A lot has been written about the new administration’s decision to carry out a tabula rasa in the artistic management of Valletta 18 and the spate of resignations in the cultural sector that followed. What concerns me is the apparent disinterest of the public in this issue. We had strong words coming from the established culture vultures, but not much more.
The scope of the European Capital of Culture is to give a city the opportunity to showcase its cultural life and its cultural development. On the European perspective, the selected city will be able to nurture a sense of European citizenship. Past European Capitals of Culture have used this opportunity not just to regenerate their cities but also to give new vigour to their cultural life.
It is a known fact that Valletta, while having a lot to showcase when it comes to architecture, historical legacies, artworks etc, has only recently started to develop (or shall I say re-develop?) its own cultural life. Up to a few years ago, Valletta was a city alive by day but dead by night. It was even difficult to find a restaurant after attending a performance at the theatre. The difference today is astonishing, and it is so refreshing to notice that yes, finally Valletta is coming to life.
Notwithstanding all this, we have not as yet fully developed the sense of ownership and of pride towards our beautiful capital city. This in spite of the massive regeneration programme that has been put in place, and in spite of the successful mass activities that have found a permanent place in Valletta’s cultural calendar. Building cultural appreciation and participation takes longer than building cultural spaces or establishing cultural calendars. Hence, perhaps, the lack of general public reaction to the recent shake-up in the cultural echelons.
I have no doubt that the present administration is committed to reach the 2018 objectives. Time might be on their side but changing the team obviously caused a certain degree of disruption. And so we come to the million dollar question. Who will replace the outgoing team? We have been regaled with Jason Micallef as chairman of the Valletta 18 Foundation, and I cannot say that I am impressed. Will the new guys come from the same stock? I very much hope not. Restructuring and personnel changes do tend to occur with new administrations yet expertise should never be compromised for meritocracy. What is not acceptable is that such restructuring compromises the artistic excellence, which at the end of the day is a very important deliverable in this exercise.
Another important deliverable is public participation, and here the incoming team will have a huge challenge. Organising mass events, even if they are of high standard, does not necessarily mean that we have reached our targets. According to the European Commission’s special Eurobarometre on cultural access and participation (November 2013), Malta ranks very low when it comes to visiting a public library, attending a concert, going to the theatre or visiting a museum. Faced with these statistics, it is natural to question whether our cultural policy has been giving us the results we expected and whether we need to take any corrective measures. It also places a significant burden on the shoulders of the people entrusted with our cultural management.
Valletta 18 gives us a unique opportunity to promote our exceptional cultural contribution not just to Europe but to the whole world. It also gives us the opportunity to make a quantum leap in our cultural awareness and appreciation. Getting it wrong would be shameful. Getting it wrong because of political pique is unforgivable.
Jonathan Shaw is a Nationalist Party candidate in the European Parliamentary elections
www.jonshaw.com