Beyond sight

Pamela Baldacchino, an artist coordinating a project called ‘Beyond Sight’ for blind and visually impaired people at a Training and Activity Centre in Qormi speaks has had a unique experience with the individuals living in the centre.

Her experience shown her the things such people can do and the ways they communicate and express their thoughts, feelings and emotions despite their impediment.

The various workshops in the project aim to build trust and help the participants get to know each other and open up more with one another. Storytelling, one of the initial workshops used, involved different types of stimuli such as tactile sensations triggered by different materials and objects, as well as, poetry, music, movement and dance.

Although at the outset there was an element of shyness, Ms Baldacchino explains how they eventually interacted, at times talking over each other to say their part and showing a level of engagement and enjoyment in the process.

The music workshops, often a cacophony of sound where instruments are played not exactly in harmony never fail to create a beautiful experience.

As one of the participants explains, “This has really helped me to forget all my troubles.” Artist Luke Baldacchino played music on the piano and violin, while everyone created sounds or accompanied with a rhythm to the music of songs such as Laħħar bidwi f’Wied il-Għasel, Xemx, Hey Jude and Yesterday.

Ms Baldacchino continues sharing about a series of printmaking workshops with artist Jesmond Vassallo during which the participants created shapes using pins, Styrofoam , wool, pens that leave a raised edge on paper and wire that can be twisted to create a shape. From the workshops it became apparent that sometimes it is not an inability which keeps one back but rather the perception of being unable.

Ms Baldacchino says that the project’s most important value is that these people are given importance in society. The fact that others are taking the interest in providing them with an alternative means to express their creativity and indirectly their emotions and knowledge, shows them that they are individuals with valid contributions to give to society at large.

The Beyond Sight programme is funded by Arts Council Malta, through the grant by Il-Premju tal-President managed by the Office of the President and the Arts Council Malta.