The Ministry for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government and the Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protection have launched the Event Support Scheme, which is intended to continue to offer direct support to the creative sector with immediate effect.
The new scheme aims at providing the necessary support in the organisation of cultural events in line with the guidelines issued by the public health authorities and aims at making organised cultural and artistic events more economically viable for the period between 5th July and 31st August 2021.
While addressing a press conference, during which the new scheme was launched, Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government José Herrera said that, “Through this scheme we are committing further assistance to the creative and cultural sectors in order to assist in the restart of cultural events. This fund will further strengthen the RESTART programme, issued by Arts Council Malta at the beginning of 2021, whereby hundreds of artists in different fields with various projects benefited from this programme. With this new €2 million fund, the RESTART programme is now reaching €5.62 million in direct funds to artists and all those working in the creative sector.”
In his keynote speech, Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Clayton Bartolo stressed that this is a two million euro scheme to assist artists and organisers of events that take place in an area as published by the health authorities and other cultural events by which entry is permitted through the vaccine certificate.
“This scheme is gratitude for a sector that was one of, if not the most affected by the pandemic. We need to understand the genuine sentiment of who for the last year and a half wanted to work and could not because of a pandemic”, stressed Minister Bartolo.
The Event Support Scheme, divided into two strands, can be utilised for events falling within the scope outlined in the ‘Standards for safer organised controlled events taking place in an enclosed area’, as published by the health authorities.
The Event Support Scheme Strand 1, administered and managed by Arts Council Malta, involves direct financial assistance whereby those who apply and are eligible will receive funding based on the sale of their tickets – i.e. will be given direct assistance amounting to one hundred percent of their sales, as well as in additional €1,500 per controlled grouping or bubble up to a maximum of two bubbles. Strand 2, administrated and managed by Festivals Malta, is intended to increase the economic viability of cultural and artistic events through logistical assistance.
The Event Support Scheme is open to creative professionals, individual artists, registered entities (including companies), partnerships, foundations, organisations, associations, groups, collectives and consortia, registered cooperatives. Both strands work on a first come, first served basis and would need to satisfy a set of eligibility criteria. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, 17th August 2021 at noon.
For guidelines, application methods, and further information one can either visit the Arts Council Malta’s website, call on 2334 7230, or email fundinfo@artscouncil.mt. One can also visit the Festivals Malta website, call on 2334 7300, or email info@festivals.mt.
