culture vulture

Italian looks into MCC’s camera oscura…erm acustica!

2005-06-28T04:25:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Mro Muti and his Italian expert, the chairman of MCC is considering investing in a camera acustica. Once again we had to wait for this Italian expert to convince us that better acoustics are needed for the converted courtyard even though Maltese performers complained several times of poor acoustics. They also complained of high costs, discrimination and exclusion but let us not sidetrack. Maybe the Italian charm is more convincing than Maltese moaning!

Fascinating is the fact that the chairman is considering accessing EU funds for his project: maybe culture 2007-13 he says. Well, dream on cause there’s no money for you there mate! How can a chairman of a national institution funded by us not be aware that structural funds and culture 2007-13 funds are totally different things? How can he unashamedly state the following in the Times of Malta:

MCC chairman Peter Fenech said the centre was looking into whether it could apply for EU funding under the Culture 2007-13 Programme, or other sources, to upgrade the theatre so that it would be more geared up for large concerts and not just conferences.

The MCC had already been told that redoing the theatre for first-class concerts would cost Lm2 million, he said.

Among the problems were the carpets in the hall that absorbed the music as well as the brass railings.
Dr Fenech said the funds would be used to build a camera acustica, making the hall more attractive for future large orchestral performances. The idea was for the stage to be more flexible, amalgamating theatre, concerts and conferences and to have better changing rooms and other facilities.

I suggest 3 things:
1) Don’t just look into things but pressure government to give you more money because your project involves no partners so the EU culture programme is just not interested. Gonzi’s answer could be “ sorry Manoel theatre got all the money…please try again later…or why not try the EU?!” He will guide you to suggestion nr 2.
2) check out http://www.eu.int/comm/culture/eac/index_en.html and get the facts from there before implying that Culture 2007 could give you some Lm2 million. Partners are needed so please check out other sources. Maybe try suggestion 3.
3) walk some 500 mtrs up the hill from your office and visit the culture contact point or if it’s too hot access their site on http://www.culture.org.mt/. Partners are needed and the manoel theatre doesn’t count as one. They might guide you towards the OPM (10 mtrs away) to check out point nr1.

The idea is great, the intention is superb but this situation indicates that even our major arts institutions are lost on how to access funds from Europe. Maybe had we not sold the Maltese lottery for the price of mouldy peanuts we could have had some Lottery money to spend on such projects.

Good luck with the funding hunt!

toni

Yours Truly, the Malta Arts Council

2005-06-05T06:14:00.000-07:00

Last week, in between rehearsals I was chatting with the owner of one of the numerous churches-cum-theatres in Edinburgh and arduously tried to follow her arguments on why the Scottish Arts Council (SAC) is just another non functioning QuaNGO. She was right in claiming that a large amount of the funding kitty goes to the large national arts organisations, most of whom need constant financial support to ease their financial disasters whereas smaller independent organisations are left struggling and scavenging for some dough.

She needs more money to go ahead with her ambitious projects, however she is not registered as a not for profit organisation and therefore the SAC will not fund her commercially driven enterprise…even though she might be successful in tapping other SAC programmes. It was then my turn to explain to her why she should be proud of owning such a space and operating within Scotland. The SAC exists for the artists and arts organisations. Even though its existence is currently being questioned by the Cultural Commission, Scotland boasts a healthy cultural discussion, and the Scottish Executive seeks to nurture creativity and to provide artistic opportunities for all. She was eager to know how the situation in Malta was and I stood still. I could utter no words because I couldn’t think of any, because there weren’t any to describe our equivalent of the SAC. I tried to explain how I spent the past year writing my papers about the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts and realized that there is a great potential for something to happen however we lack political champions, interest and commitment. We want cultural tourism but just blab about it. We want to regenerate our cities into cultural hubs but blab out it. We want to integrate the arts into the education but simply blab about it. We want to participate in EU arts projects but just blab about it. We are a bunch of blabbers. And then I thought ..well maybe I am exaggerating because we do get a great jazz festival thanks to the efforts of 1 man and we do get a great arts centre which should be listed in the artistic miracles of the 21st century due to its ridiculous budget and we also do have some great artists. So why am I complaining? And this woman then asked me…so will you go back and change things? And I stood still. I thought and rethought about her question for an hour or so until I got home, changed my soaking wet clothes made a cup of tea and checked my mail. This is what a Maltese theatre director had just forwarded to me:

Reference is herein made to your request for cultural assistance.

The Malta Council of Culture and the Arts regrets to inform you that your application for cultural support has not been successful.

Yours truly,Mary Ann Cauchi
Obo Dr Paul V. Mifsud - Executive Director
The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts

There it was. No reasons why or how. A Maltese group who had to go through a selection process to perform in a unique Edinburgh Fringe Festival venue had been officially written off by the MCCA - their national cultural support agency. Maybe the theatre groups is not good enough but then again the MCCA has no established criteria or policy. Then I thought… well maybe they had already funded this group in previous ventures abroad …but they hadn’t. Then I suddenly remembered that I also had sent a proposal to the MCCA some 5 months ago regarding a Scottish and Maltese cultural cooperation project. I obviously received no acknowledgment from the Council. The Scottish counterparts were interested in the project and some funding had already been secured but Malta was just not interested. The Director of the City of Edinburgh Council had personally provided me with a list of contacts and resources which could be useful for the project. As a foreigner and insignificant student I highly appreciated his genuine interest. Valletta Local Council on the other hand never even bothered to reply. The project involving 12 artists had been lost. A couple of minutes later I received another email from someone who organised a small yet interesting Easter Festival with extensive and exclusive potential to the Maltese Islands stating the following:

Reference is herein made to your request for cultural assistance.

The Malta Council of Culture and the Arts regrets to inform you that your application for cultural support has not been successful.

Yours truly,Mary Ann Cauchi
Obo Dr Paul V. Mifsud - Executive Director
The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts

Same wording, same attitude, same de-motivation. These significant projects together with various others have been discarded by the Council for some secretive and mysterious reason. What irks me, is not the lack of financial support but the clinical, disrespectful and unapproachable attitude of the Council.

And it is then that I knew the answer to that first question. Yes I want to go back and change things but then how can any individual grow and develop artistically within such a stifling environment? Imposed self exile, artistic brain drain, snobbery, I don’t know what to call it but it is evident that Maltese artists are seeking foreign pastures to achieve some form of development, expression and recognition. Everyone now seems to take pride in Brian Schembri, Carmine Lauri and Joseph Calleja but no MCCA was there to get them going.

