January 2012
Press release regarding the Amendments to the Stage and Film Classification framework and the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts
The MCCA has been one of the proponents of legislative change in this respect, and has over the past months worked very closely with the Ministry in suggesting alternatives to the existing classification framework. more >
Changes to censorship rules aim to strengthen artistic expression
The ministry denied it was a simple change on classification. The change was in line with the national culture policy launched last July. more >
Raising Spirits: Second Roundtable Seminar
SOS Malta, Mater Dei Hospital, VOICES Foundation, Malta Council for Culture and the Arts and the Malta Cancer Foundation invite you to the second Raising Spirits half day seminar with the aim of bringing together stakeholders to discuss an Action Plan that will introduce regular Artistic and Creative Activities in Maltese Healthcare Settings. more >
October 2011
Acclaimed playwright objects to Valletta’s cultural capital bid
Internationally acclaimed playwright Brad Fraser joins local artists in questioning whether a country that bans plays and prosecutes writers for ‘obscene’ literature deserves consideration for ‘European Capital of Culture 2018’. more >
September 2011
Raising Spirits
A half day seminar was held at Mater Dei Hospital with the aim to incentivise various stakeholders on a national level to explore ways and means of developing and increasing volunteering in healthcare, particularly through an artistic and creative approach in order to enhance patient recovery and community wellbeing. more >
Arts Talk: Funding Info Session
The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts (MCCA) announces the updated guidelines of the Malta Arts Fund with the addition of two new funding strands. These aim to implement the objectives and priorities of the newly launched National Cultural Policy, focusing on Malta’s cultural development needs. more >
June 2011
The Public Art Project
The Public Art Project aims to give established and emerging artists exciting and challenging opportunities which have an impact on different locations and their public. more >
May 2011
Commission sets out "blueprint" for Intellectual Property Rights to boost creativity and innovation
The IPR Strategy sets out a series of short- and long-term key policy actions in various areas. more >
Culture Card and KREATTIV: Opportunities for schools and young people
Culture Card is a new initiative to encourage young people fall in love with culture! more >
March 2011
Malta Arts Fund Event and Arts Talk Launch
The Parliamentary Secretariat for Tourism, the Environment and Culture within the Office of the Prime Minister, together with the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts would like to invite you to a Press Event regarding the Malta Arts Fund. more >
February 2011
MEUSAC launches Funding 360.EU eNewsletter
In its commitment to assist Local Councils and NGOs in securing EU funding, MEUSAC has launched a monthly online newsletter as an access point to information on EU funds. more >
January 2011
A "New Renaissance" - bringing Europe's cultural heritage online
The report of the Comité des Sages (high-level reflection group) on Digitisation of Europe's cultural heritage was delivered today to Neelie Kroes, European Commission Vice-President for the Digital Agenda, and Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner responsible for Education and Culture. more >
Making Capital out of Culture
European Capitals of Culture, according to latterday legend, were born at Athens airport in January 1985, a day of high winds and delayed flights. Sitting in the lounge waiting for their planes were glamorous former actress Melina Mercouri, then Greece’s Minister of Culture, and her French counterpart, the charismatic Jack Lang. more >
November 2010
Plan to boost intercultural dialogue in Mediterranean
Some 41 Foreign Ministers and ambassadors from European and Arab countries meeting in Malta agreed on a plan to enhance intercultural dialogue around the Mediterranean. more >
October 2010
A Temporary Register for Accreditation in the Training of the Arts.
The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts (MCCA) would like to announce a temporary measure for institutions or individuals who provide training of the Arts. more >
July 2010
Launch of Music against poverty contest
Today, the European Commission launches the European Music Contest calling young Europeans, between 15 and 25, to submit a song expressing support to the fight against poverty in the world. more >
June 2010
From Policy To Strategy: A Way Forward For Culture In Malta
During this session the Policy drafters will present the feedback received during the consultation process which was open from February to June. The next step is to finalise the cultural policy document with the input provided during the consultation period, and concurrently start the process to define the Strategies for the Cultural Sector. more >
February 2010
Launch of Cultural Policy
Malta’s draft Cultural Policy 2010 has just been published as a consultation document. more >
January 2010
Arts Council agrees legislative changes are needed to protect creativity
The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts agrees with the need of legislative changes to ensure that the classification of creative works reflected the public's maturity and current realities. more >
September 2009
Yo Opera Meeting
The biannual Yo! Opera Meeting will be held between the 4th and the 7th of November. The main topic is youth opera in the 21st century. more >
August 2009
Malta Arts Fund
The Malta Arts Fund, launched on August 7 2009, aims at supporting artists and arts organisations in fulfilling and realizing their potential and in advancing their skills and level of professionalism, and consequently contribute to strengthening local artistic practice and cultural development. more >
July 2009
Cultural management workshop for operators from the Euro-Mediterranean area
Melopee is a program aiming at offering a contribution to the activity of cultural operators from the Mediterranean through training initiatives and meetings with colleagues from their region. more >
Renzo Piano plans discussion highlights needs in arts field
It was billed as a discussion on the Renzo Piano plans for City Gate and the Opera House site, which indeed it was, but it turned out mostly to be a litany of complaints from arts practitioners about the inadequacies of theatres in Malta and the need for government funding. more >
