Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1118959
THIS WEEK CULTURE maltatoday | SUNDAY • 19 MAY 2019 4 What led to the creation of The MACC? Was there a particular informational lacuna in the Maltese cultural scene that you wanted to help address? The lack of a centralised service that caters to the dis- semination of information on the local cultural scene is pretty apparent. Today, most people plan their leisure time online because the best sites offer intuitive and user- friendly interfaces, which increasingly tailor informa- tion to personal preferences. Our team set out to design the missing piece of the jig- saw puzzle and The MACC was the result; a platform designed to support, not compete with existing provi- sion by sharing and tailoring content and inviting users to upload their own. The MACC also puts the audience and providers to- gether on an equal footing to improve communication and foster a better understanding of the market. As we carried out our re- search, other creative indus- try issues came to light. Em- ployers were telling us they struggle to recruit locally, while at the same time local professionals and practition- ers seemed to be searching high and low for creative op- portunities in their fields. We decided to address this issue by creating listings dedicated to the creative in- dustries, not only for job va- cancies, but for a range of op- portunities such as castings and open calls, competitions, auditions, collaborations, in- ternships and volunteer posi- tions. So what The Stage does for Theatre, The MACC does for every arts category of inter- est. How does The MACC differ from what is already out there – such as social media and the official channels of the main cultural institutions? What is it about The MACC that is truly unique? Generally speaking, the websites of existing institu- tions and organisations serve primarily as contact and in- formation portals for their own activities and are not interactive. Social media on the other hand does allow us to engage in discussion, but the volume of pages and groups for each special in- terest can be overwhelming. The MACC offers the best of both. It's a multi-functional platform with its own news- feed, What's On Guide and TEODOR RELJIC speaks to Welsh-born, Malta-based artist Laura Swale about 'The MACC' (The Malta Arts and Culture Club): a one-stop-shop online service that will seek to provide comprehensive information on the local cultural scene Gathering it all up "Websites of existing institutions and organisations serve primarily as contact and information portals for their own activities and are not interactive" Teodor Reljic