Zammit Dimech to work on a New European Agenda on Culture

MEP Francis Zammit Dimech has been entrusted by the EPP Group to work on a New European Agenda on Culture. Commenting after his appointment, Zammit Dimech said “I am pleased to be entrusted to work on a New European Agenda on Culture. This is a sector that affects several Maltese and Gozitan artists since their livelihood also depends on culture. Maltese citizens appreciate and seek culture including events, festivals, concerts and audio-visual material.”

Zammit Dimech, who is a member of the Committee on Culture, said that he will be working for more mobility schemes so that Maltese artists can have more opportunities to showcase their work and gain experience abroad. He reiterated his call to tackle the value gap and on the need for artists to receive fair remuneration for their work to ensure sustainability of the sector and so that citizens can enjoy more of their work.

He also emphasised the need to promote Maltese and European films and said that he will work for these to be available in schools. Zammit Dimech, a former Minister for Culture, added that this will be an opportunity to increase training opportunities and mentoring schemes for artists including audio-visual professionals and to make available more learning modules for students who wish to study further in the field of culture.

Furthermore, Zammit Dimech spoke about the importance of heritage digitization. “This is crucial not only to safeguard our heritage but also to make it more accessible, including to students studying in the field.” Zammit Dimech said that from preliminary meetings he held, it was evident that those working in the sector wanted information on EU funding for the creative sector to be more user friendly and easier to access. He promised to tackle the matter.

“Malta has great cultural heritage and talent. Let us not only speak about its economic potential but also on its potential to give us an identity and bridge with each other. I will be working so that culture strengthens our society,” concluded Zammit Dimech.

Zammit Dimech will be meeting interested stakeholders on 10th September at 10am at Europe House, Valletta.