Carnival enthusiasts clash with Arts Council
Carnival enthusiasts have expressed their concern at the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, who they claim was seeking to impose its own ideas on what carnival should be. more >
February 2009
MTA director pushes to quadruple jazz festival attendance
The organisation of the Malta Jazz Festival will go back into the hands of government, a director on the main board of the MTA has been holding meetings with Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Mario de Marco in a bid to launch an idea that would augment the event’s attendance by tourists. more >
August 2008
ENEA International Fellowship Programme
With the purpose of contributing to the creation of the European Research Area, the ENEA International fellowship programme aims at helping researchers to reach or reinforce a position for professional maturity and independence. more >
July 2008
Training and Networking Opportunities
Various training activities in a number of different areas: Management, New Technologies and Screenwriting; are being held in different countries around Europe. more >
June 2008
Raising standards across all art forms
Davinia Galea, CEO at the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, elaborates on the transition in the role the MCCA is making and the way she must balance the ethereal world of the arts with down-to-earth management. more >
May 2008
Taking stock of culture
Dolores Cristina was appointed Minister for Culture as part of the general reshuffle of ministerial responsibilities after the election. What has changed? more >
February 2008
The Role of Culture in Europe
Narcy Calamatta, vice-president of the European Council of Artists, reports on the European Commission's public hearing ‘The Role of Culture in Europe’. more >
November 2007
The missing vice versa of Maltese art today
There is more to life than the price of tinned tuna. The promotion of the arts can only become a reality when the only entity that can afford to subsidise it, the government, would opt to do so. The sooner the better. more >
August 2007
Tips from Ireland and Australia
People coming back from a trip to Ireland have often commented to me about the sheer confidence that the country exudes. more >
May 2007
VAT rebates for sports and cultural activities
VAT rebates and exemptions along with other fiscal incentives are at the heart of Labour’s plans for sports and culture to encourage people to take more part in sporting and cultural activities. more >
January 2007
Do You Culture?
Do you culture? Do you care? Does it challenge? Does it change? What is the role of culture in 21 st century Malta? What does the future hold for Maltese artists? more >
October 2006
The end of 'the two cultures'
A paper recently presented by the European Cultural Parliament, in which culture is placed 'at the heart of a knowledge-based economy', indicates why the polarisation between the sciences and culture and the arts is bogus. Of course they are different, and policies that do not recognise this are so 20th century. more >
September 2006
The big bang
For many generations of Maltese and Gozitans, the annual village feast has been the high point of both their religious and cultural year. But is this still the case? more >
August 2006
The Research and Innovation of Culture
One of the reports accompanying the pre-budget document issued by the government last Saturday contains an extraordinary statement about culture. more >
April 2005
A cultural brand for Malta
Is Malta's cultural branding consistent with its economic branding? "The time has come for us to correlate what we are trying to achieve as a nation and to ensure that what we highlight as our cultural achievements fit in with that vision." more >
November 2004
National forum on cultural heritage, culture and the arts
The Malta Tourism and Culture Ministry is to hold an annual national forum to address the important issue of the strategic plan for cultural heritage and will be open to sector-wide participation of those involved. more >
September 2004
Malta’s second cultural renaissance
Malta is passing through a cultural renaissance since joining the European Union, just as had happened after independence 40 years ago, the country's Culture and Tourism Minister, Francis Zammit Dimech said. more >
April 2004
Heritage Malta Defends Language Museum Project
Heritage Malta's language museum in Vittoriosa is not intended to be another dead museum but one alive and buzzing with activity. more >
March 2004
Time to wake the Sleeping Lady: How to make culture financially viable
One of the more prominent news items last year was the announcement by the Société Nautique de Genève, the yacht club defending the America's Cup, that Valencia was chosen to host the 2007 Cup. What was most striking was not the choice of venue, but to what extent Valencia had planned their bid. more >
August 2003
Playwrights slammed for poor, outdated works
None of the playwrights who submitted their works for Malta's 2003 Premju Francis Ebejer contest, held by the Arts Council, were considered worthy of the first prize. The jury slammed all the 12 plays submitted but one, describing them as outdated, retrograde, poor, clichéd, pretentious and mediocre. more >
June 2003
2% of Malta's Arts Council budget goes to cultural support
The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts will be spending only up to Lm11,770 on cultural support this year, that is, 2% of its annual budget. more >
February 2003
Malta Council for Culture and the Arts launches strategy
A commitment to improve standards, create opportunities for artists and develop sustainable relationships with business concerns are among the objectives which the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts has set itself for the next three years. more >
May 2010
Social Capital in Practice
The Social Capital Foundation invites papers for the TSCF 2010 International Conference entitled Social Capital in Practice, to be held in Mellieha, Malta. more >
September 2008
International Social Capital Conference
The conference will discuss the issues associated with social capital, social inclusion and social cohesion, bringing together social scientists, economists, policymakers, social workers and the widest spectrum of the involved players to explore the social cohesion issues arising in society. more >
The international who's who in cultural policy, planning and research >