The national cultural policy (NCP 2021) acknowledges the shortcomings of its predecessor and states that it supports horizontal and coordinated policy approaches that connect culture and non-sector areas, including human rights, rights of persons with disability, the elderly and migrant integration. This objective is critical for development in the fields of socially engaged arts and related pedagogical projects. Its sustainable and effective implementation is an area under discussion.
According to NCP 2021, an effective way of achieving policy crossovers is by working with different ministries and establishing ‘a national platform for arts and wellbeing’ to ‘advocate for arts and heritage in community, health and social practices’ and address societal challenges like racism.
The process of integrating the arts and creative educational services into communities and different institutional contexts like health care can be facilitated by organisations involved in working with and advocating for the rights of different people affected by discrimination. Several organisations, including those that have contributed to efforts abetting the social impacts of the arts, take an active part and lead the process of societal integration, many times by focusing on specific communities and seeking to support diversity within the same groups. For instance, community theatre space Teatru Salesjan teamed up with UNHCR and JRS Malta for a series of workshops aimed at helping female asylum-seekers from West Africa ease into Maltese society.
Through the Department of Arts, Open Communities and Adult Education at the University of Malta, Acting on the Margins: Arts as Social Sculpture (AMASS) was a seminal arts-based action research project that aimed to create concrete opportunities for people to come together and accompany artists as agents in creative projects and interpretations. This multidisciplinary project considered a wide field of disciplines and through participatory approaches it used practical methods from the field of service design to explore the role of the arts in mitigating societal challenges, aiming at capturing, assessing and harnessing the societal impact of the arts and further generate social impact through policy recommendations.
It identified existing and innovative productions, experiments and case studies from the perspective and the physical positioning of European countries ‘on the margins’ in the underserved northern, southern, western and eastern regions. It set up 35 experiments in these peripheries to investigate the educational effects of the STEAM model on integrating the arts with science through participatory and multidisciplinary approaches. The challenges addressed by AMASS included the future of work in creative, cultural and other sectors, radical ideologies and extremism, societal polarisation and stratification, lack of civil society participation, populism and migration.
The project was implemented between 2020 and 2023 by 6 universities from Malta, Czechia, Hungary, England, Sweden and Finland and 2 civil society organizations from Portugal and Italy. It received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.
Intersectional challenges facing many individuals, particularly those with a migrant background, affect their daily lives, protection status and the possibility of meeting targets they set themselves. Research following an Age, Gender and Diversity (AGD) approach conducted in Malta (UNHCR and Integra Foundation, 2014) has sought to understand the multifaceted characteristics of different individuals, rather than recognise them collectively as beneficiaries.
This research recognised the fact that the refugee population is heterogeneous, and includes persons with disabilities, women, children and individuals with different sexual orientations and/or gender identities. Employing a bottom-up approach, the research found that traditional group identifications can be misleading and showed how one’s refugee status (and associated risks) is further complicated by other factors like age, gender, disability and LGBTQI+ status. The research concluded that individual circumstances among refugees are varied and that, consequently, service providers ‘need to exercise caution when targeting interventions based on assumptions about categorisation of people of concern.’ A similar caution clearly needs to be exercised in the cultural sector.
The arts have a significant impact on Maltese and Gozitan society, enriching cultural identity, fostering community engagement, and promoting social inclusion. Here are some general, key aspects of this impact:
Cultural Identity and Heritage: The arts play a crucial role in preserving and promoting Malta’s rich cultural heritage. Traditional crafts, music, and festivals are celebrated and passed down through generations, helping to maintain a strong sense of identity.
Social Inclusion: Various cultural initiatives aim to promote inclusivity and community engagement. Projects often focus on social access, inclusion, and solidarity, ensuring that diverse groups can participate in and benefit from cultural activities.
Community Cohesion: Cultural events and activities bring people together, fostering a sense of community and shared experience. Festivals, public art projects, and community workshops create spaces for social interaction and collective celebration.
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