PN backs basic wage proposal for artists

The Nationalist Party backs a proposal by the Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association for a basic wage for artists, Opposition leader Alex Borg has said.

“We expect a lot from artists, but at the same time they are not getting the recognition they need,” Borg said on Sunday during a discussion with arts and culture workers.

A basic wage, he said, would give them the recognition and encouragement to do more creative work.

Borg said culture was often treated separately from the economy even though it could create jobs, generate income and attract visitors. He cited a report on Ireland, where he said the creative sector had created professional jobs for artists and drawn tourists who travelled specifically for Irish art and culture.

He said Malta and Gozo could do the same by creating more work for artists and giving visitors more reasons to engage with local culture, adding that artists already helped promote the country’s identity.

Borg called for more theatre and creative spaces where artists could present their work. Citing surveys on access to theatre venues, he said few were open to the public and that most were privately owned or belonged to the Church.

He pointed to the PN’s proposed cultural district, PORT, which would provide space for exhibitions, give artists a place to train and help them reach wider audiences.

The district would also provide a dedicated venue for the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, which Borg said currently had no space of its own.

Borg said the discussion had been prompted only in part by what had happened that week. He wanted the party to meet artists regularly and draw on their experience to develop its policies, including by hearing what made it difficult for them to work and where they saw opportunities for the sector.