sip of Art’: The Grassy Hopper in Valletta and in Gżira, Ġugar in Valletta, Bongo Nyah in Marsaskala and Flora’s Café in Naxxar. PHROM provided them with colouring pencils, pens, and notebooks. It was great to see how the coffee shops’ owners and staff felt immediately committed to the activity, reserving a space in their shops for ‘Sip of Art’ and disseminating news of the initiative. For the four months ‘Sip of Art’ was present in the coffee shops, these were given full flexibility in how to run the project on their premises so as to ensure that ‘Sip of Art’ was given full exposure whilst also becoming an integral part of the shops’ daily activities.

PHROM is extremely happy to close the project by publishing all the artistic contributions in this art book: ‘Sip of Art: Inspire creative activism around you’.

A heartfelt thanks to all the owners and staff of the participating coffee shops, and to all creative activists who sipped their teas and coffees!

Neil Falzon PHROM Head of Secretariat

Member OrganizationS

• aditus foundation • Malta Humanist Association • African Media Music Association • Malta LGBTIQ Rights Movement • Amputees4Amputees • Migrant Women Association Malta • Breaking Limits • National Foster Care Association • Deaf People Association • Organisation for Friendship in • Din L-Art Ħelwa Diversity • DRACHMA • PRISMS • Fondazzjoni Mid-Dlam għad-Dawl • Richmond Foundation • Foundation for Support and Shelter • SOS Malta to Migrants • Troupe 18:45 • Gender Liberation • UpBeat Music House • Inspire Foundation • Victim Support Malta • Integra Foundation • We Are • Jesuit Refugee Service • Why Not? • Kunsill Studenti Universitarji • Women Rights Foundation • Libya Foundation for Rehabilitation • YMCA Homeless PHROM’s mission is to provide a national forum for human rights organisations in Malta to develop, promote and advocate for the values of human dignity and equality more effectively. As Malta’s first and only platform which brings together 30 NGOs working on human rights issues, PHROM provides member organisations with a strong and united voice on areas of concern. PHROM understands that active citizenship and participation based on democratic principles of inclusivity and mutual understanding are central to national, regional and international efforts to combat inequality and human rights violations and improve community empowerment.

Coffee Shops

Ġugar! - Hangout and Bar is a co-operative effort between a group of friends who wanted to create a space for good living...a place where community can hang-out, enjoy a warm cup of tea or coffee, a beer or indulge into some of our delicious snacks. Among lots of other stuff, you will find a small but interesting library, gallery art by emerging local artists and a welcoming, friendly atmosphere. Those looking for an inexpensive delicious healthy snack or a nutrient packed smoothie or juice are in for luck!

The word “Ġugar!” comes from the Hindi concept of “Jugaar” [जुगा蔼] Although there is no exact English equivalent of the word, essentially, “Jugaar” means to come up with a creative solution for any problem you might encounter. Jugaar is the art of making things work. It is hybridity for the sake of a will/ can-do philosophy. An innovation of desperation, if you will. It is to be flexible, to improvise and to make do with what you have. A large part of “Ġugar!” relies on hope and dreams...

As for our experience with the Sip of Art, I think it was a good experiences in getting people to become creative in terms of human rights. It made people think on the subject. In our case it also provided a few people who didn’t have enough money to get a cup of tea of coffee by being creative. 8 SIP OF ART how happy and fulfilling our lives can be. If we eat food full of nutrients, energy nutrients, of full food eat we If be. can lives our fulfilling and happy how private functions.We believethatthefoodweeatisone ofthefoundations more space and seating. The kiosk - our roots, is still used for public events and provide to Valletta in premises bigger to moved we 2015 late in and in, eating opened aCafeteriainGzira,expandingourservices toincludethefacilityof also have we 2014 December of city.As the to options vegetarian bringing #2: project number 2 - the conversion of a Pastizzeria in Valletta into Grassy Hopper kiosk situatedinTa’ Xbiex.Soonafter, thesuccessof initialoutletledto The GrassyHopper was first launched in October 2013 with a mobile vegetarian other eventsthroughout thewholeyear. Thisisourcosylivingroom. eventslikeliteraturealternative nights,standupcomediesandawholelotof coffee. and teas artisanal cocktails, of selection good ranging from thehealthyoptionstoguiltierones.Topping itallupwith a of village kind a new fishing offers concept fortheMalteseislands.From afusionoffoodfrom around theworld the and ago in months 18 doors situated its Opened place Marsascala. of decorated lovely a is Bongo Nyah educate thegeneralpublic,andthisdefinitelywasathumbsup:) be thelast.We really waysinwhichwemust needtofindalternative Well donetoallwhotookthisinitiativeandIhopethatwillnot e lo ot regular host also We

