The Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST) and the Arts Council Malta (ACM) have today entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which establishes a three-year collaboration between the two bodies. The agreement was signed at Spazju Kreattiv in Valletta on 30 July 2026 by Mr Stephen Vella, Principal and CEO of MCAST, and Dr Luke Dalli, Executive Chairman of ACM.

The memorandum of understanding sets up a structured partnership between the ICA and the Arts Council Malta, focusing on three common priorities: boosting participation in culture and the creative industries, promoting the professionalization of Malta’s arts sector, and providing the ICA students with meaningful opportunities to take part in the ACM’s programs, networks and funded initiatives.

As part of the agreement, the Arts Council Malta will provide the ICA with an annual grant of €8,000 for the three-year term of the MoU to support arts and creativity activities, such as the ICA Festival. The council will also pay part of the festival’s production costs and will fund the appointment of a professional curator who will be responsible for training students in curatorship and overseeing the exhibition’s curation – a measure that directly incorporates professional practice into the students’ experience.

The additional commitments involve ACM holding annual brokerage meetings at the ICA to increase students’ awareness of funding opportunities, jointly promoting collaborative projects through both organizations’ communication channels, and ACM working to prompt Public Cultural Organizations to enhance their engagement with MCAST and the ICA. As a counterpoint, MCAST will make its ICA premises available at no charge for events organized by ACM, up to 5 events per year.

The signing took place during the ICA Festival, an event that exemplifies the student-focused, professionally supported arts practice the partnership aims to promote. The decision to hold the signing at Spazju Kreattiv – one of Malta’s most important cultural venues – reflects the shared goal of both organizations to place the creative arts at the heart of Malta’s educational and cultural life.

The agreement will stay in effect for three years from the date of signing, and may be renewed after both parties have reviewed it. Dr Martina Caruana, the Director of the ICA, will act as the main point of contact for MCAST, while Daniel Azzopardi, the Director of Strategy at the Arts Council Malta, will be the corresponding contact for the ACM.