Natalino Attard,
Director General, Local Government
Following the last Local Government Reform Process
and the legislative amendments to the Local Government
legislation, the Regional Councils, have had their legal basis strengthened
and have been given more important responsibilities, inter alia the
inclusion of a set of defined functions in the Local Government Act.
Culture sits firmly within this new legal remit, empowering Regional
Councils to be instrumental in regional cultural development.
he Regional Cultural Strategies are envisaged
to leave a positive impact on community-
led cultural initiatives and programmes that
address ambitious objectives to enable all citizens
living in Malta and Gozo to participate actively in
culture. Whilst safeguarding and promoting our rich
cultural heritage we must also ensure that creative
expression is enabled and celebrated across our
diverse communities.
These strategies will serve as a framework for Regional
Councils to collaborate with Arts Council Malta and
implement an ambitious plan that strengthens existing
programmes and creates new initiatives. They seek to
improve coordination between different Local Councils
for cultural initiatives and facilitate the creation of
opportunities for new collaborations with artists, NGOs,
cultural institutions and other stakeholders.
I congratulate the Regional Councils for their
commitment to develop these cultural strategies and
thank Arts Council Malta for initiating this process
with us. We remain committed to support the
implementation of the Regional Cultural Strategies
through various means, but also through our existing
Cultural Activities Scheme and other resources that will
be allocated by the government in the coming years.
Arts Council Malta