Salzburg Global Fellows Bettina Muchmore and Philipa Naudi discuss how their Cultural Innovators Forum experience sent them on a tour of chapels across Malta
Bettina Muchmore and Philipa Naudi are The New Victorians (TNV), a singing duo based in Malta, drawing strength from sisterhood, live sonic manipulation, and theater. With a population of just over 500,000 people tucked between Sicily and North Africa, the island is culturally vivid, with a sense of intimacy amongst its bijou of artists.
The duo found their creativity composing, directing, performing, and sharing their harmony with the world. TNV’s 2015 debut album, Seeker Seeker, set the pace for a gleaming future, propelling them toward numerous live acts and releases. It also led to two commissioned electronic music theater pieces in 2018. The first was Rave & Behave, a children’s show for Ziguzajg International Arts Festival. The second was VII (Sette) for Teatru Malta, which quickly became a soldout show at Fort St. Elmo in June 2019.
After spending painstaking hours lobbying for artists’ recognition and support from the Maltese government, their momentum grew. The following year they joined the 2020 cohort of the Cultural Innovators Forum, organized by Salzburg Global Seminar. But, alas, fate had different ideas for how the next year of their lives would be spent.
“I think Salzburg Global Seminar came at a time when I really needed it…” says Naudi. “We had just come from a long period of isolation, not just physically in terms of friends and family but also in terms of inspiration. Typically, we’d fly overseas to perform in Edinburgh or London... It would always fill up our tanks, remind us of the power of art and connection, and why we got into this field in the first place.”
The pair needed to find a way to keep making music that would energize them and their fans at home. Malta happens to be a difficult place to make a living as an artist in particular because of its small size. However, the two kept their spirits high. While attending the Cultural Innovators Forum, the duo had a lightbulb moment.
“During one afternoon session, we discussed ideas about what we can continue doing to support ourselves,” says Muchmore. “It was a very free brainstorming session that helped us see what was unique to our country, our island, our skillset... We didn’t feel pressured to make it an end product in any way. And I remembered thinking, we have so many chapels in Malta... If we’re only allowed to have audiences of 30 people with lots of distance, how could we have a tour of different chapels in Malta so people could go to different concerts in their own village?
“Tours don’t really happen here because it is so small, and it was interesting to think about bringing a tour to Malta. Church and faith usually bring people together, and it was Christmas time, so I think that it was really beautiful to get to the core of that season.”
With just a month until Christmas to pull it off, the sisters felt like it was too outlandish an idea at first. But faith in their ability to bring families together with music after such a taxing year kept them afloat. On the islands of Malta and Gozo (which are two separate dioceses), there are 359 churches, with 313 in Malta and 46 in Gozo.
In just a few weeks, the two and their team visited each chapel, planned photoshoots, prepared marketing materials, and ensured safety protocols were in place. The end result was nine beautifully lit performances across the island, including Santa Katerina Chapel in Żejtun and Imtaħleb Chapel in Rabat. Shows consisted of reimagined hymns and carols held in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Malta.
The shows sold out within two days of launch. It prompted them to extend the run of performances, making room for two or three concerts per night. It was a powerful statement for the creators that mere months ago had to fight for a place at the front of society’s mind.
“Taking the leap is what we always go for,” Naudi continues. “Doing things ‘afraid’ and having faith in your own ideas while hoping that if I am brave enough to enjoy it, other people will too. It’s clear that we’re all going through similar struggles, whether we’re on a tiny island like Malta in the middle of the Mediterranean or in freezing cold Canada!
“It was reassuring, knowing that whatever you’re feeling, disheartened, inspired… that there are people around the globe now that are a kind of your creative family
