The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) has launched a campaign towards the development of a Code of Practice for Fair Pay in the Performing Arts, supported by APS Bank.

Launched on Labour Day, this campaign recognises work, and the people behind it.

In the performing arts, work is often seen only in its final public form: a performance, production, concert, or event. Yet behind every artistic outcome lies extensive preparation, rehearsal, training, administration, collaboration, and professional skill. This work is essential to Malta’s cultural life and should be recognised as such.

Across the sector, however, many artists and cultural workers continue to face challenges including unpaid labour, lack of written contracts, unclear expectations, and inconsistent working conditions. These practices affect the sustainability of artistic careers and the long-term resilience of the performing arts sector.

Based on sector research, MEIA’s campaign seeks to bring these realities into focus. Its aim is not only to raise awareness, but also to support practical and meaningful change through the development of a Code of Practice that defines what fair pay and fair working conditions should look like in practice.

The proposed Code of Practice will serve as a framework to encourage clearer standards around remuneration, contracts, rehearsal and preparation time, working conditions, and professional recognition. It will support artists, producers, organisations, institutions, funders, and public authorities in working towards shared principles of fairness, transparency, and accountability.

Fair pay is a shared responsibility. It requires commitment from all parts of the performing arts ecosystem. Establishing common standards is an important step towards ensuring that creative work is valued and that artists are able to sustain their professional practice.

This campaign marks the first step in that process.

MEIA invites the sector and the wider public to stand with performing artists and support the development of fair pay standards for a more sustainable, equitable, and resilient cultural future.