Forewords
Hon. Owen Bonnici
Minister for The National Heritage, The
Arts and Local Government
The project Provision of Cultural Strategy Development and Implementation to
Local Councils and Regional Councils led by Arts Council Malta in collaboration
with the Local Government Division and the Local Councils’ Association is
another milestone for cultural development in Malta. I am proud to note that this
project was successfully implemented as part of the project Create 2020 with an
investment of EUR1 million in cultural and creative capacity skills in Malta’s public
sector, through the European Structural and Investment Funds 2014 – 2020.
he Regional Cultural Strategies are another
step towards the government’s commitment
to further decentralise cultural activity and
empower more local communities to lead cultural
development. They also build on the outstanding
collaboration between institutions within the
Ministry for The National Heritage, The Arts and
Local Government, with the valid contributions of
cultural experts and hundreds of stakeholders who
participated in the process.
Culture is an important and legally binding remit
for both Local and Regional Councils, and this was
reinforced further in the recent 2019 reform. Designed
hand in hand with Local and Regional Councils, both the
process leading up to the formulation of these Regional
Cultural Strategies and the tools in place for their
implementation are tangible examples of participatory
governance. As a result, the Regional Councils are now
able to identify cultural priorities which are evidence-
based and adapted to the unique cultural identities on a
local, regional and national level.
These Regional Cultural Strategies will also
facilitate and improve the resource management
of local cultural infrastructure, thereby increasing
opportunities for the cultural and creative sectors,
and making them more accessible. I am confident
that the training given to all Local Councils and
Regional Councils will support the administrative
structures of Local Government to implement
the Regional Cultural Strategies. This government
remains committed to support Regional Councils and
their collaborators to implement these strategies
as we firmly believe that culture is an essential
component for the wellbeing of our communities.
I encourage the Regional Councils to collaborate
wholeheartedly with Arts Council Malta and translate
this strategy into tangible, effective and sustainable
actions that positively impact Local Councils, NGOs,
creative practitioners and other stakeholders involved
in the cultural and creative sectors. The wealth of our
cultural heritage, the diversity of our communities and
the exceptional talent of our people are assets for the
sustainability of our Regions. Together, we can ensure that
talent development, audience development and heritage
innovation, established as the three transversal themes
of these strategies, will lead to more collaborative and
community-led cultural development in Malta and Gozo.
North Regional Cultural Strategy