The Regional Cultural Manager will be primarily responsible for coordinating development and implementation of the Regional Cultural Strategies as part of the delivery of Arts Council Malta’s upcoming Strategy 2025.

The Manager will work closely with the Diversity and Communities Associate, in leading and overseeing a network of regional cultural officers and supporting them in the fulfilment of their role in partnership with the regional administrators. The overall aim is to implement the Regional Cultural Strategies identified for the respective regions, through programmes and initiatives, monitoring, and evaluation structures and processes that impact cultural development within the regions.

The Manager will also be expected to coordinate with the Department for Local Government, and to provide support to local councils and regions in facilitating cultural projects on the intra-regional, interregional, and international levels, designing and implementing cultural programmes, and sharing resources, knowledge and expertise. The appointed person may be required to act as a contact point with Public Cultural Organisations, social and cultural NGOs, artists, creative practitioners, and other relevant stakeholders within the regions, and broker collaborative partnerships between local councils in the respective regions on the one hand, and cultural stakeholders operating within the respective regions on the other hand.

The ideal candidate will have a successful track record in coordinating artistic and cultural projects within communities. Core values, insight, and awareness relating to community development, community cultural spaces, local cultural activity, and cultural heritage, as well as trends in urban cultural development, are necessary for the successful fulfilment of this role. Knowledge, experience, and interest in the cultural and creative sectors are essential, especially in relation to local communities.

 

Main Responsibilities Regional Cultural Manager

To oversee the implementation of the Regional Cultural Strategies identified for the regions of Malta and Gozo, as launched by Arts Council Malta and the Department for Local Government. This shall be carried out in line with the National Cultural Policy 2021 and Arts Council Malta’s strategy, in order to:

Foster better awareness of the role and value of culture, building on existing strengths and championing emergent ones;

Promote a fair distribution of cultural investment across gender, age groups, and ethnicity so that everyone benefits from, and has access to, culture;

Spearhead an active re-vitalisation and strategic resource management of heritage assets and cultural infrastructure, both tangible and intangible;

Invest in more connected and less isolated intra-regional communities, where active culture participation becomes widespread;

Embrace cultural rights for the well-being of our communities;

Empower youth and senior citizens, specifically, to be culturally active in their ways;

Facilitate the professional growth and sustainability of regionally-based artists, creative entrepreneurs, and cultural organisations to increase and reach out to new audiences;

Contribute to the growth of the economy through the cultural and creative sectors, and related cross-sectoral cooperation – especially in the fields of education, social justice, environment, science, health, digital technology, and tourism;

Celebrate the identity, and promote the distinctive experience of the respective regions, reflecting the communities of Malta and Gozo.

a) Ensure that the legal function of the Regional Councils, as outlined in the Local Government Act (ACT No. XIV of 2019), is duly addressed in relation to culture;

 

b) Coordinate a network of councillors responsible for culture, within the region, to facilitate:

Inter and intra-regional cultural projects,

International projects,

The design of coherent and complementary cultural programmes for the Regions with the aim to improve access to cultural participation, diverse creative expression and exchange, as well as physical, intellectual and financial accessibility to cultural programming and activity at community level,


Sharing of information, resources, knowledge, and expertise;

 

c) Liaise with cultural NGOs, artists and other relevant stakeholders within the region and broker collaborative partnerships between local councils in the region and cultural stakeholders operating within the region to address the needs and cultural aspirations of diverse communities and individuals, including persons with different needs, to ensure enjoyment of and active participation in cultural events and manifestations;

 

d) Liaise with the other regional cultural officers, sharing information, resources, knowledge, and expertise;

 

e) Report to the Director of Funding and Strategy at Arts Council Malta, as required;

 

f) Report to the Diversity and Communities Associate and Head of Strategy at Arts Council Malta, as part of the team within Arts Council Malta;

 

g) Liaise with the presidents and executive secretaries of the regions to ensure that the office of the regional cultural officer within the region follows all professional standards required to deliver a service of excellence;

 

h) Other duties as assigned.

 

Consultation

Co-ordinating with:

local councils within the region,

the Department of Local Government,

the Regional Administrators and regional cultural officers,

the Culture Directorate within the Ministry responsible for Culture, the management of ACM, the Public Cultural Organisations, and other stakeholders within the Government whose policies and operations are directly or indirectly linked to the performance of the sector,

the key stakeholders and sectoral representatives (organisations and professional associations) of the cultural and creative sectors, both nationally and internationally, with a focus on community-based activity and regional development,

individuals, non-governmental organisations, and local/national/international networks contributing towards regional cultural development.

Supervision Received

General supervision from the Director of Funding and Strategy, assisted by the Head of Strategy and Diversity and Communities Associate.

Self-improvement

Undertaking appropriate leadership and management training, within the context of a Continuous Professional Development Programme agreed with the Director of Funding and Strategy.

Acting to be well-informed on:

cultural, social, and economic development matters especially the ones specifically related to the creative and cultural sectors (CCS), particularly in connection to community cultural spaces, local cultural activity and cultural heritage, as well as trends in urban cultural development,

emerging trends in regional cultural development, including aspects relating to cultural participation, cultural infrastructure, cultural diversity, community engagement, as well as relevant legislation, standards, rights, and related matters,

new developments in the operations of the public cultural organisations and CCS and cultural policy in Malta.

 

Knowledge/Skills/Qualifications

Undergraduate/Post Graduate degree in Public Policy (a focus on the arts and culture is desired in this regard), Urban and/or Regional Development (a focus on the arts and culture is desired in this regard), Community Studies, Cultural Heritage Management, Social Practice Arts, Arts and/or Cultural Management, Creative Industries and/or Entrepreneurship;

Extensive knowledge and interest in Malta’s cultural and creative sectors;

Proven experience in community cultural projects is essential, and leadership experience in this regard is desirable;

Passion and vision in enhancing the cultural and creative assets within regions;

Ability to draft communication, research proposals, reports, speech notes, discussion documents, and position papers;

Demonstrated strong ability to interpret business indicators with a view to identifying trends;

Strategy-oriented thinking skills, and excellent analytical skills;

Good knowledge of monitoring and research, and of statistics methodology;

Excellent communication (oral and written), and interpersonal skills;

Enthusiasm and motivation;

Diplomacy and assertiveness in dealing with people;

Well-developed judgement, and the ability to make decisions;

Ability to foster and cultivate effective working relationships with the entities falling within the portfolio of the ACM;

Capable of working independently with an attention to detail;

An understanding of sustainable development, especially in the areas of culture, social policy, and communities;

Demonstrated general ability in word processing, spreadsheets, database, and other computer applications.

 

Contract

The selected candidate will be awarded a three (3) year Contract for Service, with the possibility to renew for a further period of three (3) years, depending on his/her performance.

Answerable to the Exec Chair and Director Funding and Strategy of Arts Council Malta, operating with flexible hours to meet the demands and requirements of the position. The chosen candidate will be required to work within the rules and regulations of the Malta Public Service.

The remuneration is of €28,843 (excluding VAT but including any other taxes or charges) per year. In addition, for the duration of the contract, the Service Provider shall receive an end of year Performance Bonus up to a maximum of 10% at the discretion of the Director Funding and Strategy.

Payment will be processed monthly by Arts Council Malta on receipt of an invoice with a valid VAT number.

 

Applications

Interested applicants are required to send a motivation letter together with a CV and certified true copies of certificates to (vacancies@artscouncil.mt).

Closing date for applications is Monday 31st July 2023 at noon.

Eligible applicants will be asked to sit for a selection interview.