In the quiet rhythm of San Lawrenz, where sunlight brushes over terraced fields and the hills of Ta’ Dbieġi, Ta’ Għammar, and Ta’ Gelmus rise like ancient sentinels, a new chapter is being written — not in ink, but in movement, in colour, in sound.
Where Traces Lead is not just an artist residency; it is a call to listen closely to the heartbeat of a village that holds centuries of memory in its stone walls, its winding streets, and its people. Through this initiative, the San Lawrenz Local Council opens its doors to six international artists, offering them not only a place to stay, but a space to feel, respond, and co-create.
This three-week programme which began yesterday, nestled in April’s gentle light, invites artists working across six contemporary disciplines — mural, sculpture, textiles, sound, dance, and theatre — to immerse themselves fully in the San Lawrenz context. It is a residency that does not ask artists to simply observe, but to live the village, to walk its paths, to share meals and stories, and to uncover the hidden pulses beneath the visible.
At its core, this project — part of the broader initiative Enhancing the Rural Artistic Characteristics of San Lawrenz — is a testament to the Local Council’s vision: that art should not be confined to galleries or capital cities, but should thrive in the places where tradition and transformation meet. The Council believes art belongs not only to artists but to communities; that it has the power to both reflect and shape a shared identity.
San Lawrenz, with fewer than 1,000 residents, might be small in size, but it is rich in character. Its past is layered, stretching back to its former name Ta’ Ċangura, even before the Siege of Gozo in 1551. Its future, however, is being shaped now — through moments of creative collaboration, through stories reimagined, and through the hands of artists who see not only what is, but what could be.
Guided by Artistic Director Elyse Tonna, the residency encourages a dialogue between past and present, between permanence and ephemerality. Artists will respond to San Lawrenz’s natural, rural, and cultural heritage, creating site-specific works that echo with both personal and collective meaning. Each creation will become a trace — of presence, of interaction, of inspiration — leading the viewer through the village in a journey of rediscovery.
The residency is funded by the LEADER Rural Development Programme for Malta 2014–2020, a fitting alignment with its goals of cultural sustainability and rural vitality. Yet beyond funding or frameworks, the true spirit of Where Traces Lead lies in its human connection — in the laughter of a workshop, the stillness of a performance at dusk, the paint-stained hands of shared creation.
By investing in such a project, the San Lawrenz Local Council is not only affirming its dedication to cultural preservation and artistic innovation within the locality, but also contributing to Gozo’s evolving cultural landscape. It is a quiet, powerful statement: that art has a place here, that the traces we leave matter, and that sometimes, the smallest villages lead to the most profound stories.
Noel Formosa, Mayor of San Lawrenz
