A one-time event; “Celebrating Team Malta: Honouring Success and Unity”

Jun 12 2023

“Celebrating Team Malta” is a highly anticipated event that will take place on Wednesday, June 14th, 2023, at 7:30 pm in Castille Square, Valletta.

This free event invites families from all across Malta to come together and greet the athletes who represented the country in the 2023 Games of the Small States of Europe. The event aims to commemorate Malta’s remarkable achievements in the Games and demonstrate ongoing support for Team Malta athletes.

Malta’s performance in the 2023 Games of the Small States of Europe was nothing short of extraordinary. With an impressive medal tally of 38 Gold, 30 Silver, and 29 Bronze medals, Malta claimed the top spot on the overall medal leaderboard among the nine participating countries. This outstanding result surpassed Malta’s previous best performance in 2003 when the nation hosted the Games and secured a fourth-place finish with a total of 44 medals. Such remarkable success is undeniably a cause for celebration.

“Celebrating Team Malta” promises to be an unforgettable spectacle, offering families the opportunity to personally meet and greet their local heroes – the athletes who represented Malta in the GSSE 2023. The event will allow attendees to relive some of the most memorable moments from the Games, evoking a sense of pride and unity within the community.

The renowned local artists, Amber and Aidan, who performed the official song of the Games, ‘Shine Your Light,’ will grace the stage with their captivating performances. They will be accompanied by a live band and joined by popular DJs Ziggy and David, creating an electrifying atmosphere for all to enjoy. The festivities will be enhanced with dazzling projections in the square, immersing the audience in a visually stunning experience. The grand finale of the event will feature a magnificent fireworks display, symbolising the triumph and spirit of Team Malta.

“Celebrating Team Malta” is not just a one-time event; it represents an ongoing commitment to supporting and encouraging the nation’s athletes. While the Games have come to a close, it is crucial to maintain the spirit of support for Team Malta athletes. This continuous backing will serve as a driving force, motivating them to strive for even greater success in Maltese sports.

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Jurassic Park was released 30 years ago

Jun 12 2023

The first Jurassic Park movie was released 30 years ago, on the 11th of June (US), 1993.

The film brought the massive lizards to the big screen, with audiences starting to get their first T-Rex scares for the first time ever.

The film racked up $47 million domestically in the opening weekend, becoming one of the world’s biggest blockbusters. In total, $914 million worldwide was made in the initial theatrical run and thus became the highest-grossing film at the time.

The film spawned various sequels, with the new saga starring Chris Pratt seeing dinosaurs running in the streets of Valletta.

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KorMalta, TeatruMalta & ZfinMalta come together in new national agency

Jun 12 2023

Minister for The National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici has launched the newly-formed National Agency for the Performing Arts (NAPA), which has the aim to provide a joint legal, administrative, and organisational framework for KorMalta, TeatruMalta and ŻfinMalta, with the aim of keep pushing the boundaries for further development in these important areas.

Mro Dominic Galea has been appointed first Chief Executive Officer of the Agency.

“As a Government, we are responsible in ensuring further development in the cultural and creative sector. The creation of NAPA will serve as a strong platform for collaboration and a more centralised approach with regards to the joining of forces with the aim of improving futher these crucial sectors,” Minister Bonnici said.

“We believe that through such an entity we can further increase accessibility to the arts, strengthen our creative economy, and provide our artists with a more established platform for professionalisation in the sector,” he explained.

The Agency will also legally establish KorMalta as the National Choir, TeatruMalta as the National Theatre Company and further empower ŻfinMalta as the National Contemporary Dance Company.

“Arts Council Malta is honoured to have brought to life these three entities, which will continue working on synergies and collaborations with other organisations, even on an intersectoral level, and will keep on representing Maltese performing arts also on an international level, whilst guaranteeing a strong curated and consolidated national calendar for the local performing arts sector, including collaborations with other PCOs, and the private sector. These three entities undoubtedly offer remarkable contributions in shaping Malta’s cultural landscape” stated Arts Council Malta Chairman, Albert Marshall.

The Agency will be responsible for the total budget of the three distinct line votes of the three entities, totalling €1.3 million budget whilst securing shared and amortised administration resources such as accounting, procurement, legal and banking procedures, stores, assets, and amenities, archiving and documentation.