Keep up the great work MCCA! Keep sending those insightful emails and letters because the more you do so, the more questions will be asked and answers sought away from the Island. Only then can your Council members be proud of their achievements and continue building their exclusive yet insignificant cultural empire.

TONI

Keeping Opera Afloat! Opera on Water and Exclusion

2005-06-04T10:35:00.000-07:00

I have just spent the past hour browsing through some of the most depressing arts journalism I have as yet come across. When reading about this year’s ‘Opera on Water’ production one would think that we are mounting a month-long opera festival with spectacular staging and top performers in a massive performing space. Interestingly enough, the merits of this year’s production are measured against the 2003 La Boheme production, and not against internationally acceptable standards. Moreover, that success was not accorded to the production’s artistic merits but to its financial and marketing value.After reading the available literature on this event, one is no doubt that the main aim of this event is simply a money-making one. The main premise behind the idea being, ‘What other ways are there of making money?’, and since tourism is the backbone of the Maltese economy, they went for a niche tourist market, that of Arts Tourism. This exclusionist approach is extremely damaging to the Arts in a country like Malta where Classical music is available to the ‘privileged few’. Thus, the first message being sent out by the Opera on Water team is: ‘Opera is for Tourists’. This statement has been graciously supported by Minister Francis Zammit Dimech, ‘We can only hope and insist that this will be the first of a recurring event that Maltese persons as well as tourists can start to look forward to every year.’ (http://www.franciszammitdimech.com/art/030803.htm).

To reinforce the exclusionist aspect, the opera is being held in the Portomaso Marina, one of the most oppressively luxurious hotel complexes on the island. Is it possible that in a country surrounded by water, we had to go for a privately owned artificial marina? Although to be fair to the organisers, they do deserve credit for taking the initiative even if one does not agree with their approach. What is worrying is that the Minister instead of lamenting the lack of such productions on a public level, is lost in ecstatic praise for a private venture. It is not that private ventures should not get any credit, far from it, but to try and take credit for it as a public venture is extremely unprofessional. If the government really wants to promote the arts it should support its own ventures not wait for the private sector to do the dirty work.After the disastrous BOV International Opera Festival we really do need a serious rethink of opera in Malta. Probably the best one can find are the Gozo opera productions held annually at the Aurora and Astra Theatres. Although they are often artistically weak there is genuine enthusiasm in their organisation, which is more than one can say for the BOV Opera Festival.

The ‘Opera on Water’ project, despite its exclusionism, at least hasn’t descended into megalomania (despite being termed colossal by the DOI http://www.doi.gov.mt/en/press_releases/2005/05/pr0670.asp). It is still avoiding the term ‘festival’, which in Malta seems to be applied to anything which runs over 3 hours, and it is not ‘International’ another much abused term in Maltese culture.What is definitely an improvement this year (apart from the elimination of the gala dinner in between acts) is the inclusion of Maltese performers, though I am still looking forward to an all-Maltese opera production one day! The stage will also be raised higher than last year making it easier for the audience to watch. The venue itself has lots of charm and potential, even though the idea of open-air opera is not as ground breaking as the Minister thinks. (The promoters chose deliberately to be different – to opt for an outdoor venue, to offer different dining and wining options during the production breaks, and to create in the process a different and original event rather than simply beating the same track! http://www.franciszammitdimech.com/art/030803.htm). It is only in conservative Malta that mainstream performances are restricted to conventional spaces. Even then, the ‘Opera on Water’ venture is merely a theatre without a roof, and there is much more that can be made out of the space.Before I conclude this article, I would like to mention briefly the way the event was reported on the web. L-Orizzont, maltatoday, di-ve.com, In-Nazzjon, and Il-Mument yielded no information. With the exception of di-ve.com, these newspaper are devoted to party politics which automatically excludes arts (well, at least in Malta anyway!). Di-ve.com is more devoted to popular culture, and regrettably, not the best culture journalism around at that! The MTA website and The Malta Independent have only a cut-and-paste article taken from the DOI website. As for the DOI article, half of it is a speech by Minister Zammit Dimech on hotel occupancy figures; how it is relevant to opera is dubious. Only The Times of Malta bothered with an original article rather than a regurgitation of official sources.Thus, the glamorous ‘Opera on Water’, marketed for tourists, organised for profit, and shunned by the local media remains an elitist event aimed at foreigners. When one considers that most local productions produced in our national venues do the same but are of lesser calibre, perhaps the ‘Opera on Water’ is not so bad after all. What I want is not to put an end to this event but to challenge it with better nationally produced performances which would be more widely accessible. Nothing is healthier than competition and collaboration in the Arts, and that is exactly what is missing in Malta.

GEDUDU

Malta is part of iTaly: MTA said so

2005-05-24T16:40:00.000-07:00

One of Mussolini’s dreams has finally come to fruition thanks to the hard endeavors of the Malta tourism Authority. Yes, finally, we can officially confirm that Malta and Italy are one. At least that is the impression given by the full page colour ad in last Sunday’s (London) Sunday Times Magazine.
The glossy ad, which carries a picture of Gozo’s azure window, proudly boasts that “Malta has always had strong connections with Sicily (what sort of connections? Mafia ones or is it perhaps transporting illegal immigrants between shores???). It goes on to say that 180,000 years ago there was even a bridge.

The text then explains that “Actually the links don’t stop at Sicily. At one stage it would have been possible to walk from Italy to Sicily through Malta and on to Africa. Indeed several thousand antelope, dwarf elephants, bears and wolves tried to do just that, in an attempt to escape the ice cap covering Europe. Their journey ended in Malta by which time the ice sheets had begun to melt and the valleys separating the countries were filled with what became the Mediterranean Sea. You can see the prehistoric remains of these creatures where they were discovered at allocation called Ghar dalam or “The Cave of Darkness”. Rather like the magnificent Azure Window pictured above, our bond with all things Italian has stood firm. Never more so than in our cooking, where you’ll find Italian influenced dishes prepared with ore than a dash of Maltese flair. Well, we have had several thousand years to perfect the recipes.”

So now we know:
We have perfected Italian cooking ( stop laughing at the back) You see boiling veg till there is no taste or serving mediocre and expensive food is a particularly refined variation of Maltese cooking.
Please don’t tell that to that bunch of cooks trying to revive MALTESE cuisine!
Are the Italians going to reimburse us for advertising Italy instead of Malta?
Will we be sued by Italian cooks for faking Italian cuisine?

WTCVS

PS At least we should give credit where credit is due and Tourism minister Francis Zammit dimech had this to say last week inhis regular column:

It is clear that additional advertising and proper marketing are required. Only last week I intervened with the authority to stop, as soon as possible, various adverts appearing in the UK press that are clearly totally inadequate at generating further sales. Writing long-winded and inaccurate essays about Napoleon or Malta's former links with Sicily is not the way to do it!

