Jingħata bidu għal Malta Pride 2021, din is-sena bit-tema #YouAreIncluded b’wirja ta’ arti b’xogħlijiet t’artisti LGBTIQ+
Il-Ministru għall-Ugwaljanza, Ir-Riċerka u l-Innovazzjoni Owen Bonnici u l-Ministru għall-Wirt Nazzjonali, l-Arti u l-Gvern Lokali Jose Herrera nedew 'Refraction', wirja tal-arti li tinkludi xogħlijiet minn diversi artisti LGBTIQ+ internazzjonali u lokali li qed timmarka l-ftuħ ta’ Malta Pride 2021. Il-wirja qed issir ġewwa Spazju Kreattiv u se tibqa' għaddejja għal 6 ġimgħat mill-10 ta' Settembru, 2021.
Din il-wirja hija biss l-ewwel avveniment minn programm ta’ attivitajiet varjati organizzat mill-Allied Rainbow Communities (ARC) bħala parti mill-Malta Pride Week 2021 bit-tema #YouAreIncluded.
Fid-diskors tiegħu għall-okkażjoni, il-Ministru għall-Ugwaljanza, Riċerka u Innovazzjoni Owen Bonnici qal: "Malta għamlet passi kbar 'il quddiem fil-qasam tad-drittijiet tal-persuni LGBTIQ+ mill-2013 sal-lum u dawn id-drittijiet li ksibna flimkien f'Malta huma kkunsidrati bħala mudell għal pajjiżi Ewropej oħra u dan għandu jagħmilna tassew kburin."
"Xorta waħda, għad fadal ħafna aktar xogħol xi jsir," kompla l-Ministru Bonnici, "U din hija r-raġuni għaliex "Pride" għadu rilevanti u għandu jibqa’ jiġi ċċelebrat. Ma naffordjawx li nagħlqu għajnejna, u nieħdu dawn id-drittijiet for granted, għax għad hawn wisq nies madwar id-dinja li għadhom oppressi sempliċement għax huma dak li huma. F'dan il-qasam, Malta tista' tassew tkun ta’ eżempju u fl-istess waqt irridu nkomplu nsawru kommunitajiet f'pajjiżna li jilqgħu d-diversita' u l-ugwaljanza."
Il-Ministru għall-Wirt Nazzjonali, l-Arti u l-Gvern Lokali Jose Herrera qal li, “Spazju Kreattiv ġie stabbilit sabiex jemfasizza l-liberta’ tal-artisti u l-kreattivi tagħna. Dan il-forum jgħożż u japprezza d-diversità bis-sħiħ. Għalhekk huwa xieraq li l-Malta Pride Week tibda propju minn Spazju Kreattiv.”
Il-President tal-ARC Clayton Mercieca qal li, "It-tema ta’ din is-sena ‘You Are Included’ taċċenna għall-importanza li avolja mxejna ħafna ’l quddiem f’dan il-qasam għad hemm ħafna xogħol x’isir fejn tidħol edukazzjoni, saħħa, attitudnijiet u fl-identita’ tal-ġeneru qalb dawk li huma minoranza f’minoranza.”
Is-Sur Mercieca kompla jispjega li l-wirja Refraction hija aktarx l-ewwel wirja tax-xorta tagħha f’Malta fuq din l-iskala.
Iċ-Ċermen tal-Fondazzjoni Kreattività Rupert Cefai tenna li huwa kuntent li Allied Rainbow Communities għazlu li jniedu l-programm ta' Malta Pride Week propju fi Spazju Kreattiv u li fost l-attivitajiet għal din iċ-ċelebrazzjoni hemm l-aspett kreattiv.
“Wieħed mill-għanjiet tal-Fondazzjoni huwa li tkun katalista tad-diversità fejn tkompli tiżviluppa oqsma fis-settur kulturali li huma ħafna drabi injorati u tagħti vuċi lil artisti permezz tal-arti tagħhom. Għaldaqstant huwa importanti li nkomplu noħolqu opportunitajiet u nassistu artisti ta' għada fis-settur kreattiv Malti,” tenna s-Sur Cefai.
L-esebizzjoni REFRACTION li tifforma parti mill-programm holistiku ta' Spazju Kreattiv 2021-22 kif ukoll ta' Malta Pride Week fetħet il-bibien tagħha waqt l-istess tnedija u tibqa' miftuħa sal-24 t' Ottubru u twassal il-messaġġ ta' ċelebrazzjoni ta’ dak li huwa ġeneralment emarġinat, minsi, jew miftiehem ħazin; kif ukoll hija rikonoxximent li l-ġlieda kontinwa għad-drittijiet LGBTIQ+ hija waħda globali.
