For more than 40 years, Francis Agius has moved through nearly every corner of Malta’s cultural infrastructure – museums, heritage bodies, community projects, and even restoration. It is a career that has given him a uniquely broad understanding of how culture is shaped and maintained across institutions, and one that he is putting to good use as CEO of Festivals Malta.

From his roles at the former Department of Museums to the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, St. James Cavalier, the Department of Culture, the Valletta Rehabilitation Project and restoration units, Mr Agius is used to absorbing the whole picture.

“Through the years, I’ve experienced the sector as a whole, so my understanding is not limited to events,” he says. “This helped me learn respect for the industry, the people who are part of it, and the often priceless historical venues we work with. And it’s a respect that I have strived to instil in all members of my team.”

This principle is, in fact, central to the way Festivals Malta operates. As a Public Cultural Organisation that is not tied to a specific venue, the agency relies on significant sites, treating them not as backdrops but as collaborators in the work. “We do this with the utmost respect,” Mr Agius notes. “It has afforded our festivals a specific identity that our audiences and artists love and expect.”

Throughout the past two and a half years, Mr Agius’s appointment has seamlessly consolidated and continued to build upon what had already been achieved.

“I was the former CEO Annabelle Stivala’s right-hand, helping shape the organisation from its earliest days. So, I took on the post with a strong sense of continuation. In its early days, Festivals Malta was still finding its feet. We started from a position of weakness as, locally, what we were doing was new,” Mr Agius recalls.

“The early structure relied heavily on subcontractors, leaving little sense of collective ownership. Today, with a full-time team, things are very different,” he says, adding that from an organisational perspective Festivals Malta is now a fully-functioning, 100 per cent accountable, public entity.

For Mr Agius, the artistic expectations were clear from the outset. Festivals Malta has never viewed itself solely as an organiser of events, but as an entity responsible for safeguarding quality.

“Yes, we organise events, but many others do that too. We ensure that what we provide is not simply entertaining, but also offers artistic and cultural value, while respecting our heritage,” Mr Agius says. He believes that this approach is not only about upholding standards within the organisation; it is also about nudging the wider sector towards higher expectations.

“Our audiences and artists know that they will find a certain high standard at our events. This, in turn, helps raise the bar even for private events, as they need to meet the expectations that have been set by Festivals Malta,” he explains.

This ambition sits within a cultural ecosystem that’s undergoing rapid change. Mr Agius mentions rising costs, shifting audience patterns and new technologies as routine concerns, but their cumulative effect requires constant adjustment. Despite rising support from the government every year, modest income from ticketing sales, and private sponsorships, funding remains tight.

“In the arts, no matter how much funding you have, it’s never enough,” Mr Agius says. Audience development remains another challenge, particularly in a society where multiple communities and cultures may not gravitate naturally towards the same events. He believes that more accessible venues and broader outreach form part of the response.

Then there is AI – a topic that dominated recent European Festivals Association conferences attended by the CEO. He approaches it with measured pragmatism. “AI is a challenge and an opportunity,” he says. “Of course, to a certain extent it’s a concern, as it can lead to plagiarism, copying, and the potential loss of authenticity. But it also offers plenty of opportunities.”

Mr Agius draws parallels with past artistic debates, from early photography to the shift between analogue and digital. “Like all tools, it depends on the way you use it,” he adds.

“I believe that the sector will find its feet with respect to AI very fast, and we’ll adapt in a short time to leverage this tool effectively without killing the art and creativity.”

The question of how to honour tradition while keeping festivals relevant is one Mr Agius encounters frequently. The evolution of the former Għanafest – which was later rebranded to Ritmu Roots Festival and is now being given new life as Festgħana – is a case in point. Once central to Malta’s intangible heritage, it had begun losing traction.

“We discovered that even the name was not working with the communities,” he says. This new iteration has seen the reframing of the concept by a new artistic director, with Festivals Malta aiming to restore authenticity while updating its form.

“At its heart, għana is a storytelling exercise,” Mr Agius notes. “We’re now embedding it within contemporary pieces to engage audiences who might otherwise have dismissed it. Our carnival festivities have also benefitted from this approach, retaining the core elements while reintroducing pieces such as the Qarċilla and reshaping the parata into a choreographed narrative. We want to keep these traditions alive, but we also want them to speak to new generations.”

This inclusive approach extends to diverse communities, with Festivals Malta working with CARITAS, Refugee Week and other sectors of society to ensure that no audience or artist is left out in the cold. The PCO’s next big project, a community choir, will signal another strong step in this direction, creating an entry point for different voices.

“We focus strongly on outreach, and we want to reach as many members of the public as possible. After all, we’re working with public money,” Mr Agius says.

Looking ahead, his hopes for the next five years centre on a project that has attracted its fair share of controversy – the Culture Hub in Marsa. While acknowledging that delays have slowed its progress, Mr Agius sees its potential as transformative.

“This will become a hub for artists, not only as a place to work from but also to be part of a living community. It will spark an ongoing conversation among different artist communities, a shared environment where artists feed off one another, creating the kind of community that underpins sustainable cultural growth. And it’s something I truly look forward to witnessing,” he concludes.