Supporting our young talent
Emerging artists aren’t just young people with paint brushes, theatrical costumes and big ideas, they are our future - so supporting emerging artists is an investment in our future.
A part from raising awareness and the upkeep of our National heritage, my ministry also prioritises the support for our young talent, our future artists.
Amongst the schemes that directly support our budding artists is the collaborative programmes Artivisti and Young Artist Development Programmes, a collaboration between Arts Council Malta within the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government and AġenzijaŻagħżagħ within the Parliamentary Secretariat
For Youth, Sport and Voluntary Organisations.
Through this collaboration, we seek to inspire and support the best young talent across the arts, and to provide Malta’s budding artists with the necessary training, mentoring and networking opportunities to further develop their creative potential.
This all forms part of the ministry’s strategy to prioritise professionalisation in the field of culture and the arts, through education and fostering of talent.
The Young Artist Development Programme and Artivisti, part of Arts Council Malta’s community exchange portfolio are open to creatives between 14 and 17 and 18 and 24 years of age. These bridge together the implementation of the National Youth Policy and the Council’s Create2020 Strategy, with a special focus on providing more opportunities for people to engage in creativity.
Artivisti accompanies other empowerment outfits from AġenzijaŻgħażagħ itself, such as Taħżiż, Divergent Thinkers, and music training for young marching band players — platforms that the Agency has been offering for the past years in order to give young people further opportunities in the arts.
Besides the job of identifying and giving recognition to foremost young talent, Artivisti invests in nurturing and transformation through knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, and creative exchange, as well as enhancing the contribution of arts practitioners and organisations towards the development of promising talent and facilitation of collaborative art projects.
The young artists selected for this year’s edition of Artivisti will be awarded a package of benefits and opportunities for an entire year. This includes a grant of €4,000 for their creative projects, the services of a professional mentor to support them in their artistic career, participation in an artist-inresidency and networking opportunities with other ‘Artivisti’.
On the other hand, the Young Artist Development programme beneficiaries will receive a grant of €2,000 for their professional development together with an artist-in-residency programme, group mentoring and continuous support from both entities.
The selected artists will also become members of the Artivisti alumni community to support other upcoming artists in the forthcoming editions of the programme. It was a pleasure receiving the donation from the Ministry for Energy and Water Management of a large mural ceramic decoration entitled ‘Energy Field’. Not only because of the magnificence of the mural but also because of the artist behind the splendid work – our late artist Gabriel Caruana.
Originally, the mural was made up of 49 individual pieces, which was installed at the
Power Station in Delimara – and donated to Enemalta by the artist himself - a former employee.
Now it will be enjoyed by all, thanks to this donation to Heritage Malta, as part of the country’s national art collection, after a restoration project costing €8,000
Thanks to this donation, we are strengthening Caruana’s legacy as one of our local modern art pioneers. Whilst commemorating this great artist, we are also reinforcing the cultural and artistic platform for local talent and for local artists to increase professionalisation within the sector.
We want to invest further in our growing cultural and creative sector, a sector that has been increasingly strengthened and is performing to high expectations.
Gabriel Caruana’s mural will join other works of the artist, which are held in the MUŻA collection. Part of this mural will be exhibited for a number of weeks within the MUŻA courtyard to be enjoyed by the public.
Incidentally, Heritage Malta shall be issuing a number of calls in the coming weeks for artistic installations and exhibitions in line with MUŻA’s programming for the coming years. This will give the opportunity to the local artistic community to exhibit and showcase their work and is part of Heritage Malta’s strategy to bring MUŻA in line with its mission – that of being an art and community museum. Ongoing restoration works by the Restoration Directorate are without doubt greatly assisting in the conservation of our local heritage.
Another restoration project just announced is that of the Saint George Redoubt in Birżebbuġa which will be undergoing restoration by this directorate thanks to the Local Council Restoration Works Scheme.
The Saint George Redoubt is one of a series of coastal fortifications around the Maltese Islands and was built in 1714-1716 by the Order of Saint John. It was built on the site of a cemetery and incorporated the Chapel of Saint George, from where it got its name. Apart from being the only Hospitalier redoubt incorporating a church, it is also rather unusual due to its semi-circular shape, while most redoubts are pentagonal.
The Local Council Restoration Works Scheme, is issued in collaboration with the Local Government Division. The fifth call of this scheme is currently open for local councils, with applications closing on the 30th of August. On a closing note I congratulate colleague Helena Dalli on her nomination as Malta’s next EU Commissioner - Malta’s first female European Commissioner – and also thank her for her great achievements as Minister for European Affairs and Equality.
Whilst welcoming on board Edward Zammit Lewis, I also thank Karmenu Vella for his sterling work as Commissioner for the Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
Commissioner Vella did and will still keep doing Malta proud!