Open Letter Board of Governors

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19/07/2017

Open Letter to the Board of Governors, Valletta 2018 Foundation

As Valletta prepares to host the title of European Capital of Culture in 2018, we—artists, cultural workers and academics—would like to express our views about the Foundation's role at such a delicate time. In particular, we note with dismay the erosion of qualities like rigour, autonomy and accountability in the governance of Valletta 2018 Foundation. Changes in key personnel over the last few years, including the recent dismissal of two senior members of the Foundation, have jeopardised plans for creating a sustainable legacy of the title in the country and have contributed to a climate of insecurity among many participants as to whether their engagement is still valued. Years of trustbuilding and conviviality between individual artists and cultural workers based in different institutions are being replaced by uncertainty and discontinuity. In contrast with public declarations about recent dismissals—described as “internal affairs” that are “of no concern to the public” (Philip Leone-Ganado, V18 dismissals of no concern to public — Jason Micallef, The Sunday Times, July 9, 2017)—we believe that any change that is likely to affect the performance of the Foundation is indeed of interest to all participants and communities. The top-down approach of the Foundation's administration silences key stakeholders in culture and other groups by speaking in the name of a ‘general public’, effectively discouraging qualities like dialogue, openness and critical thinking that are vital requirements in the arts, cultural management and arts education. The fact that government institutions like Valletta 2018 Foundation tend to dominate the local cultural scene and are led by political appointees makes the situation even more problematic. Moreover, the Foundation’s access to substantial funds for culture combined with its contractual demands—often including a clause that forbids criticism of the Foundation’s decisions—unfortunately helps to nurture a sense of political quietism that is absolutely detrimental to the cultural scene. We believe that Valletta 2018 Foundation, along with all national cultural entities and community enterprises, plays an important role in the development of the arts and culture in Malta. However, the public relevance and moral strength of such cultural entities can only be guaranteed by the participation of different cultural practitioners in decision-making and relationships characterised by mutual trust, transparency and constructive criticism. It is our duty to form part of this democratic process.

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19/07/2017

Ittra Miftuħa lill-Bord ta' Gvernaturi, Fondazzjoni Valletta 2018

Hekk kif il-Belt Valletta tħejji biex ikollha t-titlu ta' Kapitali Ewropea tal-Kultura fl-2018, aħna artisti, ħaddiema kulturali u akkademiċi - nixtiequ nesprimu l-fehmiet tagħna dwar ir-rwol talFondazzjoni fi żmien tant delikat. B'mod partikolari, ninnutaw b'dispjaċir li kwalitajiet bħad-diliġenza, l-awtonomija u l-irfigħ tarresponsabbiltà qed jintilfu fit-tmexxija tal-Fondazzjoni Valletta 2018. Bidliet fil-persunal ewlieni tul dawn l-aħħar ftit snin, fosthom l-aħħar tneħħija ta' żewġ membri ta' livell għoli tal-Fondazzjoni, ipperikolaw il-pjanijiet li jinħoloq wirt sostenibbli tat-titlu fil-pajjiż u kkontribwixxew għal klima ta' nuqqas ta' kunfidenza fost ħafna parteċipanti dwar jekk l-involviment tagħhom għadux apprezzat. Snin ta' bini ta' fiduċja u sens ta' ħbiberija bejn artisti individwali u ħaddiema kulturali minn istituzzjonijiet differenti qed jinbidlu f'inċertezza u diskontinwità. B'kuntrast mad-dikjarazzjonijiet pubbliċi dwar dawn l-aħħar bidliet fil-persunal - deskritti bħala "affarijiet interni" li "ma jikkonċernawx lill-pubbliku" (Philip Leone-Ganado, V18 dismissals of no concern to public - Jason Micallef, The Sunday Times, 9 ta' Lulju, 2017) - aħna nemmnu li kull bidla li x'aktarx li taffettwa l-ħidma tal-Fondazzjoni hija tabilħaqq ta' interess għall-parteċipanti u lkomunitajiet kollha. L-approċċ tal-amministrazzjoni li tikkontrolla l-affarijiet minn fuq isikket atturi importanti fil-kultura u gruppi oħrajn billi jitkellem f'isem "pubbliku ġenerali ", u effettivament jiskoraġġixxi kwalitajiet bħad-djalogu, attitudni miftuħa u l-ħsieb kritiku li huma rekwiżiti essenzjali fl-arti, it-tmexxija kulturali u l-edukazzjoni artistika. Il-fatt li istituzzjonijiet governattivi bħallFondazzjoni Valletta 2018 għandhom tendenza li jiddominaw ix-xena kulturali lokali u huma mmexxija minn persuni li nħatru għal raġunijiet politiċi jagħmel is-sitwazzjoni saħansitra aktar problematika. Barra minn hekk, l-aċċess tal-Fondazzjoni għal fondi kulturali sostanzjali flimkien mal-obbligi kuntrattwali tagħha - li spiss jinkludu klawżola li tipprojbixxi l-kritika tad-deċiżjonijiet tal-Fondazzjoni - sfortunatament jgħinu biex irawmu kultura fejn kulħadd jiskot dwar kwistjonijiet politiċi, li hija ta' ħsara assoluta għax-xena kulturali. Nemmnu li l-Fondazzjoni Valletta 2018, flimkien mal-entitajiet kulturali u l-intrapriżi tal-komunità nazzjonali kollha, taqdi rwol importanti fl-iżvilupp tal-arti u l-kultura f'Malta. Madankollu, irrelevanza pubblika u s-saħħa morali ta' dawn l-entitajiet kulturali tista' tiġi garantita biss bilparteċipazzjoni ta' prattikanti kulturali differenti fit-teħid ta' deċiżjonijiet u b'relazzjonijiet karatterizzati minn fiduċja reċiproka, trasparenza u kritika kostruttiva. Huwa dmirna li nieħdu sehem f'dan il-proċess demokratiku.

