The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) has welcomed the cultural measures announced in Budget 2026, while warning that Malta’s creative sector continues to suffer from unequal funding distribution and a lack of long-term strategy.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, MEIA said the government’s recognition of the cultural and creative industries was “a positive step,” but called for coherence, fairness, and sustainability in how public funds are allocated and managed.

“Fragmented initiatives must give way to a coherent, long-term strategy that ensures structural sustainability, fair access to resources, and improved well-being across the creative community,” the association said.

MEIA pointed to what it described as imbalances in cultural funding, highlighting the €4.5 million allocation to the Valletta Cultural Agency as a case that raises “questions about proportionality, accountability, and equity” when compared to the more limited support reaching individual artists, independent organisations, and small creative enterprises.

“Public funding remains heavily weighted toward institutional programming,” the statement read. “A more balanced and forward-looking approach is needed — one that empowers diverse cultural operators and strengthens independent practice.”

Among the measures the association welcomed was the government’s pilot project for creative production spaces, which aims to make artistic workspaces more accessible and affordable — a proposal long championed by MEIA. However, it warned that the scheme must be implemented inclusively and not limited to the performing arts.

The association also praised the inclusion of creativity within startup incentives, calling it an encouraging step that recognises the link between innovation and the arts. It urged further development of such measures to integrate creative businesses more fully into Malta’s broader economic framework.

However, MEIA expressed concern over the lack of further increases to the Screen Support Grant, warning that the stagnation could slow Malta’s growing film sector. “Maintaining competitiveness within the international film industry requires consistent and predictable investment,” it said.

While welcoming incremental improvements, MEIA reiterated that Malta’s cultural funding model has not undergone the structural reform required to reflect the creative sector’s true social and economic contribution.

“Positive steps have been made, but without structural reform, the full potential of Malta’s creative industries will remain unrealised,” the association concluded.