Inizjamed: ‘A literary festival can never survive without public funding’

As the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival celebrates its 20th edition this summer, organisers are reflecting on how the event has evolved to remain financially sustainable and relevant within Malta’s cultural calendar.

Run by Inizjamed, the festival has built its endurance on a model that combines public funding, collaborations, and careful partnerships. “Our Festival is the only literary festival in Malta. It is run by an NGO set up in 1998, committed to the regeneration of culture and artistic expression in the Maltese Islands, and actively promoting greater awareness of the cultures of the Mediterranean,” organisers tell BusinessNow.mt.

They emphasised that while literature is at the core of their work, collaboration across artistic disciplines has been key to the festival’s survival. “I believe it is this spirit of collaboration that keeps us going,” they added.

The primary source of financial support remains public backing. “The Festival is mainly supported, as it has been in past years, by Arts Council Malta, our main funding body. Given its niche nature, a literary festival can never survive without public funding. This is the case for most literary festivals around Europe and beyond,” the organisers note.

Alongside this, Inizjamed seeks support from public and private entities, embassies, and other NGOs. Contributions are not limited to funding: “We actively look for both monetary support and in-kind contributions, which are just as vital in keeping the Festival running.”

New formats and collaborations

In a bid to adapt, Inizjamed has introduced changes to the festival’s format, striking a balance between free and ticketed events. While the festival was free for many years, recent editions have introduced ticketing for certain activities. “This primarily ensures commitment from our audiences although sustaining a festival like ours solely through ticket sales is not feasible,” organisers said.

They also underlined the importance of partnerships in ensuring longevity. A new three-year Memorandum of Understanding with Spazju Kreattiv is one example, providing a framework for joint events during the festival and throughout the year.

Public vs private investment in culture

Looking at Malta’s wider cultural sector, Inizjamed sees both opportunities and challenges. “The cultural sector in Malta has been diversifying widely. We’ve been seeing different art forms entering our scene, such as bookbinding, while also witnessing a higher degree of multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary work,” they observe.

But financial sustainability remains a recurring challenge. “Funding will always remain a conundrum. Given the local context and the fact that more artists are trying to make a living from their art, it is always a good idea to increase funding and support for the arts,” they said.

The private sector, they noted, is not always forthcoming in supporting cultural events, and Inizjamed takes care in evaluating potential partners. “At Inizjamed, we are always very mindful of our ethics; we scrutinise the entities we work with because we believe in remaining loyal to our principles.”

They added that while some art forms will never be self-sustaining, they are vital for society: “Some art forms are difficult to sustain on their own; they will always need some form of funding, as complete self-sufficiency is rarely possible. However, they are necessary to any society that wants to evolve.”

Supporting the local creative economy

Beyond cultural impact, the festival also engages directly with Malta’s local economy by working with freelancers and service providers across sectors. “An event like ours does not only require vision and subject expertise, but also has a practical element. For this reason, we are open to working with many people, especially freelancers. In relation to the local economy, we also try to support what’s local,” they said.

Organisers highlight the wide range of skills needed to sustain a festival of this scale, from translators and journalists to technicians and designers. “Being part of Inizjamed does not only mean reading books – sometimes it also means fixing a lightbulb. We’re not only writers; among those who help us are translators, journalists, lecturers, librarians … and we even have an ex-banker, a geriatrician, a film maker, and a dancer on board.”

For Inizjamed, the Malta Mediterranean Literature Festival has become more than a cultural showcase – it is a collaborative model that draws on public funding, community input, and cross-sector partnerships.