The Agency will be governed by one Board of Directors and a Chairperson, while being managed by an Executive Head, a Director of Administration and three Artistic Directors. This will ensure that the artistic vision, development, brand, and identity of KorMalta, TeatruMalta and ŻfinMalta remain distinct, clear-cut and in progress. Each entity’s day-to-day operations and amenities will be set up according to the needs and requirements of its artistic output and cultural mission.

In order to ensure continuity, the persons who used to occupy the position of Chairperson and Members of the Board of Directors of ŻfinMalta will now all be occupying the position of Chairperson and the Board of Directors of NAPA. In addition to this, the Legal Notice establishing the new Agency will come into force with effect from this month, while the Legal Notice establishing ŻfinMalta will be revoked with effect from July. This will be done in order to have a short transitional period in order to make the necessary administrative arrangements.

Alison White, NAPA’s first Chairperson stated that “The Agency hopes to create new performance and educational opportunities and seeks to foster a relationship between the industry in Malta and that in other countries through its international work.”

On his part, Mro Dominic Galea said that “these three entities will be the pioneers – the first tripod – for this entrepreneurial, creative and much needed project, which will be extremely instrumental in the strengthening and development of the Maltese cultural and artistic sector.”

Mro Dominic Galea:

Dominic Galea studied jazz piano with his father Sammy and later in London with British Jazz Stan Tracey. Dominic furthered his studies in composition with Maestro Pawlu Grech and obtained a Masters Degree from the University of Malta in 2010. He also holds Diplomas in Pianoforte Performance, Theory, Composition, a Fellowship Diploma in Professional Achievment, all from the London College of Music, and an “Outstanding Musicianship Certificate” from Berklee in Umbria. Since 1983 Galea participated and won various awards in festivals both locally and abroad namely: Slovakkia, Egypt, Australia, Bulgaria and Italy amongst others. He also won the Best Composer Award at the “Malta Music Awards” in 2001.

Mro Galea’s versatile works include: sixteen Musicals, set music to a large number of Maltese literary works, incidental music for TV shows, Short Film, Ballet, Jazz Suites and other contemporary works. Recently, Dominic Galea was promoted as one of Europe’s leading jazz pianists at the famous jazz club in London.

He took part at the “Bratislava Jazz Days” (1985), where his composition “Horizon” was recorded on a double album featuring international jazz musicians such as Stanley Clarke, Terje Rypdal and John McLaughlin. He also performed in various Jazz and Cultural Festivals in Malta, England, Cyprus, Portugal, Italy, France, Belgium and Germany. Galea produced over thirty albums most of which featuring his own compositions.

He was a board member of Arts Council Malta (2013-2017) and has been a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta since 2008.

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Metsola urges people who do not associate with a political party to “choose their candidate”

Jun 12 2023

During the European Youth Event (EYE) in Strasbourg, an educator from Malta raised a pertinent question to the European Parliament President, Roberta Metsola. The question revolved around individuals who desire to contribute to the European Union but do not wish to associate themselves with any political party. In response, President Metsola emphasised the importance of breaking free from traditional party allegiances and highlighted the role of individual citizens in shaping the political landscape.

President Metsola began her response by acknowledging the prevalent political scenario in Malta. Historically, the country has been dominated by two major political parties, resulting in a polarised environment that fosters an “us and them” mentality. This political landscape has made it challenging for individuals who wish to contribute to the European Union without aligning with a particular party.

Roberta Metsola, being the first person in her family to enter politics, recognises the significance of encouraging individuals to participate in the political process, even if they do not wish to associate themselves with a political party. To address this concern, she suggests a shift from party-based allegiance to candidate-based understanding.

The Maltese MEP highlighted Malta’s voting system, which allows citizens to vote directly for a candidate, rather than solely for a political party. This system empowers voters to choose a candidate they believe in, regardless of party affiliations. By voting for a specific candidate, citizens gain the ability to hold them accountable for their promises and actions.

The EP President emphasised that citizens have the power to shape the political landscape through their votes and interactions with elected representatives. By voting for a candidate based on their merit and holding them accountable for their actions, individuals can contribute to the European Union and effect positive change.

Photo Source: @roberta.metsola @ep_eye @europeanparliament

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