All Malta & Gozo

Valletta’s nomination as European Capital of Culture 2018 includes all localities within Malta and Gozo. In preparing Valletta’s bid for ECoC 2018, it was decided that Malta should present a single bid incorporating every town in Malta, in order to ensure that the positive effects of the award would be spread as widely as possible.

A great deal of work was carried out during Valletta’s candidacy phase to discuss how to make each locality in Malta and Gozo an integral part of the Valletta 2018 process. This open dialogue with each local council led to an agreement with the Local Councils Association (LCA) whereby a single bid in Valletta’s name, backed and supported by each of the 68 localities in Malta and Gozo, was submitted to the European Commission. The Local Councils Association is an intergral part of the Valletta 2018 process, and the President of the LCA is also a member of the Foundation’s Board of Governors.

A number of projects have been held outside Valletta, with projects taking place in various localities across Malta and Gozo.

The Foundation is also maintaining a strong dialogue with each local council to assists councils in strengthening the cultural activities within their respective localities. The Valletta 2018 Foundation is supporting the improvement of funding mechanisms by Central Government to local councils through the Local Councils Scheme. The Foundation is playing an active role within this process by directing the focus of this scheme on the European dimension and excellence proposed by projects within the scheme, aiming to improve quality and accessibility to a wider audience.

The Valletta 2018 Foundation is also highly involved within regional councils, a structure through which the Foundation meets and discusses various issues with local councils. The Foundation will be working to further strengthen these networks throughout the run up to 2018, in order to maintain a healthy dialogue with local and regional authorities across Malta and Gozo beyond 2018.