Schools are being urged to come up with innovative ideas as part of a programme aimed at encouraging creative arts among students of a young age with the involvement of established practitioners.
The successful applicants will be granted up to €5,000 to implement their proposal under the programme Kreattiv, which is now in its fourth edition.
Though the overall budget is a modest €75,000, feedback from schools on this Arts Council initiative has been very positive.
In the first three editions, over 5,000 students from 50 schools took part with the involvement of about 100 artists, with an overall budget of €240,000.
Speaking during the launch of this year’s edition at the National Curriculum Centre in Ħamrun yesterday, Education Minister Evarist Bartolo said that arts and culture must not be treated as extracurricular subjects but an integral part of everyday life/school experience.
Culture Minister Owen Bonnici noted that some 10,000 people earned their living through the creative arts industry, which amounts to five per cent of gross domestic product.
The launch also marked the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Arts Council and the Education Ministry, which will pave the way for closer collaboration between the two entities.