Criteria for a valid work of art

2005-05-24T15:34:00.000-07:00

I am rather disgusted at how the Malta Society of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce could have the cheek to come up with a list of criteria over what makes a valid work of art and how Maltese artists should follow such rules in order for their works to be exhibited.

(http://www.artsmalta.org/documents/criteria_for_a_valid_work_of_art.doc)

How ridiculous is that! No rules should ever govern a work of art. More so, who has the right or the authority to come up with rules over what classifies art?

Evidently, the rules show how unfamiliar the Society is with the history of art. Does it not know that, over the years, there has been a significant departure from the conventions governing Western painting since the Renaissance? Is it not aware that the range of reality outside the traditional confines of art has expanded in every direction? Clearly, the artists of today have completely changed the pre-existing conception of art that declared the work to be a description of the objective, natural world. Their art does not follow tradition, dogmas or the domination of the individual. They have created an abundance of new art forms and techniques where there is no focal point, no distinction in tonality or colour and where they are not simply representing ‘what one can see.’

If the creation of art is going to have to abide by some rules in order for it to be exhibited, then it is not going to initiate the imagination of the senses. Such rules unmistakeably tie the audience to a single-minded vision of reality. They deny any substance to the relationship between vision, perception and representation in art where colour and form can take on many possible meanings. They are rules which prevent the materialization of imagery and produce paintings which are void of thought. They fabricate an art that stops at the retina but does not extend to the mind. True, radical art has always been looked upon as a social revolution. However, it was not just based on aesthetics but it called for a desire for social transformation that rejected the existing social order. Twentieth century Europe was caught between the modern experience and the anxiety over its consequences and all of its movements were formed by that turbulent moment. Such artists wanted a complete rebirth in art and were keen on redefining the relationship between seeing and representing. Their art involves opposing beliefs and values as well as different ways of viewing society and culture.

Still, the Society seems to believe that art should be limited to the constraints of convention in order to be ‘legitimate’. It, thus, produces a list of criteria which is formulaic and lacks any understanding of the diversity and thought-provoking nature of modern art’s intentions. Historically, there has been much development in the theory and practice of art and the Society is totally indifferent to the momentous and extreme changes that are taking place as there has been a total departure from the imitative mode of pictorial representation. All twentieth century movements have conceived of new modes of perception and production and have applied alternative stylistic features. So, does this make them invalid? And if yes, then does that mean that the Society absurdly believes that Malta’s artists should still be creating art that adheres to the academicism of the Middle Age and Renaissance period? And if this is the case, then what a shame indeed!

An artist should be able to move about freely in space and time and follow no set of rules except for his own. Equal value can be given to texture, tone, light and perspective and the meaning and significance of a picture may remain open to contention. A painting should not be seen as an illusion of actuality but as being its own reality. It should not be restricted towards the appearance of the object for which it stands. The artist should be allowed to explore the infinite universe and even question the accepted reality. He should be permitted to disregard the conventions of representation and be as imaginative as possible. After all, methods should rely on inspiration and not on rules. In other words, as opposed to what the Society’s rules cite, subordinate parts can be as clearly detailed as the central subject and a painting need not have a principle light but can show an evenness of working over the whole surface of the canvas. Shadows can be used in several ways and the figures may be as ambiguous as need be.

The Society should dwindle art into the whole of society and not just into a privileged minority. It must not systemize art because it runs the risk of abolishing dynamism and disallowing an interaction between art and society. It also invites the artist to be pretentious and merely adapt to the artificial conditions of actuality. Truly, an artist’s work is to be measured by the vitality, the creation and the belief of purpose within its own medium. Artistic creativity lies in the expressiveness, the possibilities of form invention and manipulation, and in the flat canvas on which various elements are brought to play.

If the Society is going to inflict rules upon Maltese artists, then it is doing nothing but disallowing the freedom of the artists’ imaginations and propagating disenchanted worlds that can not assure a creative response from the spectator. At the end of the day, whether paintings have been put to the service of the Church, the State, individual patronage or decoration, all the striking works that have been painted still live for us because of qualities they possess and not because they follow some rules which make them valid works of art.

LM

The Drama Centre - transformed into a wonderful bliss

2005-05-16T14:55:00.000-07:00

After a year missing from drama school, having experienced the change I feel like writing something about May of last year when it all started…

The Drama Centre – Transformed into a wonderful Bliss The wind from the north wafted through my window bringing in a sweet and sour smell when I returned home after work and mum told me that I had a phone call from drama school saying that drama school sessions were suspended. I was shocked as this was my last year and we were supposed to start our end of year performance, of which I had already missed some sessions because of a motor accident I had had. Then there was silence! No phone calls. Only hearsay that tutors were flocking away from drama school! What is going to happen? This is my last year! Two weeks later a friend of mine (attending drama with me) informed me that that night we were going to decide with Mr.Azzoppardi which performance we were going to do as the final act to end our three year course. I was surprised as I did not know we had changed tutor, did not know we would change performance, did not know I had had a session the week before and did not know that tonight I had another one. “Thank God someone is going to save us!” P.S It so happened that I was unaware of the meeting due to the fact that the class was informed about it through a chain call, this very chain, however, evidently got lost somewhere along the way.

El Salvatore
I entered the black theatre (the studio at the drama school) and sitting in a circle around our salvation, found half of my class, obviously the others did not know we had a session as I myself would not have known if I was not lucky enough to talk to my friend earlier that evening. I was greeted (in a buddiesque manner….ie “Aw man int x’ismek?) By Mr.Azzoppardi whom I did not know personally but of whom I had read many of articles on papers and a person who I somewhat admired deep down. The discussion started (by now I had been engaged in a lot of past discussions with my group ….and I knew that this would not work). Mr.Azzoppardi was really concerned about, what according to him was the (quote) bullshit we had engaged in our lessons at the drama school prior to his arrival. Worthy of notice is also the fact that heartfelt thanks should go to those very few in the group for supporting him …..As we all know in the last three years the drama centre was a complete disorganized organization which led the students to “bullshit” because we were not introduced to Chekhov, Brecht, Stanislavski and Grotowski, such was Mr.Azzoppardi’s argument.

P.S I wondered how he knew what was going on at drama school as I never saw him in any of our productions, so I asked politely;

“Excuse Me.…but how would you know that all we did was bullshit, as you are saying, when you were never present at any of our presentations or workshops?”

