Arts Council Malta joined an expert panel on Malta’s creative economy at an event hosted by FinanceMalta, where a council representative argued that the sector deserves investment now rather than treatment as a prospect for later.

The discussion set out the potential of Malta’s cultural and creative industries, framed not only as drivers of artistic expression and cultural identity but as contributors to the country’s economic growth, innovation and sustainable development. The council’s representative thanked FinanceMalta for the invitation and more pointedly, for recognising the strategic importance of the cultural and creative industries and placing them firmly on its agenda.

The sharpest line from the panel was a call to act without delay. ‘The creative economy is not simply an economy of the future. It is an economy we must invest in today,’ the council’s representative said.

Arts Council Malta is the national agency for development and investment in the country’s cultural and creative sectors. It backs initiatives that strengthen the creative economy, including projects in design, digital media, film and cultural entrepreneurship and supports the internationalisation of Malta’s cultural sectors through international collaboration, cultural exchange and partnerships.

The appearance sits alongside the council’s Strategy 2030 plan, which sets out to identify and develop new venues in partnership with public and private stakeholders. The council has also pursued a Creative Economy strategy aimed at identifying the barriers that are currently hindering growth for cultural and creative practitioners in Malta.

The panel put those aims in front of a finance-sector audience. The invitation from FinanceMalta pointed to interest in the strategic value of the creative industries alongside Malta’s more established economic pillars, with the council pressing the case that investment should come today rather than tomorrow.