Studio Membership 2025

Who is eligible for Annual Studio Membership?

Annual Studio Membership aims to give designers, creators, and makers in the early stages of their career the time and space to develop their practice and produce new work. Design is defined here as a problem-solving process that is focused on creating a product, service, or system that meets specific requirements and solves a problem.

Eligible candidates would be those working in product design, game design, industrial design, graphic design, sustainable design, information design, visual and digital art, fashion design, maker-based practices, and other design-related disciplines. This call is directed at those who need the unique facilities that the Valletta Design Cluster provides to flourish.

Applicants eligible to apply for a studio as a single entity are:

  • Legally registered VO/NGOs
  • Legally registered Startups, Nano (up to 5 employees) and Micro (up to 10 employees) enterprises.
  • Legally registered Co-operatives
  • Legal partnerships with a minimum of 2 partners.

Applicants eligible to apply for a studio to be shared between no less than two and not more than three entities are:

  • All of the above
  • Freelancers

The entities applying for a shared studio must apply for the studio together as part of one application, but they are still considered distinct entities. In case of a Shared studio application, all entities applying must be eligible to become Studio members for the application to be eligible for evaluation.

What are the conditions for Annual Studio Membership?

Annual Studio Memberships are available for a period of one year from date of acceptance and are renewable annually for a maximum of three years.

Studio members must:

  • Guarantee 60% occupancy of the studio during opening hours for a minimum of 2 users and a maximum of 3 long-term users at any one point in time. This is equivalent to 2912 hours per year, which works out to an average of 28 hours each for 2 people weekly.
    • In the case of organisations, the minimum of 2 users must include the founders and employees for a minimum of 70% of the hours. The remaining hours may be carried out by associates, volunteers or members of the applicant organization.
    • In the case of freelancers applying for a shared studio, the applicants must carry out a minimum of 70% of the hours. The rest may be carried out by collaborators or volunteers contributing to the applicants’ work.
  • Contribute a minimum of 36 hours per year to the Cluster community through participation in regular Cluster community meetings, in-kind support to the VDC, and participation in community engagement activities organized by the VDC.
  • Contribute a minimum of two public workshops/talks per year or one public workshop/talk and one article to be published on the VDC online magazine/blog on topics related to their line of work to be held at the VDC.
  • Be covered by an insurance policy to cover the member organization. In case of a shared studio, each applicant may have their own insurance policy or a joint one. The policy consists of a public liability and damage policy which covers the studio member and the VDC in case of liability to third parties or damage to the VDC building and its equipment or third-party property caused by the members or their representatives.  The capping for liability should be a minimum of €500,000.
  • Sign a Contract and a Code of Conduct with the VDC.

Throughout the membership, the VDC will have the right to carry out a review to verify compliance with the membership conditions. This will be a requirement for those applicants wishing to renew their annual membership for a second or third year.

At the end of the third year, the Member will no longer be eligible for automatic renewal based on a review of compliance with membership conditions, but they may apply for the next competitive call for Studio Membership.

In the case of a Shared studio, the withdrawal of one or more applicants would lead to the termination of membership for all members. They would be allowed to re-apply in the next call for Studio membership.

How much does Annual Studio Membership cost and what does it cover?

The annual fee for 2025 is €1700 exc VAT per year, for a total of €2006 inc VAT.

Your membership fee covers the use of the studio with basic office furniture for two people and 60 hours monthly access to VDC facilities including meeting rooms, Makerspace and Foodspace, utilities and WIFI. Additional charges may apply for use of consumables or of high-consumption machinery. Studios are an average of 19m2 in size and some are equipped with a loft which can be used for storage.

How do I apply for Annual Studio Membership?

Step 1: Fill in the application form at this link

Step 2: Eligible applicants will be invited to a pitch meeting with the Evaluation Board to discuss their application.

Step 3: The applications will be evaluated.

Step 4: Results will be communicated to applicants.  Selected applicants will receive a Contract and Code of Conduct for their signature.

By when do I need to apply?

The deadline for applications is the 30th March 2025 at midnight. Late and/or incomplete applications will not be considered. Should one need clarification on the necessary documents to be submitted, they may contact the Valletta Design Cluster by emailing vdc@vca.gov.mt by the 14th of March 2025 at noon.

How will Annual Studio Members be selected?

An Evaluation Committee with independent experts in various fields will be set up to evaluate the applications received. The evaluators will be using the following criteria:

  1. Applicant’s core activity (35%)

(a) the applicant is an active contributor within the field of Design on a local and/or international level;

(b) the applicant will be working on creative and innovative ideas and has the technical skills and knowledge to carry them out;

(c) the applicant’s business plan is grounded in sound financial sustainability and viability and is connected to a longer-term vision for the development of the applicant and its core activity.

  1. Use of space (35%)

(a) the applicant/s will make efficient use of the studio and can fulfill the conditions for use;

(b) the applicant intends to make use of additional VDC facilities;

(c) the applicant can demonstrate that their core activity cannot be fulfilled through Regular Membership only (which includes access to the co-working space, Meeting Rooms, Friggieri Hall, Foodspace and Makerspace);

3. Openness for collaboration (30%)

(a) the applicant intends to use the studio and the wider membership benefits to engage in interdisciplinary projects and initiatives involving multiple stakeholders;

(b) the applicant contributes to cultural/creative innovation, development and/or diversity on a local, national, or international level through its core activity;

(c) the applicant intends to develop skills, knowledge, practices, and other intangible resources by using the resources at the Cluster and to share these with other members and beyond;

(d) the applicant is willing and able to contribute to the community of the VDC, participating in events, workshops, and other activities.

Minimum pass mark: 70%

 

Important Dates

Tour and Q&A on VDC Membership: 17th February 2025 at 18.00

Deadline of Application: 30th March 2025 at midnight.

For any queries send an email to vdc@vca.gov.mt by not later than the 14th March 2025 at noon.

The pitching session for eligible applicants will be held on the 11th April between 9:00 and 14:00.