His reply:

“U ejja Jimmy…issa ha noqoghdu infittxu x-xghara fl-ghagina wkoll, ghax qrajt fil-gazzetti…U ejja ha nahdmu min flok noqoghdu nparlaw !! “

I was amazed at his ability to convince us so quickly and smoothly, I was convinced, therefore I did not argue and replied… “Ok… He looked at me for few seconds and then smiled.

He was right, he was right indeed. Now it begins to be clearer why many people knew him with a particular nickname. I dawned upon me that this man could indeed be the god-like light we had awaited at the end of the dark tunnel we were not aware we were living in. I did not follow the discussion anymore, it was just a loop of arguments anyway, and instead I wallowed in the thought and memory of how unlucky I was to have ended up in the ‘bullshit era’. It was so obvious! After all, all we had worked on during this year was only a silly pantomime of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with Marcelle Teuma which was an exercise on how to devise theatre, the futile extracts from Comedy of Manners with tutors Charles Sammut and John Attard, the Greek tragedy Antigone by Jean Cocteau with tutor Josette Ciappara, and the of course, the most shallow of them all was the combined project of Shakespeare and Theatre in Education with tutor Charles Sammut. These were productions which obviously encompassed “no Brecht and Grotowski”. Mr.Azzoppardi laughed at us when we told him that each one of them took us 3 months (1 school semester) to work upon and rehearse and added that when he used to be at drama school they used to do a script every week.

I asked myself how could you be introduced to all this big masters of theatre and understand their concepts in a week when accorinding to the essay in a book I borrowed from the school’s library (which was set up in the bulls hilt era) “At Work With Grotowski”, Grotowski himself expressed that a 4 week production is not enough for any actor to get into a character and find the emotions(Grotowski was against producing he had a whole process which went beyond character and emotion) How about saying:

I asked myself how effective would a one-week encounter with such masters be in such a short time….and more importantly how clearly would their concepts be impinged in our minds in such a short time. Grotowski himself, after all was against producing scripts in a superficial and fast manner with the sole purpose of producing a play at the end of the month or week. In fact he had a whole process which by the end of his career went far beyond even character and emotion and which was based on long and laborious preparation on part of the actor….which spanned a LOT more than a week.

... So listening to Mr.Azzoppardi telling us that he would make a production with us in a week or two I was really looking forward to start working with him through for this new tool, this new method which was something totally new for me.

I was once again lost in the reverie of miserable training exercises we did we had invested in during my prior two years at drama school: intensive sessions of one hour weekly of physical sessions, dancing, voice training, articulation exercises, characterization, devising texts, history of theatre. What a waste of time I was saying to me, “Why didn’t they get such a man to teach us in the last years?” I added to myself while watching him, skillfully maneuvering us towards this new philosophy. I must confess it took me sometime to be converted but at the end how could I refuse the learning of such light! All the master classes we had with artists such as Guillermo Horta, Emilie Fitzgiben (Devising a Script - Ireland), Electra Tselikas (Gdansk) Tatiana Brinkman (Amsterdam), Stephen Mottram (British sles), Ermanna Montanari and Marco Martinelli (Master Classes -Ubu Roi), Johan Wright (Archetypes –Masks – England) and Cornelia Cromholtz (Contemporary Director –Germany) Jackie Grima and Anton Farrugia (Theatre Make Up). I had also done an audition in which director Paul Portelli chose 10 students from drama school and worked with us during extra hours on physical theatre. It was all bullshit! Why am I so blind! The light is in front of me. I switched off from my past and started off in my new present. I started to pour in ideas and Mr. Azzoppardi went home to fetch a script. Il-Hajt , a socio-political script which we were supposed to do as our end of year performance. I was suddenly feeling excited. He had drive. We are working. We are saved. HALLELUJAH!!!

…. To be continued

Jimmy

Arts journalism at its best

2005-05-09T13:11:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure who wrote this article but let's just hope that it's not the scriptwriter!

http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=181294&pid=1

On a serious note this clearly indicates how much arts journalism and criticism is taken for a ride. Some spend their time narrating the story, others tell us how varied the musical programme is going to be, others encourage us to pity them cause they perform after a 10 hour shift and others explain how 'the palk is one and a half storey high and the idea is based from musicals done abroad.' Ghax ta barra m'hawnx bhalhom! Well what's new! How many regurgitated foreign shows were produced in this year's theatre season?

toni

2005-05-04T09:30:00.000-07:00

source: www.independent.com.mt

vandalising our heritage

2005-05-04T09:17:00.000-07:00

How can any human being commit such horrible acts against his/her own self, identity, heritage and Country?

Teaching management though literature

2005-05-02T05:27:00.000-07:00

Here's a great example of how the multidisciplinary role of the arts can be applied to other areas. Thanks to British Council Malta, Startup Malta and Merlin, such concepts are also being explored in Malta.

http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=181012&pid=1

Exclusive MCC

2005-05-02T05:13:00.000-07:00

Gay movement protests as MCC refuses to accept application for transsexual beauty contest

by di-ve news

VALLETTA, Malta (di-ve news)--May 02, 2005 - 1220CEST-

The Malta Gay Rights Movement (MGRM) has protested at the manner the Mediterranean Conference Centre (MCC) has refused an application to hold a beauty contest for transsexual contestants there. It asked the Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech whether he approves of the way the matter was handled by the MCC chairman, Peter Fenech. According to the movement, Dr Fenech declined for several times to give both the organisers and MGRM any details why the MCC refused the application six months ago. MCC is bound to deal with proposals transparently, the movement argued. If the Mediterranean Conference Centre does have clear criteria on which it bases its decisions to accept or refuse applications, it must not keep them secret. MGRM said that such activities offer transsexual persons, in this case male to female, the necessary space to bring out their talents and share them with the public. These individuals are already discriminated against in mainstream beauty contests, in which they are usually rejected by non-transsexual females, the movement stated.

Med’s mini Hollywood

2005-04-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

The Maltese Parliament is currently debating the Film Commission Bill and the role of the Film Commissioner. Central to the debate is the power which is to be devolved to the commissioner. This concern could have been raised following conflicts of interests within the previous Commission.

