Maltese artists will have increased opportunities to export their work after a new fund aimed specifically to support artists showcase their work abroad was launched today.
The Cultural Export Fund will deploy more than €130,000 annually in grants for travel, touring and translation. It builds on the success of Malta Arts Fund’s Mobility Grant and Spreading Words and was developed further into a new programme with increased investment to reflect the focus on cultural export.
Travel Grants aims primarily to support the mobility of artists and cultural operators to explore, to develop skills, to build networks, and to engage in international collaborations. The maximum allocation is of €2,000 per project and there are four deadlines in 2015 with a session budget of €8,000.
Presentation and Touring aims to support one-off international presentations/exhibitions or tours. The focus is specifically on making professional work sustainable while sharing creative excellence with international audiences. The maximum allocation is of €8,000 per project with a session budget of €24,000. There are two deadlines in 2015.
Spreading Words aims to support the translation of artistic works, ranging from books to films, for international distribution. This strand will be launched later this year.
The fund was launched at the Malta International Airport as the national dance company, ŻfinMalta, was on its way to its first international touring event at Ramallah, highlighting the new impetus that has been injected into this sector.
During the launch, Arts Council executive chairman Albert Marshall announced that the Cultural Export Fund is part of an extensive international cultural programme announced in this year’s budget.
The allocation of €200,000 includes other initiatives, such as assisting and supporting public cultural organisations to export their work.
This year, Arts Council Malta is teaming up with the CHOGM taskforce and the Foreign Affairs Ministry to present an outgoing cultural programme by public cultural organisations within key Commonwealth countries.
The strategy also includes Arts Council Malta initiatives to help the sector export its work and provide training. Thirty-five projects are ready to be exported as part of the second Malta Showcase and artists will be given specialised training in international development.
The need for an internationalisation strategy in the cultural and creative sectors has long been felt, Culture Minister Owen Bonnici said.
“Providing an incentive so that artists can have access to international markets allows the arts to become more professional and sustainable in the long-term. This is in synch with our belief in intercultural dialogue, which will serve as one of the main tenets running through the long-term plan, to be implemented during the 2017 Presidency and through to the European Capital of Culture 2018,” he said
Information sessions on the Cultural Export Fund will be held on April 22 and 23 in Malta and Gozo; these will be held in collaboration with the Creative Europe Desk.
Like other public funds administered by Arts Council Malta, the fund is competitive and will be evaluated according to established criteria.