Malta’s cultural and creative community has opened a new chapter with the launch of Culture at Work, a three-day unconference created by the Malta Entertainment and Arts Association (MEIA) to spur honest dialogue, cross-sector collaboration, and long-term thinking. Positioned as a space designed “by the sector, for the sector,” the event aims to give practitioners room to reflect on the realities of cultural work while collectively shaping the sector’s future.

The event’s title carries a deliberate double meaning: it recognises the labour, dedication, and often-invisible effort that underpin cultural professions, while also highlighting culture’s wider influence on wellbeing, community identity, innovation, and social cohesion. Over its three-day programme, Culture at Work examines the systems, relationships, and conditions that sustain creative practice, bringing together Maltese and international voices for conversations, workshops, and hands-on exchanges.

Day One, themed “Why Creativity Matters Now More Than Ever,” opened with a keynote address from architect and designer Jonathan Mizzi of Mizzi Studio. In a talk titled “We Forgot We Are Nature,” Mizzi encouraged participants to explore how reconnecting with the natural world can rebuild a sense of belonging and generate new creative approaches at a time defined by rapid technological change.

The programme progressed into a panel discussion moderated by MEIA Secretary General Nicole Debono, featuring speakers Julienne Scembri, Abdullah Alkafri, Jonathan Mizzi, and Jan Marc Cafa. The panel considered creativity as a vital tool for resilience and empathy in the face of environmental instability, digital disruption, and democratic stress. Their discussion centred on three core questions: what frameworks are needed to support creativity, how culture can be mobilised in response to global challenges, and the role smaller nations like Malta can play in advancing these issues internationally.

Day Two will continue with sector-led workshops and collaborative sessions hosted across several venues, while Day Three at Teatru Salesjan will shift focus to advocacy, policy development, professionalisation, and the infrastructure needed to strengthen Malta’s cultural ecosystem. A curatorial tour at MICAS of Colour, Form and Composition: Milton Avery and His Enduring Influence on Contemporary Painting will also form part of the programme.

MEIA expressed thanks to its main partners — Arts Council Malta, Visit Malta, Equipp, Invent 3D, and MICAS — noting that such collaborations are essential for delivering meaningful sector-driven initiatives. The organisation also acknowledged the contributions of international speakers, local practitioners, and the wider creative community whose involvement is helping to drive the sector forward.

Culture at Work positions itself as Malta’s first sector-led cultural unconference, bringing together artists, creatives, cultural workers, policymakers, and researchers to collectively imagine a more resilient and forward-looking cultural landscape.