The recent national arts awards Il-Premju għall-Arti recognised cultural and creative operators for their contributions to the arts. In this third article of the series, The Sunday Times of Malta interviews the winners working in the performing arts. We ask how COVID-19 has impacted their work and what they think the future holds, both for theatre and the wider arts sector. 

Since COVID-19 hit, those working in Arts have had to quickly adapt, and theatre producers are no exception.

Arts Council Malta’s award winners were asked what it meant to be recognised for the quality of their work, how COVID-19 is affecting this work, and how the situation might impact the quality and range of artistic production in the sector as a whole.

Both winners involved in theatre received two awards each. Here’s what they said.

Sean Buhagiar

The award is what it is, an award. I believe the greatest attribute of such a national award is posterity; in terms of historical and academic research. To me, the artistic validity of art is never really measured by awards, though admittedly it does help to sell the art.

The online ceremony obviously lacked the panache of the live experience, however it was an endearing feeling to know that the sector was coming together for an online experience. It definitely felt strange to attend an award ceremony in jammies.

We are still discovering how it will change and still experiencing the impact. We can’t skin a bear before we catch it. Theatre does not happen in a vacuum, it happens inside an economy, within social constructs and the state of wellbeing of people who make it and experience it. Simon McBurney, a contemporary theatre director recently stated that it is clear, above everything else, that we need to begin again, and I tend to agree. We are at the beginning, and in many ways we have to start again. For theatre, this can also be a reflection period and not necessarily an ‘in development’ period. I can also state the obvious: the impact is gargantuan.

I recently read a letter which Eugenio Barba, an old and wise theatre-maker and scholar whom I have worked with, wrote to a friend during lockdown. He asked whether this pandemic is meant to evolve theatre or bring it back to its roots. Evolution also means that the weakest do not survive, but his argument was that the strongest are the ones that make theatre because of the savage necessity to do so. He compared this current period to the derangement photography brought to painters, what film did to theatre-makers.

I feel that these thoughts, like thoughts of other theatre-makers, are very profound and merit more thought than I can answer here. In short, yes I am sure that it will affect both the quality and the quantity. I don’t know how, but I am sure of one thing: theatre will survive, and that after this, the arts will be even more necessary.

Nominations for Premju għall-Arti 2021 are now open at www.premju.mt.

André Agius

In terms of my personal award, of course it is an achievement to be recognised, following last year’s nomination. It was a crucial year in my development, particularly in terms of the fact that I moved to another country to read for a master’s degree in an area which for the Maltese theatre sector is ‘new’, in terms of those who are actually trained and specialised within it. So this award has affirmed the decision taken.

In terms of 2.0 Watts in the Dark, it is the utmost satisfaction to see your name next to an original created work. This is a production which involved a six-month process of working together with an enthusiastic group, through researching, conceiving and devising, premiering, re-devising and then performing to sold-out houses at the Notte Bianca festival. Its subject matter is close to my heart, and seeing as it won the Audience Choice Award, it must have been close to the heart of those who voted as well.

That being said, I would say this is an encouragement to keep improving and further fuel the impulse to continue on this development track, through creating work which I am passionate about; side by side with my holistic growth as an artist.

The UK National Theatre artistic director compared it to the post-plague boom, known as the restoration period – but we cannot yet predict that history will repeat itself- André Agius

I would say the main impact COVID-19 has had on me professionally, is that it has made what I thought was going to be a straightforward year developing in directing, within my master’s in Edinburgh, into something else. Thankfully it has only affected the final third of my first year, but with regard to my second year it is still unknown how things will develop and change.

I would say that I’m thankful that my lecturers have been able to adapt so we are able to complete the first year online. I think more than anything I feel that it’s disrupted the full potential of what was meant to be a year-long development, not only in terms of the master’s, but also in being exposed to a new and exciting theatre sector; including the opportunity to watch new and innovative work, meet new people and gain further perspectives.

On the other hand, having been proactive while in Edinburgh has opened up the opportunity to keep working with two theatre companies: one based in Edinburgh and another in Dumfries, remotely. This way, I can still feel like my development hasn’t been hindered as much.

I think it is a bit early to understand and predict the full extent that COVID-19 will have on the Arts in general, it is only after a long period of time has passed that we will be able to look back and reflect on the full extent and its result.

The UK National Theatre artistic director compared it to the post-plague boom, known as the restoration period – but we cannot yet predict that history will repeat itself. I think more than anything this has made clear the importance of two elements: high-quality documentation and a strong community outreach.

It became clear that those companies and productions that had prioritised both of these had an edge over others, where the moment that people moved online, the audience was already aware of the quality they would be getting when companies started pushing their online productions; thus they didn’t have to build a new audience. A case in point are the weekly number of viewers that tune in to the UK’s National Theatre at home initiative, which is modelled on the NTLive, but suited for your living room.

Although this could be the answer that not many are expecting, I think for the local theatre scene this woeful situation could be of benefit. I think it is a time to reflect, re-evaluate and refocus our future visions and choices in programming.

Given that audiences (and safety restrictions from the authorities) might hinder the gathering of an audience in a theatre space for some time, we need to be prepared that when the time comes, there is a rebuilding in gaining the confidence of our audiences; and this can only be done with the right product – both artistic and economical.

The reality is that audiences have also felt the economical strain this period has brought with it; and when the time comes, the theatre needs to respect that reluctance for audiences to spend money on live entertainment week-in, week-out.

This, in turn, will, of course, have a domino effect on our theatre budgets, where audience quotas will not be as predictable – but I invite theatre companies, artistic directors and programme mana­gers to look back to the foundation of theatre and take this as a chance to restore the local theatre scene, to focus on attracting audiences, not through elaborate visuals and designs, but through the narrative and the message of the piece,  as this should be the real attraction.