KAMPUSAJF 2026 RETURNS TO THE MOSTA CAMPUS, BRINGING AUDIENCES CLOSER TO EMERGING WORK, ARTISTIC PROCESS AND CROSS-DISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION
Amid the many summer festivals on the island, KampuSajf has established a distinct identity. Organised by MCAST and supported by APS Bank, it returns for its fourth edition from August 6 to 8, 2026, coinciding with MCAST’s 25th anniversary. Held at the Mosta campus, home to the college’s Institute for the Creative Arts, KampuSajf turns familiar spaces into something more open and shared. Rather than polished productions, the focus is on smaller-scale work, often still in progress. It resembles a fringe festival more than a traditional programme, emphasising experimentation, collaboration and process. Led by artistic directors Elyse Tonna and Justin Galea, this year’s theme, Playgrounds for Emergence, centres on the early stages of making art. The programme explores how ideas develop through testing, reworking and collaboration. Lecture rooms, studios and outdoor spaces are opened up so audiences can see not only finished pieces, but also how they take shape.
The result feels less like a standard festival and more like a shared creative space. Students, alumni, emerging artists and established practitioners work together, often across disciplines. One of the strongest outcomes of last year’s edition was the number of collaborations that continued afterwards, and the aim is to build on that in the 2026 programme. MCAST also organises the Institute for the Creative Arts Festival at Spazju Kreattiv, where the work of final-year students is presented to the public. KampuSajf will also connect with this platform, helping bring student work to new audiences.
KampuSajf is open to a wide audience.
It is as much for artists and students as it is for anyone interested in contemporary work. The mix of disciplines means people can engage with it in different ways, without needing specialist knowledge. There is also a broader point behind it.
Higher education institutions such as MCAST play an important role in the cultural landscape, not only through teaching, but also by creating opportunities for artists to develop and present their work. By opening the campus to the public, KampuSajf connects education with the wider community and creates space for new ideas and voices. In a busy festival season, KampuSajf aims to retain its niche by focusing on emerging artists and new talent. Its emphasis is on the making of work, not just the finished result, and that is where its strength lies.