The previous Commissioner had skillfully managed to get the job after closely collaborating with the then Parliamentary Secretary who established the Commission. After setting up a network of contacts through this public funded job, Latina Productions (a private company owned by the ex-Commissioner) was eventually set up. It was only natural for the next commissioner to be selected from the same pool of collaborators. However, let us abandon these internal politics and get to the crux of this bill: bureaucracy will be reduced and private investment encouraged. The Malta Film Commissioner will also have absolute power (keeping our fingers crossed that history will not repeat itself). No matter what this Bill will try to achieve it will certainly not create a Maltese film industry. Malta offers a film making service to foreigners but in no way does it encourage Maltese film makers to develop their ideas to create Maltese Film. When a Maltese expat and successful film director in Canada approached the Maltese government to initiate some sort of project for the creation of a Maltese Film Industry, he was promptly encouraged to return back home. Another anecdote. The previous minister for Culture had admitted during a seminar which I had attended at the Manoel Theatre some two years ago, that during a Conference of European Culture Ministers he was not in a position to discuss matters related to European film because Malta had none to offer. I recall another interesting instance in which an article in the Sunday Times reported the Executive Director of the MCCA explaining during a European seminar on European film, how Malta had provided excellent services during the filming of Gladiator and Troy. Now aren't these great European films? Maybe Athens....Horses...Mythology...the Maltese yelling Maximus? Still can't get it! And it gets worse. This is what is written in the website of the European Film Festival:

With submissions from 24 of the 25 member states of the newly enlarged European Union (only tiny Malta, without an indigenous film industry, is not represented), 2004 will be our largest festival to date.
(http://www.eufilmfestival.com/festival.htm)

It seems to be more important for government to attract big-budget foreign movies because they obviously inject big bucks into the economy rather than invest in Maltese artists who have the potential of creating excellent visual material which would inject "Malteseness" to the Country and beyond. This is not an 'either/or' proposal. Both issues should seriously be addressed because at the end of the day most locations have already been used and cheaper locations are already becoming more attractive. Foreign companies will spend millions (not in restoring Fort Rinella), use our services, our people and leave the island whilst Maltese film-makers could potentially spend thousands and earn more through successful distribution. More than these economic factors, they will be visually exploring their national identity and developing new creative material which would once and for all exclude us and our culture ministers from further embarrassing situations.

Arts Council's objectives

2005-04-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

Malta Council for Culture and the Arts objectives:

Raise standards in cultural programs across all art forms
Create opportunities and generate exposure for young talented artists both locally and internationally
Develop educational structures that encourage active participation and enhance creativity for all students of all ages
Broaden and increase access to high quality arts and cultural events
Develop sustainable relationships with business channels and organisations in the field of art and culture
Build awareness and promote Maltese culture and arts locally, around the Mediterranean basin and internationally

Are the objectives being met? Please post your comments and experiences.

Thank you Dr. Stefanova!

2005-04-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

How sweet! In an article in The Times of Malta entitled 'Theatre critic laments lack of contemporary culture' by Massimo Farrugia, there was precisely what I've been thinking and saying all along, although this time from a foreigner! I would like to publicly thank Dr Stefanova for exposing on an international level the deficiencies of the Maltese cultural establishment!First and foremost on her list was the lack of contemporaneity in Maltese culture. Words like 'premiere' or 'recent commission' feature rarely in the Maltese cultural calendar, if at all. And when they do feature they are little more than light entertainment pieces aimed to please the audience rather than involve it. Although not all art should be serious it should always make people think. Even such great comic masterpieces as Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro or Verdi's Falstaff all embody a philosophy that is relevant to human experience which transcends geographical or temporal boundaries.Then came the sensitive area of criticism. In Malta there is no such thing as a professional critic, and most of the critics are merely musical amateurs who judge a performance not by its merits but by personal taste and alliances. Any criticism of 'accepted' performers is viewed as a betrayal of the Mafia-like circle of the musical elite. Many Maltese performers have as yet to learn that criticism should be used for self-improvement and not viewed as an attack on personal capabilities. On the other hand, critics should be constructive in their criticism, justify it and where possible offer an alternative.Dr Stefanova then went on to highlight problems as costs, poor audiences and media coverage of the arts. Unfortunately, everything depends on each other. Thus, poor and misdirected criticism will repel any potential audiences, which means any financial gain from performances is unlikely, which ultimately results in fewer productions and of poorer quality.The saddest thing about the article is that she believes that we have the potential for growth. She praises the students she met at the Theatre Studies Department and sees in them the possibility 'to become good critics'.If Dr. Stefanova from Bulgaria believes in us as a nation, why can't WE believe in ourselves???

Gedudu

National Identity and Maltese Music

2005-04-11T14:53:00.000-07:00

Where does one start? I shall attempt first of all to define Maltese music in terms of purely artistic merits rather than geographical terms. Maltese music is music which is created by Maltese musicians in order to express a fundamentally (though not exclusively) Maltese artistic approach. Now that I have defined it in suitably pompous academic terms, I will explain what it means. Maltese music should express issues relevant to the artist and his environment. This is not to say that it should necessarily be patriotic or sentimental, but it should relate to the climate around it.

I shall tackle mainly the area of Classical Music, mainly because it is the area which is directly relevant to me. Whatever Maltese classical music exists at the moment is being treated simply as museum or souvenir pieces. Older repertoire (e.g. Vassallo, Nani, Isouard, etc) is played not on its artistic merit but simply as a necessity. It is tamed down by academicism, and played for its musicological value rather than for its artistic value. More contemporary repertoire fares only slightly better. Despite a multitude of pieces (written by the likes of Vella, Galea and Camilleri) which draw on Maltese culture and history, they rarely go further than being clichéd character pieces. Take for example Camilleri’s Malta Suite. It is a set of stylised dances and tunes which despite being Maltese in character are not authentically Maltese. So far, so good, but it is regarded as the Maltese piece par excellence! It is indeed pitiful that out of Camilleri’s output, which is large and varied, such an early and musically weak piece should be selected. Far worse than this is the claim made by people like Olivia Dow that they create Maltese music. Her ‘Maltese ballets’ are nothing more than a hotchpotch of clichés taken from a Pan-European tradition which is completely alien to Maltese culture. It is useless to set a play in the Ggantija temples and then throw in fairies and flowers dressed in garishly

One of the main failures of contemporary Maltese music is its relevance to the world around it. Of the few pieces that deal with contemporary issues, and here Camilleri’s The Rape of Mnajdra comes to mind, they are simply a reaction to reality and not a cry for change or improvement. By robbing music of its communicative quality it is rendered to nothing more than background music, intended simply as a backdrop and not to be noticed. With so many issues facing Maltese culture nowadays we need an art that communicates. Art has the power to address issues in a way which is beyond the reach of mere words. It can also transform local issues into universal ones. We must have a Maltese musical culture which goes beyond parochial politics and question present ideologies rather than comply with them.