Minħabba l-pandemija, il-Pride March dis-sena ma setax isir billi ġeneralment jattira eluf lejn it-toroq tal-Kapitali. Madankollu l-organizzaturi qed jippreżentaw programm ta' avvenimenti biex jiċċelebraw l-inklużjoni u d-diversità, iqajmu għarfien dwar kwistjonijiet pertinenti għall-komunità LGBTIQ+ u jipprovdu opportunitajiet biex il-komunita’ tkun tista’ terġa’ tiltaqa’ u tingħaqad b'rispett sħiħ għar-regolamenti tal-Awtorita’ tas-Saħħa.
L-attivitajiet għal Pride ta' din is-sena se jibdew il-Ġimgħa 10 ta' Settembru u jibqgħu sejrin sal-Ħadd 19 ta' Settembru, u se jvarjaw minn wirjiet sa diskussjonijiet, diskorsi, u anke’ kunċert fil-Ġonna tal-Argotti il-Furjana. Diversi stabbilimenti differenti se joffru opportunitajiet ta’ soċjalizzazzjoni għall-komunita’ dejjem skont ir-regolamenti maħruġa mill-Awtoritajiet tas-Saħħa.
Aktar informazzjoni tista' tinstab fuq is-sit uffiċjali tal-Malta Pride www.maltapride.org.
PRESS RELEASE BY THE MINISTRY FOR EQUALITY, RESEARCH AND INNOVATION AND THE MINISTRY FOR THE NATIONAL HERITAGE, THE ARTS AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
Malta Pride 2021 with the theme #YouAreIncluded is launched with an art exhibition showcasing work from LGBTIQ+ artists
The Minister for Equality, Research and Innovation Owen Bonnici and the Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Jose Herrera launched ‘Refraction’, an art exhibition featuring works by various international and local queer artists, that is marking the opening of Malta Pride 2021. The exhibition is taking place at Spazju Kreattiv and will run for 6 weeks starting from the 10th of September.
This exhibition is only the first event of a packed programme organized by the Allied Rainbow Communities (ARC) as part of Malta Pride Week 2021 which will carry the theme #YouAreIncluded.
In his speech for the occasion, the Minister for Equality, Research and Innovation Owen Bonnici said: “Malta has made huge strides forward in the area of LGBTIQ rights since 2013 and today Malta is considered to be a trailblazer in Europe in so far as LGBTIQ rights are concerned and this should make us truly proud to be Maltese.”
“Still, there is much more work to be done,” Minister Bonnici continued, “And this is why ‘Pride’ is still relevant and still needs to be celebrated. We do not afford to let our guards down, and take these rights for granted, as far too many people around the world are still oppressed simply for being who they are. In this area, Malta can truly lead by example and at the same time we have to keep fostering communities which embrace diversity and equality."
The Minister for the National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Jose Herrera said, “Spazju Kreattiv was established to emphasise the freedom of our artists and creatives. This being the case, this forum embraces wholeheartedly diversity. Thus, it was only right and fitting that the Malta Pride Week was launched from Spazju Kreattiv.”
ARC President Clayton Mercieca said, “This year’s theme ‘You Are Included’ reminds us that even though we’ve made great steps forward in this area, there is still much work to be done with regards to education, health, attitudes and gender identity among those who are a minority within a minority.”
Mr Mercieca went on to explain that Refraction is probably the first exhibition of its kind in Malta on this scale.
Fondazzjoni Kreattivita’ Chairman Ruper cefai said that he is glad that Allied Rainbow Communities chose to launch Malta Pride Week from Spazju Kreattiv and that there is a creative aspect in their celebration.
“This foundation aims to be a catalyst for diversity to keep developing in the cultural sector, and to give a voice to artists through their art. So it is very important to keep creating opportunities and assisting tomorrow’s artists in the Maltese creative sector,” Mr Cefai stated.
“The REFRACTION exhibition forms part of Spazju Kreattiv’s 2021-22 holistic programme, as well as forming part of Malta Pride Week, which is being launched during the same event. The exhibition is open till the 24th October and aims to celebrate that which is usually excluded, forgotten or misunderstood. It is also the recogition of the continuous global fight for LGBTIQ+ rights.” Mr Cefai continued.
Despite having to cancel Pride March due to the pandemic, as it generally attracts thousands to the streets of the Capital, the organizers have put together a programme of events to celebrate inclusion and diversity, highlight issues that are pertinent to the LGBTIQ community and provide opportunities to connect once again, in full respect of regulations of the Health Authorities.
The events for this year’s Pride will run from Friday the 10th September to Sunday 19th September and will range from exhibitions to discussions, speeches, performances and even a concert at Argotti Gardens in Floriana. Opportunities for socialization and community gatherings will be aplenty and held in various different establishments, all within the regulations issued by the Health Authorities.
Further information can be found on the Malta Pride official website www.maltapride.org.
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