This call for projects under the Arts Support Scheme is aimed at supporting initiatives – by artists, cultural and creative practitioners and communities – whose objective is to promote and realise:

Cultural Rights (Culture and Health)

Cultural rights are the rights of everyone to access, participate in and enjoy culture, cultural heritage and cultural expressions.

To find out more about cultural rights and good practices, and access useful tips and tools, refer to the Dritt għall-Kultura | Right to Culture handbook, published by Arts Council Malta.

Right to Culture is also available in print and online free of charge, both in Maltese and English as well as in audiobook format, in Maltese and English, here.

Proposals submitted under this call are expected to primarily address increased holistic well-being.

The right to culture is a cornerstone of the Arts Council Malta Strategy 2025, captured in the mantra “Care. Create. Flourish.” Arts Council Malta’s Right to Culture sensitisation campaign is an initiative aimed at helping people:

• Engage through culture and the arts
• Explore diverse narratives
• Unleash their creative expression

The Arts Support Scheme forms part of Arts Council Malta’s support portfolio that invests in mainstreaming the right of every person to have access to, participate in and enjoy culture, cultural heritage and cultural expression, recognising culture as a space for expression and creativity, as well as a driver of inclusion, equity, and well-being.

Well-being

This thematic call places particular emphasis on cultural rights and the contribution of arts and culture to holistic well-being.

For the purposes of this call, well-being is understood as a multidimensional concept that encompasses physical, mental, emotional, social, cultural, and environmental health. It reflects on enabling the individual and communities to live with dignity, engage meaningfully with others, access opportunities for growth, and participate fully in society — including through cultural expression and experience.

Promoting the right to culture as a pillar of holistic well-being means ensuring that all people, regardless of background, identity, or circumstance, have equitable access to create, engage with, and contribute to culture and the arts. This entails dismantling structural barriers, amplifying underrepresented voices, and fostering inclusive, participatory cultural ecosystems.

Through this call, ACM seeks to support initiatives that draw on the power of culture and the arts as a means of empowering communities, fostering belonging, and reinforcing the power of culture in building just, inclusive, and thriving communities.

Objectives:

• Support practices that enhance access to culture and artistic engagement for individuals and communities at risk of exclusion or marginalisation;
• Encourage practices that link cultural participation with improved well-being outcomes across health, education, and community cohesion;
• Promote cultural rights and diversity through artistic expression, culture, and dialogue;
• Enable collaborative and cross-sectoral approaches that connect cultural and social development goals;
• Strengthen the role of arts and culture in public life, particularly in contexts of care, mental health, and social resilience.

This support mechanism comprises two main areas of focus each subdivided into types of activities. Applicants may choose to focus on one or more of these areas or types of activities within their projects:

1. Artistic practice and/or research, namely:

• Artistic projects – including the production and programming of quality-driven creative work – which push the boundaries of engaging creative experience for the artists, cultural and creative practitioners, the relevant sectors, and the communities;

• Production and/or research relating to Malta’s artistic communities, designed to document Malta’s cultural and artistic legacy in an open and sustainable manner.

2. Community and audience engagement, namely:

• Artistic production and/or programming which enable and promote cultural participation, creative expression, and/or awareness and appreciation relating to the collective memory, and the cultural and artistic legacy of the community;
• Exploration of participatory and innovative approaches to audience engagement set to deepen engagement with existing and new audiences through artistic practice and/or research;
• Exploration of ways to improve access to the arts, and to promote inclusive participation and greater diversity within the arts.