Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1378870
3 LETTERS & EDITORIAL maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 MAY 2021 Mikiel Galea Letters & Clarifications €650,000 for National arts funds I cannot but share my disgust at news that some €650,000 was spent on pro- ducing and financing Malta's Eurovi- sion bid. How many times do we see that kind of budget for annual grants for our national film industry, or our book prizes? And herein lies the rub: this nation has its priorities entirely skewed. Its head is not even on its shoulders. It is a nation that is des- perate at chasing the thrill of a television musical spectacular of no enduring value, musically or cultur- ally. And yet here we are, €650,000 thrown to the wind when the works of our film directors, musicians and writers will long be heard of 50 years into the future (I have to concede that 1972's 'L-Imħabba' does have staying power...), and without the kind of national investment they deserve. It is time to create proper national funds for our arts funded by specific sources of super-profit industries, namely the remote gaming, the sale of passports, and the national lottery. These monies should be used for the national grant programmes on film and publishing, as well as for develop- ment grants to recording artsists, and for national art residencies. Can it be ever so hard for the minister responsible for cul- ture to understand that this country will not be built on Mal- ta's Eurovision vicissi- tudes, but on a richer human development through cultural and educational develop- ment? John Camilleri St Julian's Visually- impaired writer's book GUIDE dogs provide the visually im- paired with an opportunity to inter- act socially and be more independent. On International Guide Dogs Day, the Ministry for Inclusion and So- cial Wellbeing financed a book writ- ten by Alfred Reale, a former soldier who lost his vision six years ago. All of this book's earnings will go to the Malta Guide Dogs Foundation. The novel's name is "Is-Sigriet tas-Siġill" and it will be published in the coming weeks. Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli congratulated Mr Reale for the fact that he did not allow his disability to prevent him from writing this book. She said it was an honour for the ministry to finance this book, which will be helping the foundation to strive since all the money from its sale will go to it. Alfred Reale is an active member of the Malta Guide Dogs Foundation, a member in the Torball Society for the Blind and also a member of the Malta Society of the Blind. He per- sonally knows how much funding is needed for the Malta Guide Dogs Foundation to be able to provide guide dogs to those who need them. He also knows about the benefits that guide dogs provide because in 2019 the Malta Guide Dogs Foun- dation gave him Adel, an adorable guide dog that gave him much more mobility. Scott Camilleri Ministry for Inclusion and Social Wellbeing