Over the years, a number of cultural heritage organisations have been entrusted with the safeguarding of numerous sites around Malta and Gozo. Their task was supported by a number of government initiatives over the years; however, a large percentage of their income came from entrance fees, mostly generated through visits by tourists.
Since this sector has been highly impacted by the pandemic, the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government has sought to create a new support scheme aimed at assisting these organisations in their effort to restart their operations.
Addressing a press conference during which a €300,000 fund for the post-pandemic support scheme was announced, Minister José Herrera applauded the commitment and determination that the cultural heritage organisations have shown during the past months in safeguarding the patrimony that was entrusted to them, whilst finding new ways of raising awareness about the sector via new digital means.
“We want to continue supporting your efforts, especially during the coming weeks and months, now that, following the challenging months lived together, we can look forward and have hope in giving back life to our heritage sites. I believe that together we can transform these challenging times into an opportunity for a better, more sustainable use of our sites, embracing new ways of safeguarding and sharing these sites,” said Minister Herrera.
Permanent Secretary within the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Joyce Dimech reiterated the important role cultural organisations play in the administration of our cultural heritage. “As key players in the sector, we feel that it is our duty to support your efforts by providing the necessary investment which can serve as a boost to bolster your activities in the coming weeks and months,” said Ms Dimech.
The Post-Pandemic Support Scheme for Culture Heritage is designed to complement and add value to the wider COVID-19 funding response issued by the government and the Ministry for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government during the past months.
The objective of the fund is to help organisations recover from the economic impact of COVID-19 and to ensure financial viability in the future. The fund will have two streams and beneficiaries can apply for both streams either separately or adopt a more integrated approach.
The fund will cover up to 100% of total project costs. The maximum eligible amount per project is capped at €30,000. For further information, one can visit www.culture.gov.mt
