Focus

The Culture Ministry is contemplating amalgamating its three main cultural centres in Valletta under one administration.

Will the streamlining of resources lead to savings or is it a recipe for cultural mayhem? Herman Grech reports.

Theatre merger or comedy of errors?

Lurking backstage is a proposal to put under one administration Valletta's three cultural venues - the Manoel Theatre, the Mediterranean Conference Centre and St James Centre for Creativity. Though the managements of all three entities have not received a blueprint of the merger, the government wishes to streamline certain services, leading to better economies of scale.

But many critics see the initiative as nothing more than the creation of a monolith to replace three competing entities. Theatre observers feel such a measure could ultimately encroach on artistic initiative. And if the Royal Shakespeare Company and the National Theatre operate so effectively as separate entities, then why shouldn't Malta's three cultural organisations do likewise?

Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech says the government wants to ensure that the three entities continue to grow in a sustainable manner.

One way of doing this is by amalgamating the common functions within each entity - back office operations such as payroll and accounts, certain support services like maintenance, cleaning and engineering, carpentry and security.

Marketing and advertising is another area where there could be gains from integration. One more area that could benefit is the organisation of bookings, Dr Zammit Dimech says.

Certainly "one cannot and should not" integrate the artistic direction of the Manoel Theatre with that of St James or the Mediterranean Conference Centre.

The minister says the merger would only go ahead if the ministry is convinced that the individuality, especially the artistic character and specialisation, of each entity is maintained and even strengthened.

The three entities have operated successfully over the past years. For instance, the MCC this year did not receive any funding from the government to cover its recurrent expenditure as the management succeeded to turn a loss-making operation into a profitable one.

Audiences at St James Cavalier have increased year in year out and it has managed on a very modest budget to become a centre of activity practically at all hours of the day. As a venue, St James is clearly managing to widen its audience base mainly thanks to its multi-faceted programme of events. It is also managing to attract school children, music and art lovers and theatregoers for non-mainstream events.

Dr Zammit Dimech says the Manoel Theatre is in a trickier situation, since as a national theatre it has certain obligations which pre-condition the artistic direction set by the theatre's board.

However he says he is satisfied that the theatre is managing to attract events of a higher artistic calibre and is offering a balanced mix between theatre genres ranging from comedy to opera on to Maltese productions that have a wide ranging appeal.

Shouldn't the government be putting greater emphasis on promotion and training rather than merely cutting costs?

Dr Zammit Dimech says his ministry is working on a number of projects aimed at supporting training and promotion of arts and culture. Some of these projects will require huge investments.

"We do not believe in any cost cutting that sacrifices artistic standards, but that does not mean that one should not promote more cost-effectiveness and efficiency from an administrative point of view."

But what about the fact that all tickets sold are subject to an 18 per cent VAT? Is the ministry lobbying to have this tax eliminated or perhaps reduced to fill more seats?

Dr Zammit Dimech says the ministry would of course be in favour of a reduction in the VAT rate on cultural events. "However, as part of one government we do realise that these issues have to be seen from a wider perspective, in this case the perspective of public finances," he adds.

Though the merger proposal is still in embryonic phase, the government is also evidently seeking to make changes to the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, which has been besieged with criticism for under-performing.

Without giving details, Dr Zammit Dimech says the arts council is undergoing major changes but said it would be premature to judge it at this stage.

"I am convinced, however, that these changes are going to give the council its rightful place as the premier cultural entity of Malta, a status it currently has not yet earned," he admits.

Paul Mifsud, executive director for the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, says the merger proposal would lead to the pooling of staff and manning of each venue as and when necessary. The merger would probably bring about "re-scheduling" of the staff's working hours and arrangements.

"Such a union must be done in a way that each of the three theatres retains its distinct identity and continues to follow its present programme of activities while improving upon their quality and quantity," Dr Mifsud says.

Therefore, each theatre would retain its own calendars but share staff, economising on administration and increased efficiency. It would also lead to a reduction in recurrent expenses and make possible the pooling of earnings so that one theatre would support another if needs be. Most of all, he says, such a union of management will result in a common policy for all three theatres and better management of space.

The other side of the coin

Two of the three entities up for restructuring are, however, opposing the proposal, warning it could effectively kill their identity.

St James Cavalier chairman Michael Fenech fears that a merger will ultimately merely create another bureaucratic layer without addressing or solving any current problems.

He says the management has still not received a draft of the proposed merger so it was very difficult to make any comments, particularly constructive ones.

