Maltese poetry through folk singing (għana) will be explored for the first time in the Culture Pass programme, which will this year benefit 30,000 students.

Together with other forms of art, including dance, theatre, music, visual arts, literature, film and heritage għana will feature in 50 productions with varying themes.

The Culture Pass productions will touch upon globalisation, multiculturalism, diversity, domestic violence and human rights and will run parallel to workshops and educational resources for teachers and students.

It is open for all kindergarten, primary and secondary school children, and aims to reach 30,000 students. Due to its popularity, the government this year increased its budget allocation by 55 percent to €200,000.

Culture Minister Owen Bonnici and Parliamentary Secretary Clifton Grima launched the 2019/2020 edition of the Culture Pass on Monday.

In a separate initiative, early next year Malta is expected to submit the second application to UNESCO to inscribe għana on the humanity list of intangible cultural heritage. 

Schools can book Culture Pass productions through www.culturepassmalta.com and can obtain more information on culturepass.mjcl@gov.mt or 2567 4211.