NEWS | Wednesday, 17 September 2008

Rethinking Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Dilemmas

Address by the Hon. Dolores Cristina, Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, at the opening of the conference with the theme: “Rethinking Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Dilemmas” - Maritime Museum, Vittoriosa – 15 September, 2008

As the Minister responsible for Education, Culture Youth and Sport, I am pleased to be inaugurating this rather special conference being organised by Heritage Malta through its Institute of Conservation and Management of Cultural Heritage.
I have purposely used the word “special” because this is a unique opportunity for undergraduates and fresh graduates in the field of cultural heritage, to present their research to a wide audience and create an international platform of discussion.
Many dissertations are submitted in conjunction with academic courses, yet very little of the findings is disseminated through such public gatherings even though we all know that they contain a wealth of knowledge and information.
What essentially started off as a local conference has now evolved into an international forum with speakers from various European countries. The title for this conference ‘Rethinking Cultural Heritage: Challenges and Dilemmas’ is appropriate because it provides food for thought on a very delicate subject.
Although Malta is a small country, we are fortunate to have an immense wealth of cultural heritage including three listings on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The Hal Saflieni Hypogeum and the Megalithic Temples scattered around the islands have fascinated and brought to our shores tens of thousands of visitors from around the globe. Our archaeological legacy is truly unique and makes a visit to Malta all the more worthwhile.
Malta is committed to giving priority to its cultural heritage. Originally, Heritage Malta was set up to manage the country’s museums and historic sites and to introduce efficiency and best practices in the field. In 2005, government decided that the Agency should also be entrusted with all aspects of conservation and hence Heritage Malta became responsible for museums, conservation practice and cultural heritage.
Besides being responsible for Culture which obviously includes also our heritage, my remit covers also the educational sector. Education plays a pivotal role in culture. Heritage Malta’s Institute of Conservation and Management of Cultural Heritage (ICMCH) is charged with delivering vocational and academic courses in the field of conservation and cultural heritage. This ensures that the country has a skilled and trained workforce which can tackle conservation issues on a national scale. Malta needs specialised employees who have all the skills to undertake delicate conservation assignments. The recent successful conservation of the vault paintings of the Main Hall of Verdala Palace, comes to mind.
ICMCH is also focusing on vocational courses which are being run in conjunction with the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology (MCAST), while academic courses are being organised in conjunction with the University of Malta. In fact, this conference is being organised in partnership with the University of Malta and the University of Bournemouth.
As from October 2006, ICMCH introduced a post-graduate degree programme in Management of Cultural Heritage. I am pleased to note that the first intake of students for this programme (10 in all) will graduate later this year. This is another step forward as it signifies that tomorrow’s managers will have been equipped with the right techniques to safeguard this priceless heritage which gives us our identity.
Learning is an on-going process. We in Malta are lucky to be witnessing a trend whereby many of our youngsters are pursuing further studies in our higher education institutions.
The last decade has seen an increase in specialised courses including those offered by ICMCH in the field of conservation and conservation science, thus eliminating the need for students to have to travel to overseas universities to specialise in such courses.
Apart from higher education, Heritage Malta is also making inroads in providing educational programmes for children in both primary and secondary schools. These programmes are carefully designed to address the needs of the national curriculum. Teaching through an infotainment mode at museums and sites means that children are more likely to remember their visits to these important sites and foster a genuine love for all aspects of cultural heritage.
Conferences such as the one we are inaugurating today are important because they enable experts to discuss the latest developments in the field, exchange and share their views with colleagues and other stakeholders. This conference has managed to attract a number of participants from other European countries and this will go a long way in helping Heritage Malta strengthen its ties with other international institutions and forge new partnership agreements.
Through EU funded programmes, Heritage Malta has managed to participate in a number of projects which have been of great benefit to the agency and the country in general. At the beginning of summer, I inaugurated a maritime heritage trail along the Grand Harbour which was one of the deliverables resulting from an EU funded project called MERCATOR. We are enthusiastic to participate in other such projects.
I should not be taking more of your precious time. You have a full programme ahead of you which I am sure will leave many positive results. So while I welcome you all to Malta I encourage you to try and make some time to visit parts of our country. We are gathered here at the Malta Maritime Museum. It is situated at the heart of the three cities and if time is at a premium, at least try to go round this gem which is known as the Cottonera area. Have a happy stay amongst us.