MaltaMedia.com

Through the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, Government gives Maltese artists the opportunity to benefit from the Malta Arts Fund with a total yearly allocation of €430,000. 176 projects have benefitted from this fund since it commenced in September 2009, with a total allocation of over €752,000.

The latest round of beneficiaries were awarded at a press conference addressed by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and the Environment, the Hon Mario de Marco, and Mr Adrian Mamo the Chairman of the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts. During this event, a number of artists and organisation who have benefited from this fund, presented their projects.

The Fund is meant to provide a stimulus for investment in local artists and their work. It aims to support artists and arts organisations in fulfilling and realising their potential and in improving their skills and level of professionalism. The Malta Arts Fund contributes towards the strengthening of artistic practice and cultural development both in Malta and internationally. At the event, 5 artists received funding for Large Projects and another 5 beneficiaries received funds for their project’s travel under the Mobility Grant.

The Arts Fund Programme is divided into three strands Project Support Grant, Organisation Support Grant, Mobility Support Grant. The Project Support Grant is divided into two strands large and small projects. Small projects range between projects costing between €100 and €5,000. Applications for this strand are open every three months. The large projects, whose funding ranges between €5,001 and €20,000 are allocated on a half-yearly basis.

The Organisation Support Grant caters for organisations seeking funds to support their operation in the arts sector in Malta and/or to operate an artistic programme. It provides organisations whose aims are in line with the goals and priorities of the National Cultural Policy with funds towards both programming and organisational costs. The Mobility Grant caters for outgoing artistic mobility for short training courses, workshops, participation in artistic activities overseas, and international collaborations.

Another initiative which the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts organises is ArtsTalk. ArtsTalk consists of a series of open public discussions on the funding programmes of the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts. It compliments the Arts Fund Programme since the application procedures are explained and success stories are presented. These out-reach sessions also provide a platform for prospective applicants to discuss individual queries. Moreover, ArtsTalk involves other issues affecting the arts in Malta or other opportunities for artists.

From time to time ArtsTalk includes conversations with established and emerging contemporary artists who work in diverse mediums. They discuss their work, their creative process and the most current issues in contemporary art. With an audience drawn from the cultural sector and the general public, ArtsTalk offers lively and insightful debates.

The application form of the Malta Arts Fund and the Fund’s criteria are available from the website www.maltaculture.com in the Funding and Opportunities Section or from the office of the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts.