If culture is our identity, then the arts give us the tools to express it.

In the past weeks I had the privilege to work on a landmark event which brought together artists, cultural operators, and all people of good will who want to see our artistic and cultural sectors make the quantum leap.

While the well-attended event was an important and rare moment of dialogue, the run-up to it, and its organisation gave me the opportunity to reach out and work closely with some of our country's finest artists, as well as some budding names I had the privilege to meet and share ideas with. All our guests had one thing in common, a concerted will to do better, and see an artistic and cultural sector that truly recognises this country's potential in the field while moving away from outdated, weaponised formulae of patronage.

The Nationalist Party has long believed in the importance of the arts and culture and has a stellar track record to show for it. But it is not enough to dwell on our successes, and we need to provide a much-needed forward-looking vision for the future of this sector.

Firstly, we want to send an absolutely crystal-clear message of our commitment to this sector and enshrine it as an obligation to administrations to come, in the country's highest law - the Constitution. A motion has already been tabled in Parliament, yet sadly it has only collected dust thus far, as the Opposition alone cannot take it much further.

More than a symbolic gesture that speaks volumes, we want the government of the day to really appreciate the importance of the arts, and act accordingly.

On a more applied level we want to help more artists and cultural operators make a living out of their passion and craft. Hence, we want to take on board several of the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association's recommendations when it comes to tax incentives and revised VAT system for artists. I am pleased to work closely with the tireless people at the MEIA, who have the sector at heart, and promise them that their pleas will never fall on deaf ears.

We want to make sure that our artists do not have to struggle uphill, in direct competition with the government's deep pockets. Private artistic companies cannot compete with the government and should be allowed to operate the market fairly and sustainably. Hence, we want to extend our support to them in a way that they can flourish.

We want to nurture a new generation of artists by exposing our children to the importance and beauty of art from a very young age indeed. We believe that the arts should hold a more central role in schools and be given their importance just like any other subject. Art is not the subject for the less academically gifted.  On the contrary, it is the subject for those who can think on a multiplicity of dimensions, who can see that which others cannot, it is a subject for those who will inspire our values and vision in the future.

That is why we are duty bound to give a solid future to our children who express an artistic talent from a young age and encourage them to exploit it further. Moreover, and perhaps rather poignantly, we must also expose the importance of the arts to the students who do not necessarily show an aptitude for it, to create a culture that appreciates beauty, and self-expression.

In an increasingly bottom-line-obsessed society, we have seen this take a nose-dive, and the results are very visible for all to see.

Finally, we want to help artists who want to make it in the sector, by providing them with the necessary guidance to be successful. We want art to be a career not just a hobby. We have missed too many opportunities and heard too many beautiful platitudes on this. It is time to act.

These are just a few of the myriad of initiatives we want to enact to truly bolster this sector which is the soul of our country. These are not short-term measures or quick wins at all. They will require political commitment, dialogue and a structural approach.

These measures aim to build an ecosystem that provides a future for the sector, because investment in art must not be measured only in numbers, but in how it improves people's lives.

The event of last month was the first, but it will surely not be the last. We want to continue building the bridge of dialogue with the artistic sector and create the necessary environment that will help give hope to the sector for tomorrow.

Julie Zahra is Shadow Minister for Culture, Arts and National Heritage