Mary Ann Cauchi appointed Board Director for the EU National Institutes for Culture

Arts Council Malta (ACM) Director of Funding and Strategy Mary Anne Cauchi has been appointed Board Director for the EU National Institutes for Culture (EUNIC).

Malta has been a member of the European network for the past 10 years, and this is the first time there has been Maltese representation on the Board.

EUNIC’s goal is to foster European cultural collaboration through its presence in more than 100 countries worldwide with a network of 140 clusters, drawing on the broad experience of board members.

Advocating for a prominent role of culture in international relations and thanks to a strategic partnership with the EU, the network strives to build trust and understanding between the people of Europe and the wider world.

Reflecting the approach taken by Strategy 2025, Malta’s national cultural strategy, EUNIC takes the broadest understanding of culture to include the arts, creative industries, development cooperation, digitalisation, education, gender, heritage, human rights, language and multilingualism, social inclusion, sustainability, tourism, youth and others.

Through this appointment, Ms Cauchi will be contributing her expertise and vision to advance EUNIC’s mission and objectives through a multifaceted approach that addresses regional enrichment, representation of smaller states, and cultural inclusivity.

“My vision for Malta’s role within EUNIC emphasises on leveraging Malta’s geostrategic and political position to enrich its strategy and foster a more diverse cultural tapestry within the organisation,” she said.

She noted that Malta “stands poised to effectively disseminate and promote the wealth of programmes, policies, and implementation strategies” offered by the expansive EUNIC network.

Ms Cauchi continued that by amplifying frameworks, mindsets, and advocating for cultural diversity, she aims to strengthen the presence of smaller states within EUNIC, enhancing communication and mutual understanding between smaller members, such as Malta, and their medium and larger counterparts.

Her acceptance speech centred around the Maltese, Mediterranean identity as well as the personal characteristics that the new Board Director will be utilising in her strategy to support and grow EUNIC’s vision.

Citing freedom of expression, cultural relations and the right to culture among the concepts that drive her, Ms Cauchi added that she aims to be a catalyst for change through advocacy, communication and open dialogue, among other crucial values that will assist her in the quest to achieve the objectives of EUNIC.

For a number of years, Malta has collaborated very closely with this EU network, participating in International EUNIC events by joining various EUNIC clusters around the globe through collaborative efforts with Maltese Embassies and High Commissions abroad.

In addition, ACM is also involved in the Malta EUNIC Cluster, which organises a Film Festival on an annual basis. It is expected that Ms Cauchi’s appointment will further strengthen this partnership, creating new opportunities for growth and shared collaboration.

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