The fifth edition of the Malta Arts’ Festival closes at the end of the month. As the artistic director, Mario Frendo, pointed out, “in 2006 the Malta Arts’ Festival was established with the precise aim of developing an appropriate platform for high quality artistic performances, where Maltese and foreign artistes collaborate in order to share with audiences their artistic endeavours”.

When I had seen to setting up this festival, I had deliberately chosen the Opera House ruins site as the venue as a statement in favour of creating spaces for the arts, reaffirming that the site in question belongs to the arts and that no other use of that site would be suitable. The fact that the site in question is now enclosed as works are underway for the Renzo Piano project that will, among many other deliverables, emphasise with vigour this principle, offers me much satisfaction while I remain convinced that we can and should go further.

One of the highlights of this year’s festival makes the case most eloquently in favour of another area that I had the privilege to indicate as required for the arts. With the help of the indefatigable permanent secretary within my Ministry, Peter Portelli, detailed presentations were made to the Prime Minister at the Inter-ministerial committee on tourism about how the Ospizio area can from a derelict state become a centre for the arts.

To my mind the site-specific theatre project by Theatre Anon, actually created to be staged at the Ospizio and about the Ospizio should make the decision in favour of allocating the area to the arts an irrevocable one. I have had the joy of watching productions by this talented theatre company from its very inception and they have never let the audience down.

Paul Portelli, himself a capable and professional actor who can blend physical stamina with expressing messages, moods and scenes as may be required, on this occasion directed and in part scripted the memorable production. Examining the credits at the end of the programme, Theatre Anon wanted through research and consulting authorities of the calibre of Judge Giovanni Bonello, Prof. Carmel Cassar and Guido Lanfranco, to get the facts right about the historic context of Ospizio – what kind of ‘refuge’ did it provide, to whom, what life could well have been like within its area, how it inter-related to the wider historic picture in the country – references to the Inquisition including its use of public confessions, the struggle for the exercise of power by the State and the Church and how the two interrelated with each other, how different cultural (including linguistic) forces vied with each other for influence.

The production that was rich in its symbolism and meaning was equally entertaining and humorous. While blending together subtle overtones with more straightforward statements, the production was capable to entertain the discerning who wish to discover more about what the site stood for in history, and those who can simply enjoy the entertainment provided through lavish costumes, gigantic puppets, band music, and an actress managing to fly over the audience (memories of the Kneehigh intercultural project put to excellent use in this strictly local production).

Hats off to the talented cast, the choir, the people who worked backstage, and all others who literally teamed up to create together an unforgettable artistic experience where the audience also learnt that one can walk through a production as opposed to merely sitting passively and follow from a distance. The artificial boundaries between performers and audience were removed. The enjoyment and satisfaction was equally shared between the cast and the persons attending.

What a joy to be able to affirm that this country really has so much incredible talent. What a commitment do we all need to genuinely make in favour of the arts that deserve to be not only congratulated, but also encouraged, sustained and given more space.

That is the only logical choice to make if we are in favour of our nation’s growth that can never be measured only in economic terms.

Dr Zammit Dimech is a Nationalist MP