Bridging divides: the role of cultural cooperation amid global strains
On 10 and 11 April, audiovisual professionals from across the Mediterranean region gathered in Malta to discuss the topic “Bridging divides: the role of cultural cooperation amid global strains”, on the occasion of the 32nd annual Conference of COPEAM, hosted by the new cultural channel Med.tv.
The event opened with the institutional greetings by the Maltese Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government, Owen Bonnici, who emphasized the role of culture as a powerful tool for peace and dialogue among peoples, and underlined the historic centrality of the island of Malta in this context.
In his address, Minister Ahmad Assaf, General Supervisor of the Palestinian Official Media, stressed the need to strengthen communication and cooperation between countries, in opposition to the building of walls and the closing of borders. COPEAM’s Secretary General Claudio Cappon and the Chairman of Med.tv Anton Tabone then delivered a welcome speech to the many attending international delegates.
The main panel, held after the official opening, provided the audience with an insight of the main topic, thanks to the invited experts: Léa Hermen, Media Analyst at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), who presented the findings from a recent study on the role of PSM in the cultural sector; Romina Delia, who shared the experience of the Arts Council Malta, with a particular focus on tools in the field of arts; and Ziad Erraiss, who focused his presentation on the EU Cultural Relations Platform project, highlighting its tangible impact in connecting European and global artists and cultural operators.
A showcase of “best practices” then gave the opportunity to some COPEAM member broadcasters to present concrete initiatives for cultural enhancement in the audiovisual sector, such as the application of AI technologies in music (RAI), new international radio co-productions (Radio Monte Carlo Doualiya), and TV channels with a Mediterranean cultural focus (Med.tv).
Before closing the intense day of work and professional exchanges with members’ General Assembly, the joint meeting of COPEAM’s Commissions took place, in which the activities and projects carried out by the Association over the past year were presented.