The Malta Crafts Foundation

The Malta Crafts Foundation is a public organisation, established in 2021, dedicated to enabling the preservation, appreciation and sustainability of Maltese artisanal products and skills.

Its mission is to generate national and international awareness towards Maltese artisanship through educational and promotional efforts, and to stimulate innovation by nurturing an ecosystem which allows artisans to embrace current challenges and transform them into opportunities to ensure the sustainability of the artisan sector, particularly traditional crafts.

In order to fulfil this, the Foundation provides extensive support to craftspersons, helping them develop their skills and creativity in order to safeguard their interests and entrepreneurial value as custom manufacturers.

It is guided in its work by three main pillars: Promotion, Education, and Innovation; all of which are key in order to ensure the long-term sustainability and success of the local artisan sector.

A Board of Administrators oversees the work of the Foundation, which is carried out by a small, yet very dedicated team.

Board of Administrators

  • Chairperson: Mr Francois Piccione
  • Deputy Chairperson: Ms Julienne Brincat
  • Secretary: Ms Claire Decelis
  • Members: Mr Frederick Attard, Mr Antoine Debono, Perit Daniel Portelli, and Mr Reuben Schembri.

Our Team

Elton Micallef

Chief Executive Officer

After 11 years as an educator, Elton moved on to become an integral part of the team that implemented the first interactive Science and Technology Centre in Malta, ESPLORA. He then formed part of the establishment’s [...]

management, leading the education team during its first years of operation with the aim of bringing science closer to the general public. Elton then joined INDIS Malta, the entity responsible for the management of industrial estates. While his main focus was on the entity’s business development, he was also the project leader for the ERDF-funded regeneration of the Ta’ Qali Artisan Village. Upon completion of the project, Mr Micallef was appointed to manage the Malta Crafts Foundation in its efforts to revive the artisan sector in Malta.

Shawn Zammit

Operations Manager

Shawn has over 10 years of managerial experience in various industries, both in the private and public sector, particularly within the energy and waste management industries. He was later [...]

appointed as the General Manager of the Responsible Gaming Foundation in Malta, in addition to which he was also the project leader on an ESF training project.

Karl Parnis

Strategic Events Planning and Coordination

After working for several years as a teacher in a number of secondary schools, Karl also served as an Assistant Head of School. He also worked within [...]

the Delap section at the Ministry of Education, where he was involved in the writing of specific programmes on applied topics such as Gilding (Induratura), Clay Sculpture Modelling, Jewellery, Upholstery, and Tile Laying, all of which lead up to MQF Level 3 accreditation. Karl holds a Master in Maltese Studies.

Marita Portelli

Strategic Events Planning and Coordination

Throughout her career, Marita has held various roles particularly in relation to event management, marketing, communications, youth work, and [...]

enterprise policy. She also has a very strong background in EU funding mechanisms, having been involved in several projects or programmes, including ERDF, ESF, Youth in Action, COSME, WORTH Project Partnership, as well as CEF – Telecoms and the Digital Europe Programme. In some cases, she was also the National Contact Point for Malta.

Chris Galea

Communications Coordinator

After graduating in Communications, Chris started his career working in journalism, where he spent more than five years with some of the leading news organisations. He then [...]

crossed the bridge to the communications side where he has been working for more than ten years in various roles, including public relations, marketing, social media management, graphic design, web design and maintenance, and more.