Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1275149
maltatoday | SUNDAY • 2 AUGUST 2020 5 THIS WEEK ART memories of the mill poses an alternative for established and upcoming artists alike. One thing which Caruana insisted on, and which the GCF continue to insist on today, is that The Mill does not func- tion as a commercial or corporate venue. With the increasing privatisation of cul- ture and annihilation of our heritage, this principle is one of great meaning today. The Mill is also a great example of cul- tural re-purposing. The building would probably have been abandoned today were it not for the foresight of Caruana. Many buildings and areas around Mal- ta could also be opened to the public for cultural activities. Given the communal and public nature of the information-gathering that will be taking place as part of this project, which tools of your professional and critical arsenal do you think will be the most useful to you, when it comes to sorting through the subjective materials you will be receiving from people who will be contributing their memories of the Mill? That's an interesting question. The project has so far consisted of collect- ing material to gradually build up the archive of The Mill and the GCF. A lot of the material found so far is public ma- terial, and photos that were taken to be disseminated. It has been difficult to get a more in- timate glimpse of the goings-on of The Mill. This is an obstacle often encoun- tered in research, one that has been dis- cussed with Prof. Schembri Bonaci many a time. Sometimes it is a matter of asking dif- ferent questions, other times you are not supplied with all the information needed to piece things together. The majority of that which has been shared so far during interviews has been very insightful, yet barely critical. It is rare that one is of- fered a critical assessment of a historical event or figure. Anecdotes and personal stories are filled with nostalgia, and it is necessary to sift through everything to derive the pertinent historical context. The task af- ter the data gathering period will be to draft a critical history of The Mill based on what has been found. What do you make of the Maltese cul- tural scene? What would you change about it? This is an oft-encountered question which I could respond to at length, but prefer to keep things brief. I would en- courage artists to engage further with their own artistic and cultural history, to look at it critically so as to move away from certain truisms that perpetuate un- challenged ideas. It would also be good to see more private investment to dimin- ish the reliance on public funds. The latter have permitted so many to realise their projects, and so have done wonders for artistic and cultural produc- tion locally. However, public funds are often ap- proached as a charitable source, with some tailor-making their projects to satisfy funding criteria. The arts cannot function properly if creation majorly panders to such structures. 30@20 - The Mill is funded through the Voluntary Organisations Project Scheme managed by the Malta Council for the Voluntary Sector on behalf of Parlia- mentary Secretary for Youth, Sports and Voluntary Organisations within the Ministry for Education and Employment