Performers' Association disappointed by Stitching court verdict

The Association of Performing Arts Practitioners has expressed its strong disappointment at the verdict of the Constitutional Court of Malta over the banning of the play Stitching. In its opinion this ruling will not only seriously stifle creativity in this country but will discourage foreign artists from working with their Maltese counterparts in Malta.

It notes its concern that the decision by the Court was a further reminder that the laws governing stage performances are inadequate and subject to human error. "The judgment leads one to believe that no differentiation is being made between real life and stage performance, especially with regard to the issue of blasphemy."

APAP also noted that the Court’s judgment has the almost explicit consequence that artists will not be allowed to examine the darkest corners of the human existence, for fear of censorship. "Using such an interpretation can lead to the banning of such plays as ‘Medea’, ‘Oedipus Rex’, or ‘The Bacchae’; on the basis that they are depraved or degrading the moral fibre of humanity. This judgment also immediately disenfranchises Maltese artists and audiences for a lot of contemporary European culture."

APAP called for the elimination of the stage certification laws, to be replaced by a self-certification system based on established guidelines. "This will not only bring us in line with the praxis in Europe but which will finally give performing artists, and in particular the theatre community and  audience the same liberty and freedom of expression enjoyed by the rest of the artistic community."