The first ever Carnival float made at a professional level by people with disabilities will be presented as part of the Carnival 2025 parades, the Ministry for Inclusion and the Voluntary sector stated.
The Ministry said that Agenzija Sapport, through the Day Centres, is preparing a special project for this year's Carnival which includes a dance and a Carnival float with the theme "This is Me". It continued that this project not only offers a space of artistic expression for people with disabilities, but also shows the importance of inclusion in society through traditional Maltese culture and celebrations.
The Ministry commented that this is the first time that disabled people are working on a Carnival float at a professional level, which it added is an important step towards more participation and visibility in the community.
It continued that the Carnival project this year includes a unique dance coordinated by the Hal-Far Day Centre where 16 people and 10 employees will participate, including people who use wheelchairs. It added that the dance will include the use of Maltese Sign Language to convey important messages of inclusion and personal expression.
At the same time, the Ministry said that more than 30 people with disabilities from the other 10 Agenzija Sapport centres are working on the carnival float. It stated that this work is being carried out in a Floriana warehouse where different people are working on building the float in varied groups every day. The Ministry continued that costumes and props are being prepared by around 40 participants using recycled material, and it added that the participants have been working on this project since October.
Minister Julia Farrugia spoke of the importance of more projects of this kind. She said that this project not only provides a space for creative expression for people with disabilities, "but also creates concrete opportunities where they can develop new skills and actively participate in a national cultural activity sought by many Maltese". She remarked that inclusion becomes a reality rather than just a word when people with all abilities are given the space and recognition they deserve. "I thank the workers of Aġenzija Sapport who, with so much love and dedication, make sure that this project is a success," she added.
Agenzija Sapport CEO Oliver Scicluna said that the involvement of people with disabilities in cultural events such as Carnival is a clear example of how inclusion can be practiced. He continued that this is the second year that Agenzija Sapport is investing resources and including this project in the list of programs delivered by the Day Centres, with this year's initiative including a larger number of people with different abilities as well as the involvement of all the agency's centres.
The Ministry concluded that this project will offer a unique experience for both the participants and the audience, and added that the dance performance and the float parade will take place on February 23 in Hamrun, February 27 in Zurrieq, and March 1 as well as March 3 in Valletta.