There is, however, a greater problem facing Maltese music, i.e. where it will be performed. Most artistic establishments in Malta are controlled by an elite group whose only interest in life is self-gratification. These establishments are hostile to anything new which would question the status quo, well aware that if things change they would be the first to get the chop. At the top of this hierarchy is the Manoel Theatre, whose endeavours towards Maltese music are almost non-existent. If it is indeed a ‘National Theatre’ it should commission new music on a regular basis, especially in terms of operas and incidental music. Then we have the Orkestra Nazzjonali, Malta’s ONLY full-time orchestra. Whatever Maltese music is programmed by the ON is usually limited to Camilleri’s Malta Suite, Vella’s Ir-Rebbieha or some obscure 19th century drudgery. Again, why is our national orchestra not commissioning new works for regular programming and not as showcase trophies for special occasions? Next in line come the multitude of smaller venues which host regular musical activities. The St James Centre for Creativity is the only institution which supports Maltese music even though it is desperately short of funds. It always welcomes young musicians and encourages Maltese music. This is simply done by not hindering it, a situation which is sadly not the case with the previous ones. Otherwise, we are left with such elitist pretensions as the Casino Maltese, reserved exclusively for the Maltese nobility, an aristocracy based on wealth rather than talent. Somehow, they seem to forget the word ‘Maltese’ and dwell at length on ‘Casino’, to which I say that Art is not a game or an artefact up for auction, but a living creature bound by no convention. Otherwise, all music making outside these institutions is done on an individual basis. There are plenty of other institutions who should contribute to Maltese music but for various reasons, including financial ones, do not do so. One such establishment is the Malta Society for Arts, Manufacture and Commerce, who have a good performance space available in their office building (the Palazzo de la Salle in Valletta).

The fundamental problem when it comes to Maltese culture, including music, is the attitude of the population towards it. We have been conditioned by centuries of colonialism into believing that we are culturally inferior to the rest of the world. This has led to two extreme approaches; either than of megalomaniac superiority or self-destructive apathy. In the case of the former one finds such fiascos as the grandly termed BOV International Opera Festival, or the conveniently forgotten musical 1565. The latter is then characterised by a subservient admiration towards anything foreign, regardless of quality. One has only to check the Sunday papers to see how foreign artists are always praised to the skies regardless of the level of performance. If Maltese music is to survive we must have a confident approach to it, and not attempt anything grandiose before the roots are firmly planted.

There is no sign of change from the upper echelons of the Maltese intelligentsia and it is thus in the hands of the younger generation to promote change. Perhaps, some of the older Maltese musicians will also find the courage to express their grievances, and who have, until now, failed to react for fear of exclusion. Who knows, maybe the unthinkable will happen, and present institutions will change their policies immediately and start promoting Maltese culture! And to be even more daring, maybe we will have a Culture minister who is actually interested in Art and who does not use it for self-glorification. But enough dreaming…change will not happen on its own, and I’m very willing to give it a wee push!

GEDUDU

When I hear the word culture I reach out for my angel

2005-04-11T02:37:00.000-07:00

(with apologies to John Tusa and his paper When I hear the word culture I reach for my identity)

As the country gears up for the kitschiest televised event in Europe, Maltasong will be exploiting any opportunity to lobby for the votes of our beloved “neighbours” so that one day …maybe…if and only if …but who knows…Malta will host this unique and prestigious contest. It is only then that Eurovision fans will flock to the Island using our national airline, all European TV channels will be flooded with MTA promotion of half naked woman on some large yacht and our future in the music industry will be a guaranteed success. Maltese solo artists and bands will on this glorious day launch their international careers following their eclectic performances during the “intermission”. Am I a patronising cultural maniac (as described by the Times)?

Am I anti-Eurovision? I must admit that the show is great fun. It is the perfect environment for a great mix of politics, language(s), food, lots of booze and lots of song. For most Europeans it is yet another (special/funny) TV show. For the so-called Eurovision fans it is heaven on earth. For us Maltese is seems to be a unique opportunity to call for our angel and demonstrate to the rest of Europe the expression of our cultural identity.

Yes, it is fun to participate but ridiculous to take it so seriously. In 2000, Lm60,000 of our cultural budget went to the Malta song festival and the Eurovision Song Contest. The fact that participation in such a contest is organised by our supreme cultural institution and the money comes from the cultural budget should raise a few eyebrows. If this is a TV show then why does not PBS fund the contest? If they don’t have the money then neither does the MCCA. If the money spent on Eurovision in the past 10 years was invested in producing a compilation of the best Maltese bands and soloists, maybe in the long run Maltasong would have contributed more to Maltese music than it has so far. If it is considered as a promotional tool for Malta then think again. How many of you visited Estonia simply because it hosted one of the shows or Iceland after their 3 minute performance? When you meet half drunken foreigners and they unashamedly yell in your face “Malta 2 points” or “Malta 12 points” do you feel proud that your country has been so patronisingly associated with the contest?

The reason why we Maltese believe so religiously in its potential is something which I cannot answer or even understand. Is it because we feel at par with other European countries? Or maybe, because once a year we’re proud of our nation? Is it possible that deep down the nation believes that our best export is our art? If this is so, then the Eurovision is certainly not the ultimate platform for some great work and past Maltese participants tend to agree. Some even had to wait a number of years to re launch their career to break away from the “Eurovision” image. Whilst possible answers are posted I shall return to my wee flat and prepare for the best Eurovision party Edinburgh has ever seen because at the end of the day nothing beats a great European kitsch night with a bunch of other cultural maniacs.

PS Grace, don’t worry about votes. I shall not be a party pooper. All those at the party will vote for Chiara.

TONI

Soapy TV

2005-04-10T15:04:00.000-07:00

The War of the Soaps!

The Monday Night war on TVM is hotting up. As MPS prepares the pilot for the sequel to Ghada Jisbah Zgur (or whatever its called) – incidentally why do you need a pilot for a series which has already had a good innings – Where’s Everybody? are bidding for the same slot and have even stolen two of the actors from the MPS series.
If – as seems likely- Where’s Everybody? get the deal, they would be responsible for three primetime slots. A few months ago Where’s Everybody? had applied for their own TV station ( about which see below) , now it seems they’re in the take-over business perhaps we should soon be calling it Where’s TVM?
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Digital Vs Analogue or the MCA vs the BA

Some of you may remember the call for the last remaining the television channel. This was held by the Broadcasting Authority a year ago. Amongst the many who responded where The Times of Malta, Joe Grima and, yes, you guessed it, Where’s Everybody?. The thing is that soon after this call the Malta Communications Authority headed by amazing whizz-kid of the ex-MSU Joe Tabone, organized a beauty contest for digital television services http://www.mca.org.mt/news/show.asp?id=239 . For those not in the know Digital TV allows for more channels and services. So the question now is who is responsible for choosing any new TV channels – the BA or the MCA?

