More money for local councils' cultural events

A scheme to help councils organise cultural activities in their localities has almost doubled in size for 2010, following the involvement of the Malta Tourism Authority.

The government scheme was launched last year when 33 applications were submitted for the €138,000 allocated for events in 2009. Of these, 27 were selected for funding through a selection process - 15 councils in Malta and 12 in Gozo.

This was the first time financial assistance was given to councils for cultural initiatives.

This year, the budget has increased to €250,000 to encourage more councils to come up with events showcasing the localities. The authority, which is pitching in with funds, will also be marketing these events in Malta and abroad.

Launching this year's scheme, parliamentary secretaries Chris Said and Mario de Marco said it was in line with the government's aim of diversifying the tourism product, while reducing seasonality and providing a better distribution of income within the localities.

They explained that the idea was to bring out each locality's identity and tie it in with tourism. The scheme will help create awareness of Malta's cultural diversity.

Dr Said said this financial assistance would hopefully further encourage councils to organise cultural activities to help promote tourism flow towards non-traditional locations.

Localities in Malta and Gozo had great potential and such a scheme was ideal for each one to showcase whatever was traditional in their village, Dr de Marco said.

Military Mtarfa, the Senglea Maritime Festival, the strawberry festival in Mġarr, Mediaeval Mdina and Birgu by Candlelight were just a few examples of activities organised by the councils that exposed the heritage of each locality.

Dr Said said the government hoped the new scheme would also involve a number of NGOs and organisations within localities rather than just the council.

Moreover, more collaboration between neighbouring localities was being promoted so that events would be held every weekend during the shoulder and off-peak tourism months.