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The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) has launched its 2026 Budget Recommendations, presented this year under the campaign Secure Creative Futures: Stabilise. Reform. Invest. The proposals put forward 33 recommendations across eight reform pillars, offering a practical and ambitious roadmap to address systemic weaknesses and unlock the full potential of Malta’s creative and cultural sectors.
Over the past decade, Malta’s cultural and creative industries have grown in scale and visibility, supported by funding schemes, international collaborations, and landmark infrastructure projects. Yet this visibility has not translated into resilience. The sector remains marked by instability and market failures: funding is fragmented and short-term, professionals face insecure incomes and weak protections, and independent organisations and businesses operate under the constant threat of closure. This fragility is compounded by imbalances in public investment, which often prioritise large-scale projects and state institutions while overlooking the sustainability of the wider ecosystem. A lack of long-term planning for cultural infrastructure has further weakened the sector’s foundations.
“Every year we take this moment not only for reflection, but to speak honestly about the realities we face. This year we want to highlight the urgency for an infrastructure that provides stability and reform for long-term foundations. Our recommendations recognise the need to stabilise the sector, reform outdated fiscal and governance frameworks, and invest in skills, innovation, and audiences. Without a systemic approach that strengthens the entire ecosystem, Malta risks undermining the very sector it has worked so hard to elevate. Budget 2026 is the moment to secure creative futures.” – Maria Galea, president of MEIA.
The campaign’s three reform drivers are clear: stabilise to guarantee continuity, fair pay, affordable spaces, and reliable data; reform to modernise outdated tax, funding, and governance systems; and invest to strengthen skills, audiences, and digital innovation so that Malta’s creative economy remains globally competitive.
The recommendations are structured across eight reform pillars:
National Cultural Partnership Fund – introducing rolling 3–5-year agreements for independent organisations, scaled to their size and tied to fair pay and regional access.
Workforce Protection – including a phased-in Fair Pay Framework, a shared Arts Insurance Scheme for freelancers, and a Legal Aid Fund to safeguard rights and contracts.
Financial Incentives & Cash Rebates – a cultural cash rebate for theatre, dance, literature, visual arts, and independent music, underpinned by a Tourism for Culture Fund, alongside box-office support for Maltese films and a paper subsidy for independent publishers.
Arts Council Funding Reform – expanding the Arts Support Scheme with tiered project brackets, indexing budgets for international showcases, increasing the Screen Support Fund, introducing an Ecosystem Development Fund, and piloting a Basic Income for Artists.
Creative Infrastructure & Spaces – a 10-year National Creative Infrastructure Plan addressing flagship venues, affordable regional studios, rehearsal spaces, and grassroots hubs, with immediate action through adaptive reuse of buildings, a Creative Spaces Fund, and landlord incentives.
Research & Evidence – a national research framework co-managed with NSO, a biennial audience survey, and an annual Creative Economy Report to provide reliable data and income tracking for informed policymaking.
Skills & Education – recognising arts as a core subject in schools, supporting teacher training and residencies, establishing a Creative Skills Fund, providing sustainability grants for higher education, and introducing a national AI & Digital Innovation Programme.
Finance, Tax & Governance Reform – amending the reduced 7.5% tax scheme, reforming VAT on art and cinema, expanding deductions for donations, introducing cultural advertising and sponsorship credits, pension flexibility for artists, landlord tax incentives, and establishing an Inter-Ministerial Creative Economy Council.
Taken together, the 33 recommendations are not subsidies but strategic investments with measurable returns: stronger businesses, fairer jobs, higher tax and tourism revenues, wider community access, and enhanced international competitiveness for Malta.
This year, MEIA is also opening the Secure Creative Futures campaign to the wider public. Cultural professionals, organisations, and audiences are invited to join the movement by downloading the campaign banner and sharing it across their platforms, adding their voices to ensure culture is recognised as a strategic pillar of Malta’s future.
The past decade gave Malta visibility. The next must deliver stability. MEIA calls on government to integrate these proposals into the 2026 Budget, embedding culture symmetrically within national development and ensuring that creative futures are not only imagined but secured.
