First up, regulating the basic pay for performers, producers, directors, musicians and everyone in between should be something which is on Bonnici’s list.

Yes, I know that we have a national minimum wage, but seeing the fact that most Maltese artists are employed on a freelance basis, the minimum wage law and how it works doesn’t work as well as it should in their cases.

2. Have a year-long calendar where people can ‘pencil in’ their shows 

Malta is tiny, and having three shows happening during the same weekend, in Valletta alone, is just not sustainable. 

Even the community is small, so having to miss your friend’s show because you’re too busy doing your own is a common occurrence. The fact that we need to fight amongst ourselves to get audience members in those chairs is just sad.  

3. Create a mentor system where established artists can help out graduates 

Picture this – you’re fresh out of school and you’re ready to kick-start your career as one of Malta’s artists.

Be it in music, art, theatre or anything in between, there isn’t really anyone to turn to when you need some help. That’s where this mentorship programme would come in handy. 

The established artists can help the newbies learn the ropes, and the graduates can remind the established artists about theories and different ways of working that they might have forgotten about throughout the years. 

4. Fund studios and rehearsing spaces that are free to use for all 

Having a creative mind is great, but having no space where you can go to test out things, workshop your ideas, meet like-minded people and just experiment doesn’t cut it. Most artists work out of cafes, their homes, or just random empty spaces they find outside. 

It’s no secret that getting started is hard, so setting up a studio space that can be used by every Maltese artist would help the creative juices flow and give everyone a sense of home. 

5. Create artistic exchange programmes with other countries 

The sheer amount of talent that is found across our borders is shocking. No matter if you go to the UK or to Hungary, every single country has their own unique style and branch of creation. 

Coming up with an exchange programme, similar to Erasmus, where Maltese artists would get the opportunity to work with and perform abroad and then vice versa would work wonders for our arts scene. 

6. Create an easy-to-use website that encapsulates all of the boring admin things

This goes hand-in-hand with point three but figuring out that I needed a VAT number and receipt book before I could get paid was appalling. How did no one tell me this before? 

This is something which we should be told in school, or at least something a quick Google search can get sorted. That’s why we need a website that makes jumping into the freelance world as easy as can be. 

7. Give Malta our very own fringe 

Last but not least, it’s about time that we got our very own fringe festival. Giving everyone the opportunity to experiment, showcase unfinished pieces, and just create that unique fringe atmosphere – a Malta Fringe Festival should definitely be added to the annual budget. 

I am aware that all seven of these points need time, effort, and money to be accomplished. But, who else is supposed to let the government and policymakers know what’s going on in the art scene? 

After all, the people who use the tools know what they need best, so this piece aims to do just that. Shed some light on the daily struggles of an artist and how the government can help make Malta an artistic haven.

Do you have any other ideas on how Malta’s art scene can be elevated?