Summer is here. Our countryside turns into a characteristic brown landscape, parched by lack of water. In contrast, our calendar of activities blossoms into a kaleidoscope of activities ranging from events for the masses to those with a more specialised and perhaps limited appeal.
I had the occasion to attend some of the high calibre events of this year's Malta Arts Festival. I was particularly struck with Ospizio. Theatre Anon's magnificent production encapsulated where Malta's unique selling cultural and artistic selling points lie.
Set within the historic backdrop of Floriana's bastions, incorporating a brass band that churned out Mediterranean tempos, the production was contemporary in feel yet universal in appeal. It made me, and all those fortunate enough to be present, proud of our heritage but also proud of our artistic present and future, personified in the young and not-so-young cast. It is truly a pity that such productions are not held over a longer period. They add uniqueness to our cultural and tourism offering. Of course, we need to find the proper formula to make them sustainable, something which, to date, we have not yet managed to crack.
This is one of the challenges that the cultural policy and plan aim to tackle. The government has, over the past years, increased its support to cultural and artistic events. While government funding towards the arts remains critical, it is essential that we also manage to increase private sector support. We need to ensure that this investment is apportioned in the most transparent and effective manner and that it serves to help grow audiences. Effective government funding, private sector financing and strong audience support is the long-term solution. The cultural plan will include actions to help us achieve these objectives.
The policy and plan also aim to address other pertinent issues and ensure that we capitalise on the opportunities that come our way. We are now in the process of defining the actions that will help us achieve the objectives identified in the cultural policy. This is the time when thoughts, perhaps even dreams, have to be transformed into concrete plans. This is when we measure our wishes against our resources.
Our culture and artistic scenario is dominated by two factors. The first is the government's stated policy to nurture and grow the creative economy. The second is a date, 2018, the year in which a locality in Malta will assume the title of European Capital of Culture. Action is being taken on these two fronts. An inter-ministerial committee is working hard to ensure that the Malta offering in 2018 is nothing short of excellent. Another team is working within the Ministry of Finance to measure our creative industry and map measures that can help grow this important sector.
The plan will include measures on both these aspects. It will also tackle issues that are of current concern, most notably the issue on censorship. We need to find a way of better protecting the freedom of artistic expression. How can we improve on the laws governing classification of theatrical and film productions? Do our laws reflect 21st century realities? Are they too draconian in nature, giving perhaps too much power to the Classification Board? If they are, what solution should we go for to ensure a fair balance between the right of artistic expression and the duty to respect the rights of others, including the more vulnerable members of society, and public morality? Should we go for self-regulation or co-regulation? And if self-regulation were the answer, what rights or criteria, if any, should the police have, in the absence of the current board, to suspend productions?
The plan will also tackle the overlap that exists between public-funded cultural heritage entities. These entities were conceived in the 2001 cultural policy. That policy was revolutionary in proposing and implementing a radical departure from the centralised system of government departments that regulated and managed the cultural and artistic scene in Malta. This policy and plan need to be evolutionary and build on the positive results achieved from that policy and the investment made by the government in the past 10 years.
Dr de Marco is Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, the Environment and Culture.