L-Assoċjazzjoni Maltija tal-Industrija tad-Divertiment u l-Arti (MEIA) nediet ir-Rakkomandazzjonijiet tal-Baġit tal-2026 tagħha, ippreżentati din is-sena taħt il-kampanja Futur Sigur għas-Settur Kreattiv: Nistabbilizzaw. Nirriformaw. Ninvestu. Il-proposti jippreżentaw 33 rakkomandazzjoni fi tmien pilastri ta’ riforma, li joffru pjan direzzjonali prattiku u ambizzjuż biex jindirizzaw id-dgħufijiet sistemiċi u jisfruttaw il-potenzjal sħiħ tas-settur kreattiv u kulturali ta’ Malta.
Matul l-aħħar għaxar snin, l-industrija kulturali u s-settur kreattiv ta’ Malta kibru fl-iskala u l-viżibbiltà, appoġġjati minn skemi ta’ finanzjament, kollaborazzjonijiet internazzjonali, u proġetti ta’ infrastruttura importanti. Madankollu din il-viżibbiltà ma nbidlitx f’reżiljenza. Is-settur għadu mmarkat minn instabbiltà u fallimenti tas-suq: il-finanzjament huwa frammentat u fuq medda qasira ta’ żmien, il-professjonisti jiffaċċjaw dħul prekarju u protezzjonijiet dgħajfa, u organizzazzjonijiet u negozji indipendenti joperaw b’theddida kostanti li jkollhom jagħlqu. Din il-fraġilità hija aggravata minn żbilanċi fl-investiment pubbliku, li ħafna drabi jipprijoritizza proġetti fuq skala kbira u istituzzjonijiet statali waqt li jinjora s-sostenibbiltà ta’ ekosistema usa’. Nuqqas ta’ ppjanar fit-tul għall-infrastruttura kulturali jdgħajjef aktar is-sisien tas-settur.
“Kull sena nużaw dan il-mument mhux biss għar-riflessjoni, iżda biex nitkellmu b’onestà dwar ir-realtajiet li qed niffaċċjaw. Din is-sena rridu nenfasizzaw l-urġenza għal infrastruttura li tipprovdi stabbiltà u riforma għal sisien li jibqgħu fit-tul. Ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet tagħna jirrikonoxxu l-ħtieġa li, jiġu riformati oqfsa fiskali u ta’ governanza skaduti, u jsir investiment fil-ħiliet, l-innovazzjoni, u l-udjenzi. Mingħajr approċċ sistemiku li jsaħħaħ l-ekosistema kollha, Malta qiegħda fil-periklu li ddgħajjef l-istess settur li tant ħadmet biex televah. Il-Baġit tal-2026 huwa l-mument biex niżguraw futur kreattiv.” – Maria Galea, president tal-MEIA.
It-tliet xpruni tar-riforma tal-kampanja huma ċari: nistabbilizzaw biex niggarantixxu kontinwità, paga ġusta, spazji affordabbli, u data affidabbli; nirriformaw biex nimmodernizzaw is-sistemi fiskali, ta’ finanzjament, u ta’ governanza li huma skaduti; u ninvestu biex insaħħu l-ħiliet, l-udjenzi, u l-innovazzjoni diġitali sabiex l-ekonomija kreattiva ta’ Malta tibqa’ kompetittiva globalment.
Ir-rakkomandazzjonijiet jibnu fuq tmien pilastri ta’ riforma:
Fond Nazzjonali ta’ Sħubija Kulturali – l-introduzzjoni ta’ ftehimiet għal 3-5 snin għal organizzazzjonijiet indipendenti, skalati għad-daqs tagħhom u marbuta ma’ paga ġusta u aċċess reġjonali.
Protezzjoni tal-Forza tax-Xogħol – li jinkludi Qafas ta’ Paga Ġusta li jiġi introdott gradwalment, Skema ta’ Assigurazzjoni tal-Arti kondiviża għal ħaddiema indipendenti, u Fond ta’ Għajnuna Legali biex jissalvagwardja d-drittijiet u l-kuntratti.
