Malta’s entertainment industry is currently engaged in ongoing discussions with authorities in an attempt to find the best possible solutions to make events safe and sustainable. 

The talks have dragged on for days, with one meeting on Tuesday lasting over four hours. A planned protest set to take place on Thursday was later called off, with the association saying a new date would be announced if the talks fail.

But what are the artists calling for exactly? 

MEIA vice-president Toni Attard spoke to Times of Malta on Monday, before the protest was cancelled on Tuesday.

According to Attard, the association and artists are mainly calling for a ‘level-playing field’. 

“We are an industry, an economic operator and therefore we need to make sure that this sector can operate, responsibly in a controlled environment and sustainably. Unfortunately the new measures do not allow any of these three to happen,” he said. 

The government announced that as of July 5, seated mass events will resume for those who are fully vaccinated, with entry only allowed to those with a Maltese vaccine certificate in hand. 

The events will have capacity capped at 100 people at first, going up gradually to 200 over the course of four weeks. 

Attard said the association was fighting for 50 per cent capacity for seated events.

“Nobody here is asking to open 100 per cent from day one, we understand this is a very delicate and complex situation.”

He said for any outside events, MEIA is asking for a capacity of 300, the same as that given to weddings, although he said the association had no problem with PCR tests and the vaccine certificates being a requirement. 

Wedding organisers do not having to ask guests for such documentation. 

Artists are also demanding a plan for the rest of the year to be able to plan, budget and prepare for events accordingly.

“In this industry it can take months, if not years to plan things out,” he said. 

Meanwhile, dancer and choreographer Pamela Kerr said that while health and safety are the main priority, the industry must also remain sustainable. 

“We want to put up productions and be able to still carry on having a living, this is not a hobby we have on the side, we want to it to remain our profession,” she said.