Gozo Mediterranea festival faces uphill battle

Over 200 volunteers who have Gozo's culture and heritage at heart will be dashing across the island in the coming days to ensure everything is in place before the second Mediterranea festival kicks off on October 30.

Festival coordinator Paul Zammit said the whole team was working hard to develop the concept of cultural tourism yet he was realistically aware it would take at least another three years of hard work before tourists started planning their holiday around the festival.

Organised by the Astra Theatre, the festival has the full backing of the Malta Tourism Authority and Air Malta which are promoting Mediterranea abroad.

A group of 75 foreigners from Austria and Germany will be visiting Gozo for this year's festival, an encouraging increase over the previous year.

"We have learnt that we need to promote Mediterranea two years in advance but very often in the case of the opera's organisation it is very hard to get international singers to commit so far ahead," Mr Zammit said.

However, the opera was the least event which needed promotion and the Astra's hall, which can take up to 1,200, is usually packed by Maltese patrons. This year's opera, Giuseppe Verdi's Otello, on November 1 is already nearly fully booked.

It was the organisation of the opera, which has been held for the past 20 years, which inspired the Astra Theatre to organise a series of events around its annual opera and at the same time encourage more people to spend a few nights in Gozo.

"We want people, both Maltese and foreigners, to visit Gozo and discover its 7,000 years of history and enjoy 10 days of culture, art and good food," he said.

This year's programme kicks off with a feast of Mediterranean gastronomic delights at the Kempinski San Lawrenz Resort and Spa, followed by a celebration of succulent Maltese dishes and wine at the mediaeval Palazzo Palina, within the five-star Hotel Ta' Cenc complex on November 2.

Renowned historian David Trump will be giving an animated lecture on the Ggantija Temples; Carmine Lauri will give a recital at St George's Basilica and the popular group Etnika will be giving a rendition of traditional music.

The programme also includes panoramic walks along Gozo's scenic routes, tours of the island's churches and a concert of Baroque music.

It will come to an end with a grand gala concert of operatic arias, overtures and interludes featuring soprano Miriam Cauchi and the National Orchestra.

"If it weren't for the dedication of so many volunteers and the support from local hotels and the industry we would never be able to put up this festival," Mr Zammit said.

With costs running well above Lm70,000, the organising committee barely makes ends meet and it believes it should be given more support for such an initiative from the government - the Lm2,500 allocated by the Gozo Ministry is appreciated, but it is not enough.

"We make it happen only because we believe in it so much," he said.

Apart from the financial concerns, the committee has been dealt a blow by the introduction of the Gozo Channel's new timetable which, apart from other changes, includes the removal of the 2 a.m. ferry on weekends.

Last week it was announced that the new timetable will be revised but the committee is worried it might not be amended in time for the festival.

"Maltese people are already telling us they will not come to Gozo for the festival unless they are guaranteed a trip back home," said committee member Amabile Zammit.

"Many feel that the way things stand if they miss the 12.15 a.m. boat they will have to sleep over in Gozo. We are doing something good but the infrastructure is letting us down," he said.

Despite these challenges the committee is already planning next year's programme and among its events is an evening of Flamenco performed by Spanish troupes.

"The festival is all about the spirit of the Mediterranean and we are getting other countries to get involved and expose their heritage during Mediterranea," Mr Zammit said.

www.mediterranea.com.mt