The Socjetà Filarmonika Prekursur has said that on of its main aims is to organise and encourage the organisation of the village feast in honour of St. John the Baptist, celebrated in Xewkija. “In addition to this, the NGO works to strengthen intangible cultural heritage not only in our locality but also in the island of Gozo.”

This year our Society will commemorate the 85th anniversary from its foundation and the committee will be holding an art exhibition with a difference, which is going to give a new dimension to the feast.

The Society said that “after the success of the previous years, where two exhibitions were held, ‘Il-Kult tal-Battista maz-Zminijiet’ and ‘Gozo Celebrates Mattia Preti, 400 years from his birth,’ we were encouraged by many locals to keep this annual appointment. This year’s exhibition will be named, ‘Non Surrexit Maior’ (no one greater than him [St. John the Baptist].”

The exhibition will be held in the third week of June during the village feast. The official inauguration of the exhibition is to be held this coming Friday, the 13th of June, by the Minister for Gozo Dr Anton Refalo, and it will be open to the public from Saturday, the 14th to Sunday, the 22nd of June, 2014.

The exhibition will be open from 10am-1pm and from 4pm till 11pm.

The exhibition, together with the launching, talks and workshops will be held at the premises of the Socjetà Filarmonika Prekursur, 28, St. Catherine’s Street, Xewkija..

The Society said that the artists, were given leeway to express themselves in any medium they like. “After receiving the applications from 10 artists, we were surprised by the different media to be exhibited; photography, oil painting, and ceramics. We believe that this creative and innovative initiative will serve as a platform for upcoming artists.”

“Holding the exhibition during the village feast is not a coincidence,” the Society said. “The aim is to try and encourage people of all ages to get closer and learn more about arts and culture. During the said week, thousands of people visit our village and hundreds enter the building of the Society since it is a landmark that cannot be missed.”

The number of tourists and foreigners, residents both of Gozo and of Malta, who visit the exhibition is increasing yearly and we expect the same this year, the Society said.

The impact of this event is to encourage more people to engage in cultural activities. It will also encourage creative collaborations amongst educational institutions and a partnership between public and private cultural sectors.

“We introduced a new concept to our traditional village festa, including an arts’ exhibition in our village festa programme. Other new artists, especially upcoming ones, will hopefully be encouraged after seeing those taking part in this exhibtion,” the Society concluded.

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