It came as refreshing surprise to some that the first two exhibitions in the foyer of Parliament building were not by the mainstream artists, whose productions are seen regularly and patronised by an eager exhibition-going following, but by prison inmates followed by a generous initiative by the artist Philip Agius who contributed a series of sculptures dedicated to the visually impaired.

Such initiatives are to be supported and appraised.

What was indeed so fascinating about the inmates’ exhibition was the fact that the work on display was produced by a group of people in our society whose voice we seldom hear. Prison inmates could be included in those groups of people within our society who have little or no recognition by or voice in our society.

The causes of social exclusion are indeed complex and usually appear connected with factors affecting a person’s or community’s social or economic circumstance. The opposite of social exclusion is social inclusion and usually results in positive action taken to change circumstances and habits that lead or have led to social exclusion. It is about helping people to fully participate in society.

Rather than viewing these two initiatives in a negative light, as being incongruous in the foyer of the Parliament building (which, incidentally, is not a museum institution or art gallery) more similar initiatives should take place promoting awareness and understanding even within Malta’s recognised artistic institutions.

An example of this is the recent dance programme for children with special needs with the NYC Ballet.

Discouraging dialogue within iconic buildings or, as has been suggested, finding a more ‘suitable’ venue for such events, defeats the whole purpose of social inclusion.