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Endorsed by:

Adrian Abela (artist)

Ryan Falzon (artist)

Charlotte Agius (art dealer)

Michael Fenech (theatre producer, director,

Victor Agius (artist, art educator)

curator)

John Aquilina (writer)

Wayne Flask (writer)

Clare Azzopardi (senior lecturer, writer)

Alison Galea (musician)

Effie Azzopardi (musician)

Elizabeth Galea (translator)

Kit Azzopardi (cultural activist)

Miriam Galea (writer, artist, actor)

Nigel Baldacchino (architect)

Albert Gatt (translator)

Jon Banthorpe (artist, designer)

Christopher Gatt (theatre director)

Aaron Bezzina (artist)

Adrian Gauci (artist)

Irene Biolchini (art historian)

Claudia Gauci (writer)

Michael Bock (curator)

Tomoko Goto (photographer)

Martin Bonnici (producer, director)

Elizabeth Grech (freelance translator, cultural

Coryse Borg (actor, director)

project manager)

Jean Paul Borg (writer, translator)

Adrian Grima (writer)

Keith Borg (writer)

Bettina Hutschek (artist, filmmaker, curator)

Kristina Borg (artist, art educator)

Immanuel Mifsud (writer)

Johannes Buch (graphic designer, exhibition

Nadia Mifsud (writer, translator)

designer)

Virginia Monteforte (anthropologist)

Gabriel Buttigieg (artist)

Ryan Murdock (writer)

Gilbert Calleja (photographer)

Greta Muscat Azzopardi (writer, producer)

Glen Calleja (writer)

Walid Nabhan (writer)

Miriam Calleja (writer, poet)

Paul Portelli (actor)

Austin Camilleri (artist)

Teodor Reljic (writer)

Jes Camilleri (theatre critic)

Kevin Saliba (translator, writer, researcher)

Rebecca Camilleri (artist)

Paul Sant Cassia (university professor in

Carl Caruana (artist, online curator)

Anthropology)

Jo Caruana (actor)

Charlotte Stafrace (creative practitioner)

Angela ‘Giola’ Cassar (photographer)

Jo Tabone (artist)

Antoine Cassar (writer, literary translator)

Seb Tanti Burlo’ (artist)

Therese Debono (photographer)

Tom Van Malderen (architect)

Oliver Degabriele (musician)

Raphael Vella (artist, curator, educator)

Ann Demarco (assistant stage manager,

Sandra Vella (linguist, lecturer)

backstage)

Alex Vella Gera (writer)

Edward Duca (festival manager, magazine

Trevor Żahra (writer)

editor, lecturer)

Anna Zammit (academic)

Lizzie Eldridge (writer)

Pia Zammit (actor)

Leanne Ellul (writer)

Darrin Zammit Lupi (photographer)


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