Artists in Malta : myth to method

Abstract

This study is one of a number of initiatives undertaken by the Arts Council Malta (ACM) in an effort to map the working conditions of artistic, creative and cultural (ACC) practitioners in Malta. It is driven by the ACM's commitment to champion the advancement of the status of artists, and other cultural and creative practitioners, and to support the professional development of the creative sector through evidence-based research. The study employs a statistical analysis of the data captured by the Malta National Statistics Office Creative & Cultural Practice Survey, where 1,019 persons completed a Computer Assisted Telephone Interview during the last quarter of 2019. The study reveals that around one in five respondents in Malta consider themselves to be artists, a ratio that resonates with similar studies. Strong associations are found between self-assessment and more objective descriptors, lending weight to the position that it is plausible to rely on self-assessment to identify artists in Malta - albeit an imperfect proxy. If artists are to be defined by any other single metric (such as being formally trained, belonging to an ACC organisation, or even earning a living from the arts), then the percentage of people who can be considered as artists would be smaller. If all ACC practitioners were to be included in the definition of artist, then the number of artists would double. Artists are more likely to be in employment, have a higher education, and are more likely to be male than the general population. The study also reveals that artists report a higher-than-average level of life satisfaction. Strong links between art and wellbeing are found among those practicing on behalf of a voluntary organisation. Furthermore, artists who apply their skills at work report a good work-life balance. On the theme of family and society, the study finds that one is more likely to find artists still living with parents, which may be partly explained by the slightly younger average age of artists versus the rest of the population. In terms of social engagement, only around a third of self-assessed artists stated that they practiced their activity on behalf of an organisation during the last 12 months, with the majority being women. Artists who practice on behalf of an organisation, are more likely to say that they feel public recognition for their work. Only around a fourth of self-assessed artists are VAT-registered and even fewer (around a fifth) enjoy any paid hours for their ACC activity. Many of those whose practice supports them financially are teachers within their ACC field. The study finds that one in two artists are able to practice their ACC activity thanks to the support of their main employment. Both time and finance appear to be a constraint for several artists and most artists would increase the number of hours spent on artistic practice if money were no issue. These findings and others detailed in the report that follows, should be interesting to policy-makers, practitioners, sponsors, researchers and other stakeholders. In particular, they may help the ACM to identify structural issues that need to be addressed in order to support the growth of sector and practitioners in their ACC work.