WTCVTU

MA

2005-04-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

A wonderful piece in Kultura 21 this month ( incidentally this was the 7th edition of Kultura 21 not the 21 edition of Kultura as The Sunday Times put it – but then that’s what you get if you give your magazine a crappy title – unless of course, it may also be that it is so boring we already feel its been with us for 21 editions!) Anyway back to the point and the wonderful piece about Maltese Theatre in Tunisia and France. Well done those guys.. except.. ( yep you guessed it there had to be an except!!)

1. When Josette Ciappara was at the helm of the Drama school she was stopped every inch of the way by the Education Department ( for which read MA and AM) from participating in foreign events, because she was not in charge of a drama school but evening classes and she should not allow her students to perform outside the school.

2. The invitation to go to Tunisia came via the chairman of the Malta Arts Council. Excuse me but has he been elected supreme head giving out parcels of opportunities to whomever he wishes? Why was the Government Drama School chosen and why was it not offered to any of the privately run schools and what were the criteria?

Incidentally Kultura 21 is ‘overseen’ by the same MA who runs the drama School and works in the education department

What The Culture Vulture Threw Up. 2!

2005-04-06T18:05:00.000-07:00

Lm????? for 1565?

Maureen's tantrums

2005-04-06T11:34:00.000-07:00

Amidst all the pious holier-then –thou letters is the Sunday Times a few weeks ago (is it me or does the whole of the Self-Flagellation Society contribute to that rag?) was one rather curious letter. On the 13th of March a Ms Cauchi had this to say:

Ms Maureen Cauchi, Sliema.

It is being rumoured that the present artistic director of the Manoel Theatre will soon be relinquishing his post.

Could the Minister of Tourism and Culture inform the public whether a call for applications will be issued to fill this post? This will, of course, ensure that all eligible candidates will have a chance to apply, and it will also be very much in line with the government's declared policy of open and equal opportunity for all, apart from adhering to EU standard practices.

One expects the next incumbent to be a person with a high level of competence in artistic and academic matters, commensurate with the requirements that such an important and prestigious post as that of artistic director of our National Theatre merit.

This would also ensure that the chosen person will have the moral fibre to formulate policies and take decisions in the national interests. One can only hope that, as has happened elsewhere, he/she would not be some type of second or third-rate 'fill in' nominated for the post primarily to perpetuate the interests of a handful of people.

Now here’s are some interesting facts about this letter.

1. There does not seem to be a Maureen Cauchi in Sliema.
2. The editor apparently knew that there was no such Maureen Cauchi from Sliema but published it anyway as the letter was given to him by a reliable source!
3. What does this excruciatingly pompous Ms. Cauchi ( and possibly the editor) know that we don’t know?
4. What kind of fibre is this twittering woman referring to when she calls for a person with moral fibre to formulate policies?: Al-Bran? Or Kellog’s whole wheat perhaps?
And finally
5 In her last sentence, who is the second or third-rate polyfilla she is referring to?
This is exactly the same sort of rubbish that The Sunday Times has published for the last two or three years. One wonders if it is also from the same source. Perhaps if I got an MA in theatre I might begin to understand.

What The Culture Vulture Threw Up!

National Theatre....my foot!

2005-04-06T04:49:00.000-07:00

In 1731, Grand Master Antonio Manoel de Vilhena, identifying the need for a central building serving, in his own words, “for the honest recreation of the people” commissioned and funded the construction of the “Public Theatre”.

Irrespective of whether or not all citizens at the time could truly access the “Public Theatre”, it is interesting to note that even the secluded and elitist hierarchy of the Order was grasping the notion of arts accessibility and social inclusion. In 2005 this seems to be a no-go area for the management of our National Theatre.

The Manoel Theatre has no right in calling itself a National Theatre because none of its projects fall within the remit of national responsibility. Without embarking on a never ending surreal discussion on the recent opera festival and the fiasco which has been transformed by the management into a heroic act and hailed by our Culture Minister as national efficiency; the Manoel Theatre Management Committee should consider omitting the word national from any of its doings. National status implies creating projects which will encourage different groups of people to visit the theatre, attend performances and participate in the creative process. It is also shameful for the Manoel Theatre not to develop a coherent pricing policy which includes concession prices for students, senior citizens, unemployed and children.

The management should not consider investing in an expensive opera festival and a state-of-the art make over without investing in educational programmes, audience development, Maltese drama and performers. A great theatre celebrates all, a responsible theatre invests in people whilst an imprudent theatre thrives on glitz.

Even though the theatre’s programming is a hotchpotch of produced and hosted events, concession prices should be applied to all productions. However, this leaves the producers who pay for the space with one major problem. Why should they incur losses in the name of social inclusion and accessibility? Even though they may not realise that this could potentially increase their audiences, companies are currently paying ridiculous fees irrespective of whether or not they are guaranteed a full house or whether or not 50 students attend their performance. Lack of incentives to theatre companies are forcing them to abandon the Manoel theatre or resort to "safer" productions with limited expenditure and poorer results.

Companies must pay Lm75 per rehearsal day and Lm300 per performance. During rehearsal days after 5pm they get charged overtime at a rate of Lm15 per hour. On dress and tech days they get three hours free after 5 pm. On performance days should the use of the theatre acceed three hours (the clock starts ticking 30 mins before curtain up) companies are charged overtime at approximately the same rate. If a performance falls on a public holiday then the whole day no matter what time is charged overtime at double rate! All these costs are irrespective to box office sales. Over and above this, if companies do quite well then they pay the theatre levy. This works like so, if they gross up to Lm5000 the theatre costs are deducted from Lm3000 and 5% of what is left is paid to the theatre, then from Lm5001 they pay 10% to the theatre. It may interest you to know that for a particular production every Lm10 ticket the punter bought, Lm4 went to the government in 18%VAT and the theatre!

The Manoel’s reply to such complaints by both companies and audience members seems to be, “if you can’t afford it then find alternative spaces and performances.” This is exactly what many are doing!

A space which certainly does not celebrate the experimental, the innovative and the Maltese should not be considered a national space. Funding to such theatres should be transferred to other spaces such as St. James Cavalier and the Catholic Institute who are certainly contributing more to the development of Maltese theatre. Cultural elitism has no space in a country where attendance is pitiful and national cultural engagement is not on the national agenda.

The main issue is that Malta lacks a coherent cultural policy and the Manoel Theatre has taken no initiative to develop one of its own. Its funding and practices are not questioned because the space perfectly accommodates the voyeuristic pleasures of the patronising patrons who enjoy exlusivity and are stuck in the Baroque concept of “to see and to be seen”.

