Gozo Region joins EFFE Seal European Network to continue celebrating our identity and connecting our island
The Gozo Regional Council signed a memorandum of agreement with the European Festivals Association (EFA) to join the European network of EFFE Seal.
The EFFE Seal invites cities and regions to be recognised for their contribution and collective process with their festival community. It also serves as a recognition for territories that wish to integrate their development and image with a strong cultural and European festival commitment. The EFFE Seal for Festival Cities and Regions was launched during the Arts Festivals Summit 2022 in Armenia and has been progressively growing since then: today, this initiative gathers 29 cities and regions across Europe.
During this year’s Arts Festivals Summit 2024 at the Usedom Music Festival, 11 Regions and Cities joined the ever-growing collaborative network. The Gozo Region and the regions of Olomouc (Czech Republic), and Västra Götaland (Sweden), together with the cities of Greifswald (Germany), Kutaisi (Georgia), Martina Franca (Italy), Miedzsyzdroje (Poland), Ostseebad Heringsdorf (Germany), Pristina (Kosova), Prizren (Kosova), and Wolgast (Germany) joined the network. These additions reinforce and enlarge the wish for more diversity, inclusion and relevance at a geographical and artistic level. The recipients of the EFFE Seal are recognised for their achievements towards their festivals and it ensures commitment to future collaborations from all recipients.
Gozo Region President Dr. Samuel Azzopardi commented “We are honoured to join the EFFE Seal community, demonstrating our commitment to nurturing the enriching contributions that arts festivals bring to life in our communities across Gozo. By joining this network, we affirm our commitment to celebrate our local culture and embrace fundamental European values through festivals, as well as to foster connections within the broader European cultural landscape.”
Gozo offers a vibrant and varied calendar thanks to creative and hard-working artistic NGOs and government organisations. This was recognised by the European Festivals Association, and they felt that we could be a great addition to their flourishing network, one that strives to collaborate and find the best practices, environmental and social sustainability, and work for the common goals of the arts and our respective communities.
During the Usedom Arts Festival, some 200 delegates from 51 countries conversed on the topic ‘Awareness, Caring and Connectivity’. The need to focus on the arts, the role of festivals in reaching out to all citizens, social change and one that calls for free spaces, peace and the careful treatment of people and the planet, was once more highlighted from different angles.
“We need to remind ourselves constantly about our role in advocating for dialogue and peace. Arts festivals are ready to work together with their cities and regions, to put into practice the transformative power of the arts,” said Jan Briers, President of the European Festivals Association.
Ir-Reġjun ta’ Għawdex ingħaqad mal-komunita’ EFFE Seal European Network biex inkomplu niċċelebraw l-identità tagħna u naqsmu l-kultura tagħna ‘il barra minn xtutna.
Il-Kunsill Reġjonali ta’ Għawdex iffirma ftehim tad-dħul mal-Assoċjazzjoni Ewropeja tal-Festivals (EFA) biex jissieħeb man-netwerk Ewropew tal-EFFE Seal.
L-EFFE Seal jistieden lill-bliet u r-reġjuni biex jkunu rikonoxxuti għall-kontribut u l-proċess kollettiv tagħhom mal-komunitajiet tal-festivals tagħhom. In-netwerk iservi wkoll bħala rikonoxximent għat-territorji li jixtiequ jintegraw l-iżvilupp u l-immaġni tagħhom b’impenn qawwi ta’ festival: kulturali u Ewropew. L-EFFE Seal għall-Bliet u r-Reġjuni tal-Festival tnieda waqt is-Summit tal-Festivals tal-Arti 2022 fl-Armenja u minn dakinhar għadu ma waqafx jespandi. Illum, din l-inizjattiva tiġbor 29 belt u reġjun madwar l-Ewropa.
Matul is-Summit tal-Festivals tal-Arti ta’ din is-sena, fil-Festival tal-Mużika ta’ Usedom, 11-il Reġjun u Belt ingħaqdu man-netwerk kollaborattiv li dejjem qed jikber. Ir-Reġjun ta’ Għawdex u r-reġjuni ta’ Olomouc ġewwa ir-Repubblija Ċeka, u Västra Götaland fl-Iżvezja, flimkien mal-bliet ta’ Greifswald, Wolgast u Ostseebad Heringsdorf fil-Ġermanja, Kutaisi fil-Ġeorġja, Martina Franca fl-Italja, Miedzsyzdroje fil-Polonja, Pristina u Prizren fil-Kosovo, ingħaqdu man-netwerk. Dawn iż-żidiet isaħħu u jkabbru x-xewqa għal aktar diversità, inklużjoni fuq livell ġeografiku u artistiku. Dawk li jirċievu l-EFFE Seal huma rikonoxxuti għall-kisbiet tagħhom fil-festivals tagħhom u kif ukoll dan ir-rikonoxximent jgħaqqadhom aktar flimkien, f’impenn għal kollaborazzjonijiet futuri.
Il-President ta’ Reġjun Għawdex, Dr Samuel Azzopardi ikkummenta “Aħna onorati li qed ningħaqdu mal-komunità EFFE Seal, u nuru l-impenn tagħna biex inrawmu l-kontribuzzjonijiet vibranti sabiex il-festivals tal-arti jagħtu l-ħajja fil-komunitajiet tagħna madwar Għawdex. Billi dħalna f’dan in-netwerk, naffermaw l-impenn tagħna li niċċelebraw il-kultura lokali tagħna u nħaddnu l-valuri fundamentali Ewropej permezz ta’ festivals, kif ukoll li nrawmu konnessjonijiet fi ħdan il-pajsaġġ kulturali Ewropew usa’.”
Għawdex joffri kalendarju vibranti u varjat grazzi għal NGOs artistiċi u organizzazzjonijiet tal-gvern kreattivi u li jaħdmu bla waqfien. Dan ġie rikonoxxut mill-Assoċjazzjoni Ewropea tal-Festivals, u ħassew li nistgħu nkunu żieda kbira man-netwerk tagħhom li qed jiffjorixxi, netwerk li jistinka biex jikkollabora u jsib l-aħjar prattiki, sabiex itejjeb is-sostenibbiltà ambjentali u dik soċjali, u jaħdem għall-għan komuni tal-komunitajiet rispettivi tagħna.
Waqt il-Festival tal-Arti ta’ Usedom, madwar 200 delegat minn 51 pajjiż tkellmu dwar is-suġġetti ta’ “Awareness, Caring & Connectivity”. Il-ħtieġa li niffukaw fuq l-arti, l-irwol tal-festivals fis-soċjeta’, il-bidla soċjali, l-paċi globali u kif ukoll it-trattament xieraq tan-nies u l-pjaneta tagħna, reġgħu ġew enfasizzati minn angoli differenti.
“Għandna bżonn infakkru lilna nfusna kontinwament dwar l-irwol tagħna fil-mixja għall-paċi. Il-festivals tal-arti huma lesti li jaħdmu flimkien mal-ibliet u r-reġjuni tagħhom, biex ipoġġu fil-prattika l-qawwa trasformattiva tal-arti,” qal Jan Briers, President tal-Assoċjazzjoni Ewropea tal-Festivals.