Other European Capitals of Culture

Valletta 2018 has a clear message for its counterpart ECoC 2018- Leeuwaarden – and other designated European Capitals of Culture: we are an ‘Environment of Exchange’, open to collaboration with you throughout our shared ECoC journey.

On account of our geography, Malta has, for centuries, been an important place for dialogue and a playground for diverse ideas and experiences. Valletta itself is a city that is a symbol of Europe meeting its Mediterranean dimension. Malta’s marked history of close ties with Europe is an inspiration not only for our heritage but also within Malta’s contemporary artistic works. We are encouraged to open up our horizons and develop current and new partnerships.

Leeuwarden 2018

Valletta will be sharing the 2018 ECoC title with the Dutch city of Leeuwarden, the capital of Friesland. An essential part of our ECoC experience is to forge links with our European counterparts in a bid to achieve the best possible level of exchange and achievement. We are actively collaborating with the Leeuwarden 2018 team to ensure that the links between Malta and Leeuwarden are explored creatively.

As there are few apparent common aspects between Malta and The Netherlands, the collaborations between Valletta 2018 and Leeuwarden 2018 wish to highlight the shared aspects of our cultural and social lives and to show how two distinct cities and countries can work together harmoniously, breaking new ground by exchanging cultural practices and experiences.

One example of this sharing of cultural practices and experiences can be found in our Poetry in Potato Bags project. Building upon the long-standing agricultural and commercial links between Malta and the Netherlands, this project is exploring ideas of artistic exchange between the two communities through the exchange and sharing of poetry from local poets working within each community.

Find out more about Leeuwarden 2018.

Valletta 2018 as a shared experience

Valletta’s European Capital of Culture year aims to be a flagship initiative that reflects on Malta’s identity identity, role and cultural links within a broader European and Mediterranean context. To fulfill this ambition, we’re seeking to involve cultural operators, communities and organisations not only within Malta, but also from across Europe, as well as the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean.

Re-discovering Valletta as a place for exchange and a laboratory for the fusion of diverse European ideas is an exciting prospect for Valletta 2018. This diversity is an opportunity and a tool with which to create a more vibrant and rich cultural programme.