When they shine, the country shines | Owen Bonnici

In preparation for my parliamentary budget estimates speech we ask the entities within my ministry to give us a detailed account of the work they have carried out during the year and their plans for the coming year.

Admittedly, I do not need reports to know that the people within these entities are giving their all for their respective sectors. I can attest firsthand to their passion and dedication towards national heritage, the arts and local government.

But I confess that when I read the reports that each entity sends, I am amazed by the sheer amount of work and initiative that these entities carry out during the year.

I am lucky to meet and be inspired by these people every day. I confess that, every time I meet them, I strengthen my will to work harder to create more opportunities for these very dedicated and capable artists. When they shine, Malta shines.

Here’s a short recap of what we achieved in 2024:

MICAS: A €30 million investment and 4,000sq.m of land given back to the people. This is Malta’s first international contemporary art museum.

NAPA: The National Agency for Performing Arts continues to invest in its artistic programmes and begins a journey on a Creative Europe project that provides a platform for unique languages in Europe, not least Maltese.

VCA: The Valletta Cultural Agency worked on several big projects, including the concerts 'L-Ghanja li Hadd ma Jsikket: Ray Mahoney', the 'Valletta Green Festival', and the 'Valletta Pageant of the Seas'.

Heritage Malta: The positive trend that Heritage Malta experienced during 2023 continued during the current year, as reflected in the number of visitors who visited the sites and museums administered by the agency.

MPO: During 2024, the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra did a great job to bring music, in its many forms, to the Maltese public.

ACM: The ESF+ for 2025–2028 aimed at designing and delivering training programmes for the cultural and creative sectors, supported by a budget of €1.43m is one of several initiatives being taken by the Arts Council Malta.

The Manoel Theatre: We continue to invest in the upkeep of this 300-year-old gem of a theatre including a new passenger lift so that now every floor in the theatre is accessible to everyone.

Festivals Malta: The Agency staged a new Opera production, which was launched as part of the Malta Biennale 2024. It continues to invest heavily in the popular Muzika Muzika festival.

Directorate of Culture: Thanks to its sterling job, the Maltese Festa was recognised as a UNESCO living heritage.

The Cultural Heritage Superintendence: It invested in a €90,000 fund for the restoration projects of mobile cultural heritage assets located in parish churches.

PBS: The Public Broadcasting Services continued to provide a service to the public through its various means of broadcasting. It also broadcasted all the EURO 2024 matches, continuous highlights from the Paris Olympics and Paralympics.

Restoration: The Department of Restoration completed several restoration projects carried out in different locations around Malta, on churches, fortresses, and other monuments including the Jesuit Church in Valletta.

National Archives: It carried an update of the digital cataloging system as well as in the IT infrastructure.

National Library: A lift has been installed for further accessibility.

And budget 2025 will see the execution of even more ambitious projects, including:

Cultural Hub, Marsa: The construction of new facilities for Culture and the Arts, including for Carnival Enthusiasts. €15 million from EU funds have already been secured.

Villa Guardamangia: €10 million have been secured for this beautiful restoration project from EU funds.

Restoration: An unprecedented 40 projects nationwide including the restoration of the Main Guard in Valletta.

MICAS: A €600,000 Sculpture Garden.

Arts Council: Malta to take part in the prestigious, Gwangju, South Korea, Art Biennale.

PBS: An underground car park at Malex House and a studio that can accommodate 800 people, along with investment in new equipment.

Eurovision Village: A Eurovision Camp and Village shall be set up.

Budget 2025 will help us achieve another milestone: That which, through heritage, art and culture, we give our people what they deserve: A country of quality.