Inċentivi Finanzjarji u Tnaqqis fi Flus Kontanti – tnaqqis fi flus kontanti kulturali għat-teatru, iż-żfin, il-letteratura, l-arti viżiva, u l-mużika indipendenti, sostnut minn Fond ta’ Turiżmu għall-Kultura, flimkien ma’ appoġġ għall-bejgħ ta’ biljetti għal films Maltin u sussidju fuq il-karta għal pubblikaturi indipendenti.
Riforma tal-Finanzjament tal-Kunsill tal-Arti – espansjoni tal-Iskema ta’ Appoġġ għall-Arti b’appoġġ imqassam f’diversi livelli għal proġetti, indiċjar tal-baġits għal wirjiet internazzjonali, żieda fil-Fond ta’ Appoġġ għall-Iskrin, introduzzjoni ta’ Fond għall-Iżvilupp tal-Ekosistema, u proġett pilota ta’ Dħul Bażiku għall-Artisti.
Infrastruttura u Spazji Kreattivi – Pjan Nazzjonali għall-Infrastruttura tas-Settur Kreattiv ta’ 10 snin li jindirizza lokalitajiet ewlenin, studios reġjonali bi prezz raġonevoli, spazji għall-provi, u ċentri lokali, b’azzjoni immedjata permezz ta’ użu mill-ġdid tal-binjiet billi jiġu adattati, Fond għal Spazji Kreattivi, u inċentivi għas-sidien tal-kera.
Riċerka u Evidenza – qafas ta’ riċerka nazzjonali ġestit flimkien mal-NSO, stħarriġ tal-udjenza kull sentejn, u Rapport annwali dwar l-Ekonomija Kreattiva biex jipprovdi data affidabbli u traċċar tal-introjtu għal tfassil infurmat ta’ politika.
Ħiliet u Edukazzjoni – ir-rikonoxximent tal-arti bħala suġġett ewlieni fl-iskejjel, l-appoġġ għat-taħriġ u għar-residenzi tal-għalliema, l-istabbiliment ta’ Fond għall-Ħiliet Kreattivi, l-għoti ta’ għotjiet ta’ sostenibbiltà għall-edukazzjoni għolja, u introduzzjoni ta’ Programm nazzjonali għall-Innovazzjoni Diġitali u l-IA.
Riforma tal-Finanzi, it-Taxxa u l-Governanza – emendar tal-iskema ta’ taxxa mnaqqsa ta’ 7.5%, riforma tal-VAT fuq l-arti u ċ-ċinema, espansjoni tat-tnaqqis għad-donazzjonijiet, introduzzjoni ta’ reklamar kulturali u krediti ta’ sponsorizzazzjoni, flessibbiltà fil-pensjonijiet għall-artisti, inċentivi fiskali għas-sidien tal-kera, u l-istabbiliment ta’ Kunsill Interministerjali tal-Ekonomija Kreattiva.
Meqjusin flimkien, it-33 rakkomandazzjoni mhumiex sussidji iżda investimenti strateġiċi b’redditi li jistgħu jitkejlu: negozji aktar b’saħħithom, impjiegi aktar ġusti, dħul akbar mit-taxxa u mit-turiżmu, aċċess usa’ għall-komunità, u kompetittività internazzjonali mtejba għal Malta.
Din is-sena, il-MEIA qed tiftaħ ukoll il-kampanja Futur Sigur għas-Settur Kreattiv għall-pubbliku usa’. Professjonisti, organizzazzjonijiet u udjenzi kulturali huma mistiedna jingħaqdu mal-moviment billi jniżżlu l-istrixxun tal-kampanja u jaqsmuh fuq il-pjattaformi tagħhom, u jżidu l-vuċijiet tagħhom biex jiżguraw li l-kultura tiġi rikonoxxuta bħala pilastru strateġiku tal-futur ta’ Malta.
L-għaxar snin li għaddew għamlu lil Malta viżibbli. L-għaxar snin li jmiss iridu jagħmluha stabbli. Il-MEIA tappella lill-gvern biex jintegra dawn il-proposti fil-Baġit tal-2026, waqt li jintegra l-kultura b’mod simetriku fl-iżvilupp nazzjonali.
