Up to 100 children with impairments and disabilities will be among the first to join the Villabianca Centre for Music and the Arts in Birkirkara when it opens its doors in the coming weeks.

The Malta Trust Foundation explained that this centre – the first of its kind and calibre on the island offering adapted music lessons and music therapy – responds to a void that existed where children were often excluded from exploring their musical abilities and benefitting from the power of music.

The signing of a Memorandum of Understanding today between the Malta Trust Foundation and the MAVC Malta School of Music within the Education Ministry seeks to address this evident need.

The two sides will cooperate on initiatives to support children who lack access to music and the arts. These will be underpinned by the values of respect, recognition, solidarity and the principles of access, inclusion, diversity, empowerment and equality, among others.

Malta Trust Foundation chair Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca described this music centre as “history in the making” and said the team had been overwhelmed by the demand for this initiative.

“For the first time, we’re bringing inclusion to the field of music. In the past, music schools have had little capacity or resources to be able to take in children with diverse abilities. This centre will enable these children to access a whole new world of music,” she said.

Education Minister Justyne Caruana added, “inclusion and equity are considered instrumental for providing the solid foundations for quality education. This agreement is a milestone in giving all students the same rights, opportunities and resources.”

Apart from providing a adapted musical pathway to cater for these children’s specific needs, this centre will also work to uncover the talents that may lay hidden so that those with potential will then be referred to a mainstream school, supported by the expertise at Villabianca.

This agreement will also see the Malta School of Music refer prospective students to Villabianca, with each situation being assessed on an individual basis.

The Foundation explained that, “very effort has gone into converting the dilapidated Villablanca – donated by private owners Maurice and Francina Abela to the Malta Trust Foundation – into a state-of-the-art music centre, under the direction of one of Malta’s most respected pianists and music therapist, Rosetta Debattista.”

The Malta Trust Foundation said that it has also sought the expertise of renowned centres in the UK and Finland to guide it on technical matters and delivery. It has engaged local creative music practitioners, as well as two music therapists from Sweden and the UK.

The Housing Authority recently supported this initiative with a grant of €58,543 for Villabianca’s restoration, while the Malta Trust Foundation will be investing €250,000 each year.

Permalink: Children with diverse abilities to explore power of music at Villabianca