Mary Ann Cauchi,
Director Funding & Strategy, Arts Council Malta
Regional and local cultural development is at the forefront
of Arts Council Malta’s priorities to further incentivise and enable
the valorisation of distinct forms of cultural and creative expression.
he six Regional Cultural Strategies (RCS)
encapsulate significant overlapping
and other distinct strategic objectives
and provide for recognised frameworks for the
collaborators, including ACM, to sustain and facilitate
these relationships. They also enable it to further
prioritise and stimulate the cultural and creative
vitality of Malta’s regions and localities, including
their communities, practices, resources and
infrastructure, amongst others.
Over the next years, ACM is committed to supporting
and engaging with the Regional Councils through
collaborations with Local Councils, organisations,
creative practitioners and other stakeholders, enabling
initiatives led by communities for communities.
Through strategic direction, facilitation and support,
ACM’s commitment is reflected in increasing
efficiency, maximising and increasing resources
and mobilising processes to further valorise the
importance of arts and culture in everyone’s daily
lives. The collaborators involved in this process are
committed to nourish, protect and promote the
diversity of cultural expression, increase accessibility
and incentivise active participation.
Significant work has already been carried out to
lay out the preparatory groundwork in the final
stages ahead of their launch and subsequent
implementation, Amongst others, these include
the setting up of flexible roles and structures to
facilitate understanding of the foundation required
to sustain a participatory approach. Following
the exhaustive work by all those involved in the
formulation of these strategies, an ongoing intensive
familiarisation process has enabled ACM to identify
a number of generic strategic objectives. These are
primarily related to knowledge building, research,
enhancement of cultural infrastructure, facilitation
of local and regional cultural programming and
governance, and development of ongoing evaluation
and monitoring structures. Initiatives related to
creative placemaking, social innovation, liveability
and urban design will be prioritised and incentivised.
Likewise, one can draw attention to and elevate
community assets and cultural infrastructure;
envision new possibilities for places; connect
communities; and create and reinforce opportunities
for partnerships.
The implementation of these strategies is entirely
dependent on the willingness and motivation of all
the stakeholders to work hand in hand, to understand
different priorities and objectives, to collaborate
and to support or be supported. The formulation
of six unique strategies is an important step in the
realisation that every region is distinct and diverse
and that the initial familiarisation processes are key
to understanding the uniqueness of communities,
their challenges and resources. The journey which
lies ahead is exciting as much as it is challenging, yet
ACM will strive to continue to listen, understand and
work collaboratively to reinforce the position of arts
and culture within communities and places.
North Regional Cultural Strategy