I understand that the recent parliamentary debate on the creative economy was a great success and has stimulated plenty of interest. It is particularly gratifying that the buzzword was “quality”.  Malta is a small country and it needs to export. Only if its products are distinctive and of high quality will it succeed.

Some thoughts on education.

I had a strange experience when I went to work in Egypt for the ILO, training designers for craft industries. I found that out of 30 trainees only two had ever been to a museum (and that was only the citadel in Cairo).

There is no way that people can become designers unless they have some grounding in their own culture.

This does not mean slavishly copying the past but using it as a springboard and an inspiration, creating confidence and original style. Tradition must not stagnate, it should evolve with the different generations. Things change and needs are different. Designers should be able to deal with this. They can’t work in a vacuum.