The Sliema local council said it will not be holding this year’s edition of the Sliema Arts Festival because no funds were made available from the Department of Local Government.

Unfortunately, due to conditions out of its control, the festival could not be planned this year since the Cultural Fund for Local Government events and activities was issued very late in the day, the council said in a statement.

The council said it has been chasing the Department for Local Government since last November 2016, but it was told that the scheme for funding is to be issued this month, making it impossible to plan such a festival which usually needs a minimum of six months of preparations, including coordination with local and foreign artists.

This is very unfortunate, given that the Sliema Arts Festival has established itself as a prominent and visible stage for local artists to exhibit their works and music, the council said.

It is also very inappropriate on the part of the responsible funding board to assume that such large scale events can be planned within a few weeks’ time, it added.

The Cultural Fund for Local Government usually covered 30% of total expenses of the festival. Without such security of funding at the earliest stage, large scale professional events are impossible to organize.

The Sliema Local Council said it remains committed to reorganize this event in the year 2018, should the funding conditions by the Department of Local Government are sent towards the end of the year, as was always the case over the past years.