More than 50 per cent 'not interested' in local cultural events - survey
File photo of a multi media installation.
It was a shame that while activities that were organised free of charge, such as those by the national symphonic orchestra, were well attended, events where a fee was charged were not, Culture Minister Mario de Marco said this afternoon.
Dr de Marco was speaking during the presentation of a population survey providing an overview of the main characteristics associated with cultural participation in Malta.
The survey, published by the National Statistics Office and Creativity Works, was the second of its kind following Kultura 2000, published 11 years ago.
The survey was conducted in April last year among 1,441 people aged 16 and over. Questions were about television, books, internet, language preferences and cultural events attendance.
One of the questions respondents were asked was why they did not attend local cultural events. 52 per cent said they were not interested, 30 per cent said their lifestyle or circumstance prohibited them from doing so, six per cent said they did not like crowds and one per cent said they were too expensive.
77 per cent said they watched television for at least half an hour a day. Only three per cent said they did not watch TV.
Drama remained the preferred type of television programme (25 per cent) followed by documentaries (16 per cent) and current affairs (15 per cent).
While Maltese is the preferred language for speaking (91 per cent) and watching television (35 per cent), English is the preferred language for writing (45 per cent).
A total 49 per cent of those who were employed and 22 per cent of those who were unemployed said they listened to radio for at least half an hour a day.
Respondents who did not attend theatre or live music performance accounted for 69.5 and 68.7 per cent, respectively. 62 per cent never went to the cinema or to a projected artistic performance.
75.2 per cent did not visit an art or photographic exhibition, gallery or craft display.
Dr de Marco said the survey will help in the designing of a strategic plan, it will help policy makers and it can also help in the planning of 2018 when Valletta will be a European cultural capital.
However, one also had to look beyond and the national work to increase interest in cultural activities should be long term.
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Ms Maria Vella
Jan 21st, 07:58
This is very depressing to read.
Malta has an excellent talent pool and an excellent selection of activities to choose from. With regards to costs, it is the usual mentality that we want things for free or subsidised ignoring that productions cost money to be presented.
tony abela
Jan 21st, 07:41
One point to note is the fact that Advertising of Cultural Events in Hotels is NIL. Shame to the relevant authorities especially MTA.
With the increase of foreigners working in Hotel Front Office, who apart they have no idea about our Culture and Heritage, do not care of it neither.
Joe Fenech
Jan 20th, 23:32
Non interested? There are 3 reasons.
NUMBER ONE: The arts in Malta like every other sector have been engulfed by nepotism.
NUMBER TWO: Most of the Maltese are illiterate. Most of the others have good taste and want to see better quality.
NUMBER THREE: Art in Malta is contaminated with base folklore (festas, horrible village band playing, banadlori, and kitsch, kitsch, kitsch, crap, crap, crap!)
Alfred Grech
Jan 20th, 22:59
Several festivals organized in Malta are a must visit. Qormi, Dingli, Mosta, Naxxar, San Anton and others are very interesting to watch. To have an idea, please watch these two of several youtube videos which my wife put - one at a Festival in Zejtun and one at Mdina.
Zejtun Olive Fest
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m32C6jDfQbU
Medieval Mdina
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2udMeFOx0w
Clemens Hasengschwandtner
Jan 20th, 22:40
It's mostly an educational problem. Politics decide we need mathematicians, doctors, IT specialist, accountants and whatever makes the most money. Art education is very underdeveloped - besides MCAST there is not much worth mentioning and even MCAST has it's priorities on the business side of things.
Drama, Dance, yes - anything artistic is hardly present in the current curriculum and even the people who make an effort and go abroad to study come back and find no jobs in their field.
Have a look at Belgium where artists get special sponsorship - there are many other countries where the conditions for artists are generally much better.
David Hill
Jan 20th, 20:37
Well at least if Valletta did become European Capital of Culture there will be plenty of seats for tourists wanting to attend events.
Carmel Cilia
Jan 21st, 08:18
Well Mr. Hill Dr. Demarco can always arrange for them the very interesting scene across the harbour from Fort St. Elmo. The high buildings there would surely be something new for them.. That is the modern concept of culture so well promoted by this government.
