Another electoral promise fulfilled

Through the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government, this Government is continuously introducing schemes and measures to help those who have been promoting and also keeping alive, most of them on a voluntary basis, the cultural sector.

Owen Bonnici is the Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government S chemes have been introduced during the past years to help the Band Societies and also Fireworks Factories in their work in this multidimensional sector. I announced the latest scheme this week, which was also an electoral promise.

A new fund for the purchase of musical instruments by band clubs is the new fund which sees to the education and purchase of a musical instrument by local band clubs.

The fund will further strengthen the work done by local musical societies, to promote music amongst our communities and aid them with the acquiring and education of instruments. And this is yet another electoral promise fulfilled. These musical societies hold ongoing activities to keep culture and traditions alive in our localities. Such initiatives make the art and culture sector accessible to everyone and provide a perfect gateway to new musicians to explore their talents. Therefore, I strongly believe that it is essential that we further strengthen musical education within our communities.”

This fund sees to the co-financing of an instrument which is to be bought for the use of a musician or musicians registered with the applying society. The fund may cover up to 85% of the total project cost, the project proposal must include a detailed and realistic educational programme, including the name and experience of the tutor with the projected learning outcomes.

Instruments eligible in the scheme are those which musical societies find difficulty in acquiring, namely, the piccolo, oboe, cor anglais, bass clarinet, bassoon, baritone saxophone, E-flat trumpet, flugelhorn, bass trombone and the double bass.

When I introduced this scheme I explained that the registered musician/s must have at least 2 years of playing experience in the same family of the musical instrument being proposed for co-financing and/or 3 years if opting for a different family of the instrument. The musician shall be expected to appear in front of a panel and audition to determine their good level of competency. The proposed project needs to have innovative, professional and creative traits when it comes to the teaching and implementation of it. The application is to also take into consideration the long-term sustainability of the project, including the scope and benefits.

Proposals are to be submitted on the www.vofunding.org.mt portal by 3 December at noon. Any applications after this deadline will not be accepted by the system. Tomorrow the 11th edition of the Malta Comic Con will get underway. Popular from the very beginning, this much sought after event is a crowd-puller. This year, the 2day event will also see the launch of a new comic book publication entitled Wicked Ghost Stories of Malta, possible thanks to a collaboration with Heritage Malta and Arts Council Malta, under the stewardship of the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government.

Launching the event, I stated that through the support of such events, we can continue to contribute to our country’s cultural ecology by sustaining a sound platform for comic creators. I am pleased that such an event as the Malta Comic Con keeps on getting bigger and better each year, especially since it provides comic lovers with the perfect outlet to meet with comic creators and explore this unique world through educational and entertaining material aimed at both adults and children.

The Wicked Ghost Stories of Malta publication will include ghost stories from Malta, some of which are in the comic book format. The comic book section was a collaboration of comic artists both local and foreign some of which are established in the comic industry, artists like Ian Richardson, Mario Torrisi, Luisa Russo, Tim Perkins, Kevin Enhart and Jenika Ioffreda. The publication also includes short accounts of resident ghosts at sites managed by Heritage Malta.

The Malta Comic Con 2019 will feature bigger gaming areas, cosplay competitions and workshops throughout both days.

This year’s edition will also include various notable guests, including John Higgins, a comic book artist and colourist known for his colouring work on Watchmen and The Killing Joke, Ron

Marz, a comic book artist known for his work with both Marvel and DC comics, Femi Taylor an actress and dancer known for portraying the alien Oola in Starwars: The Return of the Jedi, Jorgito Vargas an actor known for portraying the blue Ranger in Power Rangers Ninja Storm, and Liliana Sorrentino, an Italian voice actress best known for voicing anime characters such as Pollon and Sayaka from Mazinger Z.

This is what makes this field – culture – as a most interesting sector to work in. The variety from modern to ancient, the various facets, from music and dance to history and arts, to folklore and traditions.

And that is why this Ministry has been striving to better this sector in all ways possible, and we are getting results!

Results are also being achieved with partnerships and collaborations with the private sector. A most interesting event yesterday was held at the National Library in Valletta.

The Ministry’s Notarial Archives Foundation announced that thanks to its Adopt a Notary/Item Scheme, a 16th Century volume by Notary Placido Abela – one of the earliest and most important notaries found in Maltese History – is being restored.

It was a satisfying moment when the team of restorers gave us a detailed account of how this restoration was done, with meticulous and back-breaking work. Seeing these very important volumes being restored from tatters held us all in awe. Thanks to this scheme we are recognising the private sector’s efforts to raise awareness on the importance of our heritage and its conservation and restoration.

And this leads me to another project which is currently being undertaken. We saw to the strengthening of the Office of the Notary to Government’s resources, through the introduction of a new building which is being restored, as well as an allocation increase of 25% in relation to Scholarships in Book and Paper Conservation to ensure that more manuscripts and volumes depicting our past are made available.

Going back to the restoration of Notary Abela’s volumes, the original notarial manuscript dates to 1557-1560 and sheds light on the first years of Hospitaller rule, even prior to the Siege of Malta of 1565, during which the Maltese Islands were undergoing a gradual and continuous process of change. Notary Abela was sought out by notable individuals: his clientele included several Knights, even Grand Master de Valette, and the famous knight and corsair Romegas and Knight Commander Couppier. Apart from these, Notary Abela was also called upon by members of the higher clergy, amongst which, Bishop Cubelles. This variety of notarial deeds reflects the records of a well-established man in sixteenth-century Maltese society.

This conservation was made possible thanks to Gasan Mamo Insurance who take part in the Adopt a Notary/Item Scheme. This Scheme encourages institutions, companies and individuals to either adopt a notary’s collection of deeds, which may consist of several volumes; adopt a single volume, which may be of particular historical significance; or adopt a single historic document by way of offering sponsorship for their conservation and future preservation.

Apart from an initial sponsorship in 2013 which sought to provide protective covers for the collection, GasanMamo Insurance has also ‘adopted’ the important sixteenth-century notary Placido Abela.

Again, I thank this company, but also the team of restorers who are doing an excellent job preserving this volume, but also loads of others.