He adds: "It is also very difficult to see what benefits, if any, can be derived from what seems to be an administrative solution to certain perceived problems".

Mr Fenech says the chairman of the three organisations meet up regularly to discuss means of collaboration and the online St James booking system will be up and running shortly.

"St James is not a theatre, it is a centre for creativity. The Manoel is a theatre, and the MCC is just that, a conference centre, and a not very good performance hall. Their identity comes directly from the functions they were originally built for. They have their own separate philosophies and therefore their own work ethics. In practical terms a hospital and a hotel both deal with people, beds and rooms yet their whole administration and work ethic must perforce be different," Mr Fenech said.

Asked whether he believes the merger might lead to economies of scale and savings, Mr Fenech says he is still waiting for someone to prove what these economies of scale are. So far no one has given any practical examples.

"There is still the perception that culture is a part-time hobby. Ultimately this means that we are losing potential jobs and human resources. If we do not nurture creativity, we cannot have research and development and without these we can have no innovation."

Mr Fenech says he would like to see a more strategic role for the arts council, with less emphasis on giving out medals to people who have already been recognised for the work and instead putting more emphasis on the "professionalisation" of the arts in Malta, mobility, EU and work issues, VAT, research and development.

He says St James has tried to offer audiences a more contemporary style of performance, and to a certain extent this is being appreciated.

"We are putting a lot of work into audience development, particularly when it comes to the 18-30 year old market. We are campaigning to offer young people an alternative to the drinking culture so prevalent in this age group."

MCC chairman Peter Fenech holds different views and believes the merger will prove fruitful for culture and arts.

"We have never been afraid of challenges and this is another one where we believe the MCC will rise to the occasion - autonomy must not be a deterrent to progress in the light of the European dimension," he says.

All sectors would benefit from economies of scale other than the artistic direction of each theatre which, in the MCC's opinion, should remain separate and independent, Dr Fenech says.

MCC has various responsibilities to carry and is in a position to produce events which are not serviced by other entities.

"Results are encouraging in this respect. For the next six months, the MCC has been confirmed to host six diverse major cultural events, while other cultural events for the same period are yet to be confirmed. Investment is one element which would boost attendances further."

Manoel Theatre chairman Wilfred Kenely believes substantial savings can be made if the three venues consolidate some of their logistical activities.

"Actually some ideas had already been tabled before any talk about mergers started. What we, as a committee, are against is the integration of the strategic direction."

In the commercial world, mergers are strategic decisions taken by enterprises to consolidate their market presence and their products. The cultural world is not necessarily the same, says Mr Kenely, who also happens to be director general of the Federation of Industry.

"I believe that the three entities have today established an individual, distinct and specialised role in our cultural scenario. This is healthy and should be encouraged, even by allocating the right resources to each entity, thus making them more autonomous. Merging the three together can endanger such specialisation."

Mr Kenely says it is unfortunate that there is no rapport between the entities and the arts council.

"In three years we met the council once where we discussed our forthcoming calendar of events. The role of the council remains unclear, even in the light of this discussion about a possible merger.

"At the end of the day, it all boils down to resources and investments. Unfortunately, the performing arts were never placed high on the government's financial priority list.

I believe that there is not enough investment in promoting culture within the young generations, which in return is not conducive to having an interested public.

"It is a catch-22 situation, I'm afraid."

All Valletta's a stage

The Mediterranean Conference Centre is Malta's largest conference venue. For over two centuries, the building was the Sacra Infermeria of the Order of the knights of St John. The centre boasts a total of 10 halls and nine syndicate rooms over an area of 7,000 square metres. It also happens to have one of Malta's largest indoor theatres (1,600 seats) and therefore is the venue for a host of cultural and staged events, including the popular Malta Song for Europe. Last November it hosted the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. It employs 25 full-timers and 10 part-timers, made up of ushers.

The St James Centre for Creativity is a hub for the arts. It is at the forefront of Malta's artistic scene, at times offering events and artistic expressions that would be considered as risky for mainstream venues. Incorporated within a 16th century war machine, the arts centre was inaugurated, amid pomp, on December 31, 1999. It employs nine full-timers and 12 part-timers.

The Manoel Theatre is Malta's national theatre, offering a yearly programme of music and drama. Built in 1731, it is one of the world's oldest theatres. Extensively refurbished and redecorated in 1960 and again in 1985, the Manoel's name is synonymous with operas and the traditional Christmas pantomime.

It employs 14 full-timers and 11 part-timers.