Victor Buhagiar
Jan 20th, 19:06
The result should NOT be surprising at all, if one had to look at what is offer:
1. The "free" events are mostly poorly adertised (except for Notte Bianca) and mostly too late when properly adverised.
2. the "free" are pretty much stereo type especially those oganised by local councils and government agencies.
3. Govenrment should spend less money on the rubbish being organised and instead sponsor good cultural event so that families can really attend.
4. When one say "free" one expect masses and yet the event are organised in such a way that the mass of people cannot enjoy them -organisors want number which than they cannot handle and this includes police etc. (if you don't end up finding the warden to fine you!!) And what about the vendors that take up the stalls or bars provided, besides the shabby service they provide the cost for anything is a pure rip off.
Dr DeMarco seek to organise less but good events if you want people.
Lesley Kreupl
Jan 20th, 18:51
Ms Baynes, you obviously have Internet and time to pass comments - try looking up the Manoel or MCC, St. James, etc. there are hundreds of things on! We have a theatre group on Gozo and go to many shows on Malta!
You don't really expect people to come knocking on your door and telling you what is on do you?
Janet Bayes
Jan 21st, 17:35
Lesley, before you criticise me, you should know more about me. No, I dont expect people to come knocking on my door - - why do I want to join a theatre group? Is theatre the only culture? BTW - - read the name again.
Lesley Kreupl
Jan 20th, 18:49
Ms Baynes, you obviously have Internet and time to pass comments - try looking up the Manoel or MCC, St. James, etc. there are hundreds of things on! We have a theatre group on Gozo and go to many shows on Malta!
You don't really expect people to come knocking on your door and telling you what is on do you?
Marco Bellagio
Jan 20th, 18:46
When I hear how many people work for less than €3.80 per hour, it is no wonder that they are not interested in cultural events because they struggle to pay their day-to-day costs from their small budgets.
Governments in Northern-Europe have understood this problem already around 150 years ago and introduced methods to increase worker protection and overall wealth, which lead to an increased consumption --> everyone was happy.
Therefore, the Maltese government should better introduce measures to increase overall wealth instead of complaining that people are not interested in paying money for cultural activities.
I simply don't go to them because they mostly lack quality, compared to those for equal prices in other countries, and sometimes seem as if they are organised by a bunch of amateurs. (Try to compare a typical Maltese village feast to the Oktoberfest in Munich and you will understand what I mean.)
Emma Xerri
Jan 20th, 21:20
I agree with both your observations.
Regarding the former however, I do not hold much hope, since the trend today is to adopt the Neo-con Supply-side Economics theory, whether voluntarily or imposed, which has wrecked havoc with the working classes everywhere.
This effectively means that wages and benefits will freeze or stagnate, whilst at the same time the labour force is increased through immigration. This phenomenon is happening in every country, with the by-word being 'austerity, austerity and more austerity and cuts, both in the private and public sectors.
And since there is only a finite amount of wealth in the world to go around, it stands to reason that the wealth that is being withheld or clawed-back from the labour force is making its way up, and that is why statistics show that world-wide it is only the rich that are getting richer. In Malta it is even worse, since the minimum wage you quoted is almost half that of any Western nation. Yet Malta imports most of its goods from abroad, therefore it has to pay the same world-class prices as other countries, that is world-class prices, however Maltese purchasing power is not.
Janet Bayes
Jan 20th, 18:17
Where are all these cultural events? Where are they held - - where are they advertised and are "foreigners like me excluded because the ads dont reach us? Does anyone even care?
The ads we usually get are for church events in the village square - - the ads/pamphlets etc are ALL in Maltese. Cant read it - - recycle it. :((
Joe Felice-Pace
Jan 20th, 18:36
Mr Bayes, even a cursory browsing of the Times (of Malta) would provide you with ALL cultural events, national and local, held in Malta and Gozo.
Emma Xerri
Jan 20th, 21:26
I agree with you about the "Maltese" only pamphlets. It is a shame really since there are many people in Malta with disposible incomes, such as retired ex-pats or returing Maltese immigrants who either do not read Maltese, or do so with difficulty. After giving up trying to read in Maltese, I usually give up and out to the recycle bin it goes, Maybe the authorities should take note of this, after all both Maltese and English are official languages in Malta.
