Money where your mouth is

Do you have a great idea for a theatre show or perhaps want to take your innovative interactive dance show to schools?

Ever since the Malta Arts Fund was launched in September 2009, many creatives have been able to realise their ideas, such as Glen Calleja with his itinerant theatre performance Tkeċnir taking place in domestic kitchens over Malta this weekend.

This year, the cultural and creative industries received an 11 per cent budget increase, meaning there is a whopping €2 million to be pumped into funding programmes and initiatives for creative individuals and enterprises.

As a result of this, new funding programmes have been developed for, to give a few examples, disadvantaged students, creative young researchers, archaeologists with a clever project for schoolchildren and the founding of an association of designers.

Also, thanks to these funds, there will be the introduction of a Culture Card for students, which they can use to pay for cultural activities.

Admittedly, as enticing as the prospect of an artist being given the means to be able to make his dreams come true may be, one may be disheartened by the nitty gritty of correctly filling in forms and getting things in order to be able to tap into these funds.

Tomorrow and Tuesday, a number of public entities and fund managers will be getting together to provide information on funding opportunities for cultural projects and creative enterprises.

Patrons will be given an overview of the basic building blocks of a cultural project and the essential resources that add value to a project.

The programme includes four targeted presentations as follows: tomorrow from 4.30 p.m: Creative brokerage; 5 p.m: Developing a successful project and proposal; 6 p.m: Producing for children and young people. Tuesday from 9.30 a.m: Creative brokerage; 10 a.m: Building and sustaining a creative enterprise; 11 a.m: Leveraging national funds for EU projects.

A creative brokerage service will be offered parallel to the seminar programme. During these drop-in, one-to-one meetings, funding experts will offer specific guidance to potential beneficiaries on project development and funding.

The seminars and brokerage service will take place at the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry, Republic Street ,Valletta. For further details and registration contact the Culture and Audiovisual Unit on 2291 5036 or e-mail sylvana.mercieca@gov.mt.

New funding opportunities made simple

Producing for children and young people

Kreattiv - For schools and creative practitioners

Research has shown that in 2009, eight in 10 students in local state secondary schools did not attend even one extracurricular event in areas such as architecture, advertising and design.

Kreattiv aims to encourage young people to consider creative careers. It brings together creative practitioners into schools to work with teachers and students to inspire, learn and create in a collaborative and innovative way offering up to €5,000 per project.

www.maltaculture.com or www.meef.gov.mt

The Culture Card – For all Form 1,2 and 3 students

In 2010, 68 per cent of Maltese aged 15 to 30 did not attend a theatrical event as opposed to the 56 per cent of their European counterparts. In a bid to change things, come September, around 15,000 school children will receive a Culture Card credited with €15 which they can use for entertaining, challenging and exciting cultural activities and artistic productions.

Production companies may receive payments from box offices if their cultural events are for people between 10 and 14 years old.

www.maltaculture.com or www.meef.gov.mt

Il-Premju tal-President għall-Kreattività – For disadvantaged students and organisations working with them as well as people aged between 17 and 25 who want to conduct research in a creative project.

As an example, a young pianist who doesn’t have enough time to practise because she needs to take care of her sick mother could benefit from this fund which targets the development of young talent.

The prize’s emphasis is on promoting social and community development programmes through art.

www.president.gov.mt

Building and sustaining a creative enterprise

Cre8 – For creative businesses.

Create is a tax incentive programme for businesses in the cultural and creative industries. The programme allows a creative business or self-employed person to be exempt from 60 per cent of tax for costs up to €25,000.

http://support.maltaenterprise.com/create and customer.relations@maltaenterprise.com

Invex – For cultural organisations.

Organisations can receive up to €25,000 per year as an investment in their business plan to improve their products, services and internal organisational structures. The motivation behind this fund is to urge cultural organisations to professionalise cultural organisations. For example, the funds could be used to develop an association of designers.

invex.opm@gov.mt

Jeremie – For SMEs

A financing package offered by the Bank of Valletta through European Structural Funds including advantageous interest rates. The package may be used specifically for the creative industries, for example, to launch new products and services in new niche markets or to invest in green technology.

www.bov.com