Variety of events to mark Intercultural Dialogue Year

Malta will be celebrating the European Year of Intercultural Dialogue 2008 through a variety of events during which the public will be invited to explore different cultures through their five senses.

After the European Year for Intercultural Dialogue was launched last month, the local events were announced yesterday during a press conference at St James Cavalier in Valletta attended by Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech.

Various performances, exhibitions and workshops will be put on, themed around the five senses. These events all form part of Project 5 which will also serve as an inspiration to local artists who will exhibit their installation art.

Vision will be targeted by young representatives of Maltese communities and other communities in Malta who will be taking photographs inspired by their opinions of Maltese culture and the presence of other cultures.

Children will exercise their sense of hearing by listening to stories from around the world through concerts presented by Ned the Teddy Bear.

Taste and smell will be the senses explored during interdisciplinary exhibitions set up in major supermarkets. Here a variety of traditional foods and food rituals will be experienced by the public.

The public will also be able to touch "artecrafts" made according to various cultural practices.

The events will kick off during a celebration, Festa 5, at St James Cavalier on February 22 from 7 p.m. onwards. During this evening, which is free to the public, there will be music, exhibitions and several other activities.

The head of the European Parliament Office in Malta, Julian Vassallo, pointed out that according to a Euro Barometer survey, a staggering 20 per cent of Maltese respondents are not in favour of intercultural diversity.

Project 5 is coordinated by the Foundation Centre for Creativity in collaboration with Atelier, Koperattiva Kummerċ Gust, Arkeo and Robinson Fenech Limited. It is financed by the Europan Union, the Tourism Ministry and National Good Causes Fund.