Arts and culture are effective media to promote one’s country with foreigners. They reflect our origins, our identity and our history. This generates further interest in the nation and its people.
With this in mind the EPP-ED Maltese delegation at the European Parliament, during this week’s plenary session in Strasbourg will be hosting an event named Malta Week. We are using this occasion to raise Maltese culture and visibility both within the European Parliament and among the 785 MEPs.
When Beverly Sills said “Art is the signature of civilizations” on NBC TV, on 4 May 1985, she was capturing all the importance we must devote to the arts. A signature is a symbol that represents a person; it is an authorisation in itself. The arts are the symbol of a society; they represent its heritage that was passed on from generation to generation while at the same time influenced by the present.
These types of activities are held regularly at the European Parliament. Events such as exhibitions and cultural events exposing cities, town and regions from the 27 member states give a deeper insight on what makes up the European Union.
This event will revolve in four parts: an artistic exhibition, a photographic exhibition, a musical concert and a reception in which guests will be treated to traditional Maltese food and drinks.
The works that will form part of the artistic exhibition are part of the Caravaggio Quote – Unquote exhibition, which was held this summer. Anton Calleja’s and Gabriel Caruana’s works will be giving a feel of Maltese art in the usually politically-dominated building.
Malta will be more directly exposed thanks to the photographic exhibition commissioned by HSBC. Images of Malta is made up of images that capture scenes and sights of our country. Each photo illustrates the spirit of Malta through our own identity.
The lunchtime concert will see the renowned Maltese musical project Etnika performing in front of MEPs an acoustic set of traditional folk music. With their original sounds, Etnika are exporting our music while at the same time bringing out our Euro-Mediterranean identity.
A proper Maltese celebration is not a celebration, if food and drink are not present for the occasion. In this regard, a number of Maltese chefs will be present in France to bring a taste of our islands to the European Parliament.
This is not the first occasion that such an event has been held in the European Parliament although it is the first of its kind that is being held in Strasbourg. Such activities help us to tell our story and promote our history, culture and identity.
It must be said that it will also be a first for a group of Maltese citizens to visit the plenary session of the European Parliament. This is an occasion to bring closer Maltese society to the European Parliament in Strasbourg and bring the European Parliament closer to Malta.
The EPP-ED Maltese delegation of which I form part is always striving to export Malta to the European Parliament not only politically but also culturally. Following the huge success achieved when we brought over our colleagues of the EPP-ED, the largest political group in the European Parliament, we felt that taking Malta to Strasbourg had the potential of another success story to expose our islands.
With the Malta Week, we will be offering a taste of our culture to our distinguished colleagues at the European Parliament, a taste that generates further interest and intrigues a person to explore more.
Such activities are opportunities to put on display our country’s cultural aspect. It is a chance to present our country in full colour to our fellow European brothers and sisters. It is indeed another occasion to export the Maltese product abroad.
These events should be held on a regular basis and that is why I encourage all the Maltese MEPs to organise such activities. It is very important to promote our country in all aspects, both on a political level and cultural level.
“Without culture, and the relative freedom it implies, society, even when perfect, is but a jungle. This is why any authentic creation is a gift to the future,” said, very wisely, Albert Camus. It is thanks to what we inherited that we could build and mould ourselves today.
Such an activity certainly cannot be held without hard work and financial assistance. I would like to thank all the companies that provided us with valuable assistance to expose our Malta within the European Parliament, an exposure that for sure will help us resonate our country’s identity across the institution’s building and among the people within it.
David Casa is a Nationalist MEP [email protected]
www.davidcasa.eu