Censoring creativity? : a sociological understanding of censorship on artists

Abstract

In this study I investigated the effects of censorship on the Maltese artistic community, to determine whether censorship issues are constraining the artists today. It analysed the relationship between artistic censorship and creativity and looked at the extent of the impositions artists’ experience. The aim of the study was to challenge the idea that censorship issues are not relevant anymore. It also scrutinised the state’s and the church’s views on the matter. This study used a qualitative research approach and established artists were interviewed in order to gain an in-depth snippet of the current scene. The population representative of the artistic community included 15 participants, chosen on two criteria: participants needed to be over the age of 18 and participants needed to be recognized as established artists within the Maltese society. The sample encompassed visual artists including sculptors, actors, producers, TV screen writers, artistic directors, singer/song writer and an author. Furthermore, state and the church representatives were interviewed. They both held the authority to speak on behalf of the institution they represented. It resulted that artists are facing three types of censorship: formal institutional censorship, less formal form of censorship resulting from people’s judgments, and self-censorship. The prevailing censoring device resulted to be the less formal form of censorship. As to the formal institutional censorship, the church was considered as the institution effecting artists most negatively. This sociological analysis shows that artists are constantly facing censorship issues which are hindering their creativity. Thus, proving that censorship issues in the arts are still relevant as of today.