NEXUS
A Cross-Generational Project
NEXUS is a seven-part cross-generational cultural programme that fosters connection, creativity, and memory-sharing across Malta’s port region. Focusing on the elderly (65+) and children (under 16), it features artistic workshops, visual installations, and performances rooted in place, heritage, and community. The initiatives include: “SIGNAL LOST // SIGNAL FOUND” by visual artists Martina Darmanin and Sheldon Saliba; “Father and Son: Port Stories”, a photography project by award-winning photographer Valery Poshtarov; Calligraphy Workshops by artist Dorissa Vella; “Sounding the Harbour” led by Aiso Music Academy; “Rakkonti tal-Beltin – Rakkonti tal-Furjaniżi” by FSWS Valletta and Floriana; a forum theatre led by Zararti Malta Cultural Association, and a community theatre production led by Yvette Grech Buhagiar. Together, these projects bridge generational divides while introducing innovative and creative ways of exploring local identity and inclusion.
Why?
With people living longer than ever before and social isolation on the rise, many in Europe and beyond are asking how can the quality of life for older people be improved? At the level of the Port Regional Council’s localities, this question is extremely pertinent considering the findings of the social impact assessment. The assessment, covering the 2023-2024 period revealed several significant social trends that include a declining population, and an ageing demographic compared to the rest of Malta. Overall, the Region has a larger share of elderly relative to the National working age population average. These challenges are further intensified by rising housing costs and ongoing gentrification, which have displaced long-time residents—most notably in areas such as Floriana and Birgu.
Compounding the cost-of-living crisis are issues such as heavy traffic and limited transport options, which are contributing to a growing sense of dissatisfaction among the region’s older population, while also hindering their participation in the cultural life of the Islands. At a more granular level, insights shared by stakeholders and community leaders during various Valletta Community Network meetings have also brought to light additional concerns which are not fully captured by the social impact assessment. These include restricted mobility on the part of infrastructure that fails to meet the needs of the elderly, as well as a deepened sense of social isolation which has lingered on in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Many elderly community members who were once active participants in local networks now find themselves largely confined to their homes, held back by health, transport, and a profound sense of disconnection from a world that has moved on. Ongoing ethnographic research conducted in the lead-up to the Birgu 2031 European Capital of Culture bid also underscores this divide, revealing the stark contrast between contemporary digital life—with its distinct skills, languages, and norms—and the industrial, socially grounded realities in the port region which many of these individuals were raised in and to which they have adapted to over the decades. This disconnect is particularly pronounced among those whose personal histories and identities remain deeply rooted in the Dockyard and its surrounding industries.
In addition to the Region’s long-standing elderly population, it is also important to acknowledge that, given current national trends and demands, many residents in care homes located in areas such as Isla, Floriana, Paola, Ħaż-Żabbar, Tarxien, and Fgura are likely to have come from outside the region. As a result, they may lack a sense of connection to their new environment. This highlights the continued importance of placemaking—even in later life—as fostering a sense of residential belonging has been shown to positively impact health and overall well-being. Considering the overview provided above, our Region aims to support a pilot project that reaches elderly populations through innovative and creative approaches in line with the general principles put forward in the charter for the status of the artist. We intend to collaborate with community artists, local networks, active ageing centres, schools, and residential homes to establish an intergenerational platform for meaningful dialogue around memory and belonging. Rather than relying on nostalgia, we are interested in fostering dynamic, shared spaces where generations can exchange stories, imagery, and knowledge, maintaining a positive and forward-looking perspective that will be brought in through the involvement of children.
Engaging those who may not have grown up in the region, as well as younger generations (ages 8-16) who are experiencing it for the first time will, we hope, bring a fresh energy and a sense of potential to our communities, while also supporting the preservation and transmission of local and oral histories. For our Region, this project will also form part and parcel of the cultural program devised for the Port Region’s 2026 Region of Culture title. Besides being of high relevance within the local and regional context, the collaborative and cross-generational project NEXUS will also align with wider European and international conversations around ageing, care, and social connection. Beyond its immediate goals, the project will also serve as a valuable opportunity to deepen our understanding of these communities—insights that may inform and enhance other ongoing regional efforts. Following a brainstorming session that highlighted a number of possible collaborations, we have been able to fully catalyse the collaborative scope of this project through bringing together social workers, artists and creative practitioners with whom we have developed our seven initiatives.
