Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/501315
XIII maltatoday, Sunday, 26 april 2015 This Week Manoel Theatre Artistic Director elected to European Early Music Network Manoel Theatre and Valletta international Baroque Festival artistic director Kenneth Zammit Tabona was elected to the Board of directors of rEMa reseau Europeen de Musique ancienne Kenneth Zammit Tabona was re- cently elected to the Board of Direc- tors of REMA Reseau Europeen de Musique Ancienne or the European Early Music Network. REMA is an EU sponsored entity which was founded in Ambronay in 2000. It celebrated its 15th year in Ambro- nay on 18 April, and Zammit Tabo- na was elected on its Board by vir- tue of his being Artistic Director of the Valletta International Baroque Festival; now approaching its fourth edition. REMA now has over 20 member countries and is very active in promoting early music in Europe which is why it is linked up with famous festivals like Ambronay and Chaise Dieu plus many prestigious festivals throughout Europe includ- ing Sans Soucis in Potsdam and the Monteverdi Festival in Cremona not to mention the constant pro- motion of emerging ensembles like the Ghislieri Choir and Consort based in Pavia. "As a general rule it takes at least five years to establish a festival on an international level," said Zammit Tabona who added that the suc- cess of the Valletta International Baroque Festival astounded him by its instantaneous hit. "The festival goes from strength to strength presenting an ever growing international audience with top flight artists like Sigiswald Kjukjen, Leonardo Garcia Alarcon and Herve Niquet not to mention great ensembles like the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, the European Union Baroque Or- chestra and the King's Consort to mention just a very few that have delighted us with their artistry each January since 2013." "Involvement with a dynamic organisation like REMA further underlines the international flavour of our festival, which takes place within the ramparts of our capital city and makes use of its top archi- tectural and artistic sites as venues for a splendid serious of baroque concerts, Zammit Tabona said, adding that "this success would not be possible without the experienced and efficient backing and organisa- tion of the Manoel Theatre and its staff both administrative and hands on. This is why the queen of Medi- terranean baroque theatres, the Manoel Theatre, is ideally placed to organise a festival of this magni- tude and calibre; a 1731 theatre be- ing the perfect setting for baroque music. It is without a doubt Valletta and our rich heritage that makes this festival a unique experience." Zammit Tabona is also Artistic Director of the Manoel Theatre, a board member of PERSPECTIV; the Association of Historic Theatres of Europe and the founder president of the Friends of the National Mu- seum of Fine Arts, now MUZA. Kenneth Zammit Tabona PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAy ATTARD Funding scheme aims to give 'cultural' boost to local TV newly announced arts Council Malta initiative Kultura TV aims to support 'innovative and culturally significant' television programmes A new fund aims to support the de- velopment of cultural and creative content on private broadcasting sta- tions in order to enhance the quality of television programming in Malta. With an annual budget of €280,000, the fund – called KulturaTV - aims to support the creation of innovative and culturally significant storytelling relevant to contemporary media audiences. Despite the availability of interna- tional channels, Maltese television stations remain the most popular with Maltese audiences. According to a 2014 Broadcasting Authority report, analysed by broadcasting station, local television stations at- tained the highest percentage of all television viewers. KulturaTV is open to private broadcasting stations licensed to operate in Malta and independent audiovisual production companies aired on private broadcasting sta- tions. Eligible works can be one-off or serialized and may include drama, creative TV documentaries and culture programmes. The scheme targets productions on private television stations that require investment to develop works that often lack access to private funding. It also provides an additional incentive to inde- pendent audiovisual companies to produce quality-driven television programmes through international co-productions with a potential for international distribution. "The ultimate beneficiaries of this scheme are Maltese TV viewers," said Culture Minister Owen Bon- nici, who was present at the launch of the fund at the MCAST Institute of Art & Design. Also present was Toni Attard, director of strategy at Arts Council Malta, the entity which will be managing the fund. "This is the first time that Arts Council Malta is intervening directly in the audiovisual sector, bridging the gap between television and culture," Attard said. Stephen Cachia, MCAST principal and CEO, added that the fund encour- ages media students to think about their creative future in the industry. By supporting the industry, the fund increases students' employ- ment opportunities. The fund is competitive and eli- gible projects will be evaluated by an independent board appointed by Arts Council Malta. Award criteria include relevance to Arts Council Malta's objectives; the promotion of cultural value and innovation; the quality of the proposal and the experience of the creative team. The next application deadline is 9 June; evaluations will be held in July 2015; results will be issued on 4 August. A public information session will be held on 29 April at 14:00 at Fortress Builders, Valletta. To book a space, send an email on fundinfo@ maltaculture.com "Bridging the gap between television and culture" – Director of strategy at Arts Council Malta Toni Attard (far left)