Qala will be the main host of the second Qala International Folk Festival next month as the local council, in collaboration with the Menhir Qala Folk Group, organises a four-day event that is expected to remain a regular in the annual calendar of events.
The festival is supported by the Gozo Ministry, the Finance Ministry and the Tourism and Culture Ministry.
Being held between Thursday, 27 and Sunday, 30 September, the festival will see the participation of foreign groups from Bulgaria and the Czech Republic together with local groups and bands.
The Shumen Folk Song & Dance Ensemble from Bulgaria and the Danaj Folk Ensemble from Czech Republic will be joined by the Mnarja Folk Group, Ta’ Ciangura San Lawrenz Folk Group and the Aurora Folk Group, as well as the Ite ad Joseph Qala philharmonic band, the Versatile Ensemble and Ta’ Seguna Group with performances held in Qala, Mellieha, St Julian’s and Victoria. An exhibition of locally hand-made crafts will also be set up on Sunday, 30 September at St Joseph Square in Qala.
Speaking during the press conference held yesterday to announce the festival, Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono said that initiatives such as the one taken by Qala local council should be supported as they contribute to culture on the island of Gozo as well as providing an added tourism attraction. Gozitan folk groups and bands have an additional annual appointment to take part in, while the tourism industry on Gozo also benefits through an added event on the island.
Mrs Debono spoke about the link between events organised on the island and the direct impact on tourism in Gozo. She referred to other crowd-pulling events that had been held on Gozo in recent months and said that the success such events managed to achieve prove that culture as a niche area is one to be further exploited to improve Gozo’s potential as a unique destination all year round.
The minister said that the government believes in initiating and supporting events that contribute to addressing the island’s seasonality issue and it is for this reason that it had set up the Gozo Attractions Incentive Scheme earlier this year, had reduced Gozitan accommodation and catering establishment’s annual licence fee by 25 per cent in last year’s budget, had introduced new schemes through Gozo Channel Co. Ltd and is now proposing further incentives and measures in this year’s pre-budget
document Families Growing Stronger.
The press conference was also addressed by Qala mayor Paul Buttigieg – who gave details about the programme of events scheduled for this, the second Qala Internation-al Folk Festival – and St Julian’s mayor Peter Bonello.