Festivals Malta Information

For a considerable length of time now since its inception three years ago, Arts Council Malta has been tagging along Festivals and Events. Not as it should have been, as evident from a cursory study of how foreign arts councils operate. Fully aware of this reality, we have been deliberating on the best way how to hive off Festivals and Events from ACM and create for Festivals and Events the status of a Public Cultural Organisation (PCO) with an identity of its own, retaining special ties with the council. In this way, Festivals Malta will have some of the council's resources at its disposal to ensure not just a cost-effective operational arrangement but also a state of a creative symbiosis. This will in turn guarantee a platform for both entities off which to launch essential elements of ACM's core remits. These include obligations to develop audience growth, internationalise the local cultural and artistic sector, professionalise the industry, strengthen the nexus between the cultural sector and education, and cultivate a deep sense of the need for constant research to inform strategic initiatives that lead to sustainability, innovation, employability and economic growth. To give context, mission and vision to this important development, concurrently with the launch of Festivals Malta, we are issuing a strategy document to serve as a beacon for all PCOs to map out a way forward as they embark on a exciting voyage, which albeit their commitment to continuity, will be opening up new horizons and challenging destinations. HON. OWEN BONNICI