Banif Bank and the MCAST Institute of Creative Arts have agreed to extend a successful collaborative agreement that will see both organisations working together on initiatives that seek to bridge the gap between education and industry.

Banif Bank will allocate sponsorship funds for the Institute's upcoming end of year ICA 2017 Festival and work together with tutors on student projects, as from the start of the upcoming academic year.

"Banif's relationship with MCAST is a longstanding one," said Melvin Pellicano, head of Business Development at Banif Bank. "It gives us an opportunity to work with young people in a context of education and art while the students are challenged to produce conceptual work that is relevant to the market. On the other hand, Banif commits to aid the students in exposing their work via promotional channels."

The Institute's director Tyrone Grima welcomed the bank's support, saying the team was looking forward to another year of collaboration with Banif. "Our Institute looks for significant collaborations that give students valuable opportunities. Our aims are reached via agreements such as the one we have with Banif Bank."