The Eastern Region will be the national Region of Culture for 2024. The Regional Council has been allocated a quarter of a million Euro, so that together with the local councils that comprise it can launch a number of different cultural activities next year. Details were announced by the Minister for National Heritage, Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici and Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government Alison Zerafa Civelli.
The Eastern Regional Council will be the second region to be trusted with the calendar of cultural activities. This comes after this year where the Southern Region conducted 14 different cultural activities, with plans for a further nine activities made for the Region of Culture in 2023. These activities hope to leave an important legacy in the cultural sphere in our country.
As we saw this year, cultural activities and the related initiatives being taken in association with the title of Region of Culture are resulting in partners becoming the catalysts of preservation of Maltese national heritage for generations to come. The different localities within the Southern Region of Culture had the opportunity to celebrate their unique cultural heritage typical of each respective locality. We’ve seen wider sharing of residents’ talents from different localities in terms of Maltese cultural heritage. Initiatives that have strengthened inclusion and participation from residents from all backgrounds that has led to a much more professional final product. Evidently, such initiatives further strengthen the synergy between Local Councils in the region, with the new scope and objective that this is repeated between Local Councils in the Eastern Region for 2024.
Through the Region of Culture process, a substantial number of cultural strategies of the six regions created last December are being implemented. Every strategy is dedicated to every region in the country, and they have focused on the most important cultural themes and priorities of the region itself since 2022. These six strategies have been launched for the first time. The collaborative work between local councils and cultural partners helped to develop these six strategies. This work also confirms the way a wide range of experts in the cultural and creative fields were given the necessary space to share their ideas. The goal being to strengthen accessibility in the sector and to encourage professions in arts and culture.
The title of Region of Culture for the Eastern Region will serve as a platform that demonstrates the unique identity of the region
These strategies serve as guidelines so that individual cultural programs of Regional Councils can be designed and implemented in a way that is sensitive to the traditions, talents, characteristics and unique elements of each locality. Subsequently, the goal of these strategies includes the sharing of experiences, opportunities and other initiatives in the region and in the cultural sector as a whole.
The design and implementation of these strategies is made possible also with the help of the Parliamentary Secretariat for Local Government that is assisting Local and Regional Councils by supporting partners in the regions and the councils within them. This is done with the hope that the objectives of these strategies can be reached efficiently and for the benefit of all localities. The local government sector also has within its resources, Cultural Managers that help and guide partners so that these six cultural strategies and their targets can be successfully achieved.
The title of Region of Culture for the Eastern Region will serve as a platform that demonstrates the unique identity of the region. President of the Eastern Regional Council Anthony Chircop stresses that the Eastern Region is committed to implementing initiatives that involve an active role in the community. In the cultural calendar, the region aspires to honour the roots and unique historic traditions of the region, while celebrating the wide heritage that forms the foundation of our country. Diversity and cohesion between generations and cultures will be an important foundation in the launching and implementation of these cultural programs.
The success of our localities in their implementation towards strengthening our culture and preservation of our national heritage will encourage further Government investment in cultural schemes such as these. The unique cultural heritage of our country is yet another way in which residents in our communities can improve their quality of life. Finally, wide participation by everyone will preserve our culture and national heritage for generations to come.