The Gozo Regional Council has 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 festival commitment: cultural and European.

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.

The Gozo Region explained that 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.”

He said that 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,” said the Gozo Region.

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.

Photo Gozo Region

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