SIP OF ART 9 First of all, thanks for including us in the project, it was a very the project, First of all, thanks for including us in at the Hopper :) It was nice experience for us and all the staff down and savour nice to see people taking the time to sit really the topic of human rights their coffee or tea while thinking about seen everyone We’ve themselves creatively. and expressing to whole families the very young to older, participating, from drawing and colouring :) Inspiration Bottle (see Our favourite contribution must be the photo attached) that was made by one of our customers of our outlet in Gzira, who, after learning about the Sip of Art project, materials found recycled came back with this invention made from (an empty glass water bottle and some left at the Grassy Hopper, and made this Inspiration Bottle with inspiring roll) over receipt people could take out a quotes and little pieces of wisdom, where the bottle and/or could leave a message for others message from to take :) It has now become a much loved piece of the furniture! and cleansing properties, the level of passion and commitment we can bring we can of passion and commitment the level properties, and cleansing chosen to carefully items are Our menu accordingly. to our lives will increase give you high quality carbs and food with a low refined glycemic sugars and index We starches. use (GI), superfoods and without superherbs wherever we can to ensure that all our food packs a punch! Conserving the nutrients of your food is one of our highest priorities as well as offering optionsyou thatto enjoy willa allow balanced diet. Our food is 100% vegetarian and is also mostly often possible and where local and seasonal ingredients use fresh, vegan. We on a are Farmers. We or Pesticide Free Organic our vegetables from source mission to give vegetarian options We which useboth are eco- tasty and filling. friendly packaging that was sourced sustainably and is 100% compostable. In waste and friends we send our organic collaboration with dedicated customers and packaging to an farm organic to be turned into firstWe class are compost. to facilitate a transition new systems and collaborations to create working hard are and permaculture sustainable food system. For us vegetarianism to a more a good Our mission is to provide process. two important movements within this be happy and achieve to really vegetarian healthy food, for people base, through of with their lives. all they dream 10 SIP OF ART Naxxar Church. Flora’s isavintagetearoom setinabeautifultownhousejustoppositethe coffee, cakeandconversation. teas. sandwiches andsaladsdelicious afternoon cupcakes andsweettreats ontheisland. Flora’s alsoservesbreakfast, for acupofcoffee. their ideasonthesubjectinanartisticwayexchange really thinkingabouthumanrightsbygettingthemtoexpress It wasaveryinnovativewayofgettingpeopleinvolvedand We really enjoyedbeingpartofthe‘sipartproject’. Flora’s makes the prettiest (and tastiest) Agreat placefor tea,

home-made cakes, “I firmly believe in the transformative and unifying power of creativity. Art is not a luxury, much less is it a commodity. The societal results of personal and collective expression may not be immediately tangible, but that is because art, literature, creativity in general work on consciousness, and the effects are long-term. The major shift in consciousness towards a borderless planet based on human equality may be slow in coming, but through artistic expression, the powerless can unite to demolish mental, ideological and emotional walls faster than they are going up.”

Antoine Cassar, Poet and creative activist

If the sun drowns If the sun drowns in a sea of clouds And extends a wave of darkness onto the world And vision dies in the eyes of the vigilant And the road is lost in lines and circles O shrewd traveller in straight lines and in circles, You have no guide but the eyes of speech

Ahmed Fouad Negm (1929-2013; Cairo, Egypt) Egyptian poet famous for his patriotic and revolutionary Egyptian Arabic Poetry drawings

16 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 17 18 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 19 20 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 21 22 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 23 24 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 25 26 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 27 28 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 29 30 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 31 32 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 33 34 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 35 36 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 37 38 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 39 40 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 41 42 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 43 poems

48 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 49 50 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 51 52 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 53 54 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 55 56 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 57 58 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 59 60 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 61 62 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 63 64 SIP OF ART kids’ drawings

68 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 69 70 SIP OF ART SIP OF ART 71 72 SIP OF ART A special thanks goes to

Gabriela Valentin Pandora Jones Anne & Lisa Salvador de Bahia Diogo Pinto Tommy Lisa M. Kähler Mirco Eric Attard Dan Carl Caruana Shel Silverstein Stefan Sabrina Daniela Linda Vassallo Sarah Olivia St Clair Hollie Rebecca Jeannie K. Wright Maria Trudie Wegner Alessandro Restelli Valentina Visintin Yogi Paulo Adel Shad

And to all those who participated in this project

A special thanks to Erika Borg

Inspire creative activism around you!

PHROM, Platform of Human Rights Organizations in Malta through Sip of Art project encourages everyone to reconnect with that forgotten poetic voice inside of them and giving everyone’s voice equal value. Art contributes to the expansion of our common humanity, helping to increase its strength, solidarity and self-awareness, especially when we are giving form and words to the human rights.