Janet Bayes
Jan 21st, 17:41
@ Joe Felice-Pace - - - just so as you know, not everyone buys the Times - - and last time I looked I was MRS. Bayes.
Advertising for events here is rubbish. Organisers cannot rely on newspaper ads any more - - - and dont please tell me this week that there is an event I might like in 2 days - - I need more notice.
Stefan Zammit
Jan 20th, 18:09
To enjoy culture you do not need big names. Yes of course Joseph Callejja will probably be better, but that does not mean he's the only one around.
Gervais M. Cishahayo
Jan 20th, 17:54
The NSO study is living proof that politicians get it wrong most of the time...
I have come across tourists who complain of the poor quality of otherwise culturally rich patrimony of the Island.
While no one expects any service for free, people are fed up with the overdose of politics on the local TV stations... They are mostly put off by the usually politically biased highly priced poor culture content programmes! We may have the sun (so far free for as long as some people have not yet found how to confiscate and monopolise it! ) but the beaches are not the strongest attraction and the cultural dimension represent the strongest potential!
Emma Xerri
Jan 20th, 21:50
Agree.
And in reference to TV, I wish to add, where is the humour? Local programmes (and even cable TV by the way is very negative, murders, forensics, serial killers, wars) are over the top, maudlin dramas with some kind of moral lesson or endles babble about the most mundane subjects. The last thing one wants to see after a long day at work.
Now good comedy, that is the way to go - but it is almost non-existent. Yet humour has more health and physiological benefits then many medications and it puts people in a relaxed and jovial mood. By the way, I cancelled my cable TV for I refuse to pay money for negative programming to be piped into my home. More people should do the same and then perhaps those that control the entertainment media would wake up and give us what we want.
PS: I would love to have a Comedy Club in Valletta like one finds in most big cities. You know , featuring ncisive stand up comics that can take the mickey out of us and who can observe life and find the humour in our day to day existence.
mark johnson
Jan 20th, 22:28
All the stand up comedians already have jobs as politicians.
Emma Xerri
Jan 23rd, 15:53
That may be so Mark Johnson, but judging from the results, they (politicians) tend to make more people cringe and cry then laugh.
S Micallef
Jan 20th, 17:42
Sky high prices?
Every month there's a play or concert on...you generally never need to pay more than €15/€20 for the best seats. The Arts fesitval in July is brilliant, tickets have never been more than €15, Mellowdrama often put up really good plays and ticket prices are always really cheap.
Its the big concerts in summer which are expensive. But some people think the only cultural events in Malta are the concerts fuq il-fosos.
Elaine Compagno
Jan 21st, 08:26
15 eur for each family member is "money they don't have" for many families struggling to pay home loans and utility bills.
hmm... 60 eur to attend a cultural event or 60 eur to pay for fuel for the next 2/3 weeks?.. not a very hard choice.
Christabelle Bonnici
Jan 20th, 17:24
It's not a question of people not being interested.. It's the way things are organised! ... and then again, many people do not afford these kind of activities which have always sky-high prices!
Mr Kevin Zammit
Jan 20th, 17:21
is he kidding? I would love to attend an opera but the cost is just too much ... I attend Joseph Callejja every year costs 35 euros standing ... 3 hours later my feet are killing me but happy to support the fine gentleman. Thats 70 euros for my wife and I. how many events like that can a family afford?
Mr Andrew Camilleri
Jan 20th, 17:20
Let me make a simple suggestion, Dr. demarco; insist with PBS to get rid of all the politics that goes on from the first programme in the morning until the evening. PBS feeds us a daily does of politics but there is no or very little cultural content. Let One and NET deal with politics - PBS should promote culture. Not only local stuff (do we ever see performances by local artisist on TVM?) . PBS could be a great platform for our local artists, including actors, dancers, singers, film-makers, etc. Make space for discussion (as opposed to interrogation) programmes. Instead we get a daily dose of boring, polluting politics.
Pauline Peterson
Jan 21st, 08:56
That's a great idea Andrew. Well said.
TuffyDavies Davidson
Jan 20th, 16:58
50% is that all, i would say around 75% more likely