Christian Formosa (b. 1982, Malta) is a museum educator working with Heritage Malta. He began his career in 2004 as a state school educator, teaching ICT, Geography, and History, after completing his Bachelor of Education (Hons) at the University of Malta. Alongside his teaching career, Christian also worked as a custodian at St John’s Co-Cathedral and Museum (2004–2017), an experience that introduced him to the world of museums.

Since 2016, Christian has been deployed as a museum educator with Heritage Malta. In this role, he has been involved in the development and delivery of thematic and outreach programmes for students at the Kindergarten, Primary, and Secondary school levels. He co-authored Valletta, My City, My Story (2017) and several workbooks for Heritage Malta museums. He is also the author of Cottonera – Three Cities Behind Brothers-in-Arms (2023) and has contributed several articles to Tesserae, Heritage Malta’s official bulletin, covering topics such as museum education, education for sustainable development, and history.

Christian’s contributions to museum education have garnered significant recognition, including multiple national awards for his innovative use of technology in education. He received the EMBED award for his work on the thematic programmes Melita Renascens (2017) and the Digitisation Project at the National War Museum (2020). In 2021, he was named History Teacher of the Year by the History Teachers Association (Malta) for his project Change and Continuity: Heritage Malta Education and Outreach during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This initiative highlighted a series of educational programmes developed by Heritage Malta to adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic, ensuring that students could continue to engage with Malta’s heritage despite the restrictions.
In 2021, Christian began a Master of Science in Museum Education at the University of Glasgow, completing his studies under the guidance of Dr. Nicole Smith. His dissertation, Bridging the Gap: Addressing Challenges of Organised School Visits to State Museums and Sites on the Maltese Islands (2024), explored the underutilisation of Heritage Malta’s museums and historical sites by schools. Despite the rich educational potential of these sites, including direct links to the curriculum, free entry for students and teachers, and Malta’s inherent advantages such as short travel distances and favourable weather, the participation rate across all school levels has only reached 34%. Christian’s research utilised a mixed methods approach, with a focus on educators as key decision-makers, to uncover barriers such as lack of time and logistical challenges.

The second phase of the research provided evidence-based recommendations, incorporating feedback from educators to suggest practical improvements that would encourage more school visits. These strategies, presented in Appendix 14 of the dissertation, aim to enhance student engagement with Malta’s cultural heritage and strengthen the integration of these resources into the educational system. The study has the potential to significantly impact the educational experience of Maltese students by fostering a deeper connection with their national heritage.

Christian holds a Bachelor of Education (Hons) in Geography and History from the University of Malta and was awarded a distinction in the Master of Science in Museum Education from the University of Glasgow.

In his free time, Christian enjoys trekking and photography.