A week is a long time in politics. But worry not, like the PBS news division, I will not be covering the shenanigans over in Panama because a week is a long time in culture too.

Since last I wrote, it seems I have become a star of the plumbing industry. But never mind that, there is more important, and interesting fodder to be had. As predicted, about a week ago we have a new kid on the block. Airan Berg has been appointed as International Artistic Adviser to Valletta 2018.

Berg is currently the artistic director of the European Capital of Culture 2019 - Lecce, in Italy.

In a past life he was associate artistic director, along with the current chairman of the ECOC Monitoring Board Ulrich Fuchs for Linz.

This may explain the sudden clean bill of health by the board this February.

Berg comes with a very strong theatrical background. His work includes assisting Harold Prince on Broadway to starting an international puppet theatre festival for adults. Along the way he took the now almost obligatory journey to Indonesia with its shadow theatre and mask dances.

All in all a welcome addition to the team and frankly one who should have been in the mix in the first place.

One only hopes that there will be time and money to exploit his knowledge and contacts to the fullest and that he is not simply roped in to import two or three international events which will have no legacy.

His passed declared interest in dialogue and processes of exchange seem to point otherwise. Let us hope he will be allowed to conceive his role in the same terms as he did in Linz where he saw himself as a communicative and artistic catalyst, two areas seriously lacking in the current V18 ethos.

There was more good news on the V18 front, at least as communicated by the foundation itself.

In a recent one day seminar, Minister Owen Bonnici, (who has been conspicuously absent over the last few weeks), remembered his culture hat, and brought forth statistics declaring the positive impact V18 is having on Valletta.

Well I’m not one who likes to pour cold water over everything (alright, I’ll admit, I am!), but allow me to be a bit cynical. Leaving aside the fact that research was commissioned by V18 and that I am a strong believer in the 'he who pays the piper' saying.

Why is culture always considered a part-time job? Ah yes, because we are all hobbyists!

My main beef with this statement is what the foundation has to with this feelgood factor.

It is true that the concept of the European Capital of Culture is definitely having an effect. It is also true it has created the leverage for more money to be put into the creative economy. But really that is as a result of the concept of the ECOC, a concept foisted upon us by the EU. Has there really been either the political or cultural ground swell one would expect from such an appointment?

Its vision and goals are, to say the least, unambitious. In the most part they would have happened without the foundation. The foundation, with its lackadaisical pen-pushers as board members, lurches from crisis to crisis, with hardly a care in the world.

And our part-time culture minister is wheeled out occasionally to spout some statistic or other. And we all know what statistics mean.

And finally... in the spirit of equal balance: what the hell was our part-time shadow minister of culture thinking about the other week?

Incidentally why is culture always considered a part-time job? Ah yes, because we are all hobbyists!

Back to the plot. A few weeks ago, objecting to the decriminalisation of religious vilification, Dr Jason Azzopardi, tabled some cartoons from the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine and intoned that changing the law now would be ‘shortsighted and dangerous’.

He added “that although no one should impose his religion on others and everyone had a right to express themselves, one should not be insulting.” Excuse me whilst I trundle off to find synonyms for the word ‘satire’. Ah yes here they are: mockery, ridicule, derision, scorn.

Nearly 3,000 years ago Aristophanes was satirising the gods, Chaucer had it in for nuns, Moliere went after hypocritical priests.. and then there was Monty Python, The Simpsons, Jerry Springer: The Opera, The Book of Mormon.. need I go on?

The problem with the term ‘religious vilification’, especially in a secular society, is that it is impossible to draw the line. It is almost impossible to even interpret, at what point does fair comment become vilification?

And why stop at religion, why not a law against medical vilification to protect homeopaths? Or astrological vilification to protect astrologists?

But scariest of all, in making his point, Dr Azzopardi almost justified the Charlie Hebdo tragedy. By saying that we should be careful he implies that we should give up our birthright of free expression for fear of offending someone and that person would retaliate with violence. This reminds me of the judge who blamed the girl who was raped for wearing a short skirt.

And best of all, as Dr Azzopardi was making his point in Parliament, outside, a group of dancers in some of the most beautiful costumes I have seen, were parading as Hindu Gods… in a carnival parade. Now tell me is that also religious vilification?

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