The President of Malta, H.E. Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, delivered the opening speech during an International Conference about Psychiatry and the Arts, organised by Mount Carmel Hospital at Verdala Palace.
The President said that creativity, in its most fundamental form is an imaginative process, which takes different kinds of information and brings them together in synthesis, adding that, “in so doing, new ideas are created, and old ones are positively transformed.”
“Creativity is a dynamic process in constant evolution, generating endless innovation and reflecting life in all its vigour. Creative people are open to diverse experiences, and are able to think ‘outside the box.’ This surely gives them the opportunity to be more independent in their judgements and actions, thereby discovering opportunities for connection with the world around them,” the President said.
President Coleiro Preca stated that it must be ensured that all voices are to be valued, and heard in respectful spaces, including the voices of people of all ethnicities, genders and generations, adding that members of minority groups or other communities, which are excluded from full participation in mainstream culture and are therefore at higher risks of vulnerability and precarity, must be supported.
“Women are one such group, and I hope that a gender-sensitive approach to the subject of creativity, psycho-social wellbeing, and participation in the arts will be explored, during this conference.”
The President said that, in her opinion, the access that women have in the cultural sector, “is an important indication of their ability to promote policies and projects which reflect the needs, concerns, and aspirations of women in a realistic and proactive way,” whilst quoting data on cultural employment provided by Eurostat, which state that Malta is one of six EU Member States were women’s participation in cultural employment is the lowest recorded in the European Union.
“More must be done to address this troubling situation, and to create a context of equality and inclusion for women and girls,” the President added.
“There are other areas in which we should focus our attention, to maximise the potential for creativity in our society.”
The President said that decades of research have demonstrated that, for people with dementia and other neurological conditions, the ability to create art remains, long after speech and language have diminished. Research has also shown that creating visual art reduces stress and promotes relaxation in people who are hospitalised, or cannot leave their homes due to serious illnesses.
President Coleiro Preca reiterated her firm conviction that the links between sustainable mental, emotional, and social wellbeing are profoundly connected to the celebration of creativity in our communities and throughout society.
“I believe that we must continue to promote opportunities for creativity amongst our children and young people; minority and vulnerable groups; and the ageing populations of our various countries,” the President said, further adding that in this way, we shall be promoting resilience and long-term development, while also preparing our citizens to face the challenges of a rapidly-changing world, with open minds and a sense of innovation.