TONI ATTARD

Disappointing Romeo et Juliette

2005-04-06T02:32:00.000-07:00

I would like to express my feelings regarding the recent production of Gounod’s opera Romeo et Juliette as part of the BOV International Opera Festival. The production, which had been beset by various misfortunes, was marked by inconsistencies. I need not go into the details of the misfortunes and the shortcomings that befell the production, but a few questions remain hanging in the air. Firstly, what happened to the money allocated for costumes and stage designs which were never used? What was the process by which the Malta Chorale was chosen? Who will be held accountable for the failure of the production? I was one of the many who looked forward to this production, and came down to Malta a week earlier before my Easter break thus missing out on important university activities, only to be presented with a travesty of an opera. If there are not enough funds and resources to mount an opera festival, then perhaps one should reconsider the feasibility of such an enterprise. A chamber music festival would not only be cheaper but far more accessible to performers and audiences alike. Such an event should not be the monopoly of one institution but collaboration between different establishments. It is time for the Manoel Theatre to take responsibility for its failure towards public culture, and also time for the government to present us with a decent cultural policy.

Alex Vella Gregory

2005-04-04T15:20:00.000-07:00

opera house

The state of art

2005-01-04T14:50:00.000-08:00

Should not all the population rejoice to the news that one of Valletta’s most prestigious car parks will be developed into a state of the art Parliament house? Thankfully the car park will not be forgotten and will still retain some its glorious space in the whole project. On the other hand the arts shall be far removed from all the original plans, discussions and seminars held in the past sixty years or so. Surprisingly enough it took government all this time to realise that it would have never been viable to rebuild the opera house into another theatre.

Hon. Jesmond Mugliett claimed that should the site have been developed into a theatre, government would have to inject an additional Lm1 million to the cultural budget per year. Such statements seem to imply that the Maltese government is ashamed to invest more in culture. Considering that our total cultural budget is around Lm1.3 million, government certainly cannot boast about its record in the cultural industry. Investing in more physical structures may currently not be a necessity for the arts, however thoughtful enhanced cultural investment is certainly called upon. Cultural investment is not merely about providing (limited) funds to cultural institutions but about ensuring that the appropriate resources and structures are developed to nurture and enhance the creative expression of the community. Through its lack of vision and policy Government is currently not facilitating the accessibility of culture to society and is therefore not addressing key cultural issues within the European framework. The “Europe of Cultures” project created by the European Union aims at making people aware of the shared European culture, to foster cultural exchanges within Europe, enable the publics to get involved in European projects and make culture accessible to the greatest possible number of people. (EU Commission document 2001) Malta’s genuine participation in such endeavours can only occur once the Maltese Government considers culture as an ongoing investment in people‘s values, beliefs and expression. As witnessed in other European countries this could produce positive results in terms of the economical, educational and above all creative potential of the country. However, Government’s main institution to manage cultural affairs has so far failed to achieve the latter results.

As stated in the working document for the creation of a cultural policy in Malta, the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts (MCCA) is Malta’s ‘autonomous structure for promoting and implementing cultural policies in the spirit of Government direction’. The current mechanism of the MCCA cannot fulfil the Government’s ideal investment in the arts. The MCCA is still a re-branded government department with typical civil servants struggling through their work with limited motivation and inappropriate training in cultural management. Other arts councils in Europe have set objectives to meet the needs of artists and develop all the arts through educational programmes, projects and initiatives to achieve artistic excellence and improve the quality of life for all through the arts. These objectives are certainly effected by the budgets allocated and the external funding raised by these European cultural institutions. The £60 million fund of the Scottish arts council or the €13.4 million fund of the Culture services of Cyprus, demonstrates not only State financial commitment towards the arts but also a determined vision in developing the identity of the country. Malta’s cultural budget and policy so far give a clear indication that the Government’s consideration of art is limited to patronizing certain institutions and events rather than develop long-term projects such as outreach, arts in education of artists and their art. I find it rather absurd that the MCCA never set any formal meetings with artists except the Carnival seminar held this year, which was organised thanks to the unstinting efforts of individuals outside the council. We seem to have great skill at building structures like St. James Cavalier, however leave them struggling for survival. We are determined to ensure that the success of the MCCA lies in the hands of government appointed board members irrespective of their personal agenda or experience. Above all we are certain that the European Union will be our cultural saviour even though no initiative has been taken by the MCCA to ensure that Maltese artists have the necessary skills and resources to create arts foundations or associations to access these funds.

The way forward for the MCCA is to set clear objectives and initiate a synergistic communicative process with its stakeholders in order to achieve the cultural excellence deserved by the Maltese. It is highly irresponsible for the MCCA to continue using 50% of its allocated budget on itself through salaries, bonuses etc. Clear measures to fund groups and individuals must be established to ensure appropriate accountability whereas various initiatives such as public-private partnerships should be developed to ensure increased financial support. The arts could serve as an ideal promotional tool for the country and Maltese representatives abroad must be encouraged by the council to develop projects which would enable an enhanced exposure of Maltese artists and their art rather than postulate the exceptionally rare ad-hoc cultural happenings in Maltese embassies. The council must understand that its role is not merely for funding purposes but also to facilitate and foster the arts to the entire community. Exciting educational programmes for the arts should be developed to expose the arts and encourage children to access the arts as a means of personal development and identity. This also implies that the arts need to be far removed from the high-culture-institutionalised settings but must be brought directly to the community in their centres, schools, squares and houses. The MCCA could easily make use of Local councils to ensure accessibility and development of the arts in each locality.

With regards to cultural tourism, historical pageantry seems to be the only concept to develop such an industry. It is very important to expose Malta’s rich history however an investment in the contemporary arts should be the focal target of cultural tourism. The concept of cultural investment should go beyond that of cultural heritage and therefore quality performances, concerts, exhibitions and festivals are central to create sufficient cultural tourism. Malta’s only success story with regards to quality large scale events is the Jazz festival and government should certainly capitalize on other similar opportunities. The arts have been central in developing cities like Edinburgh, Cork, Rotterdam and Salzburg as major tourist destinations apart from the positive outcome of such investment on local artists and the community.

I suspect that should one consider some of these proposals, the extra one million pound in the cultural kitty mentioned by Hon. Mugliett may not be enough. Maltese governments always found themselves in a lacuna when dealing with culture, the reason being that the total expenditure in arts and culture are never translated into votes for any of the two parties. Government believes that it is more important to invest in itself by building a state of the art parliament as a national monument of power rather than invest in a State which consolidates the creativity and expression of its people as a truthful demonstration of its national identity.

TONI ATTARD