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European Parliament awards Lockdown Festival Malta Citizen’s Prize
Lockdown Festival Malta awarded the Citizen's Prize after connecting local artists to others abroad and creating a sense of community when the COVID-19 pandemic hit
The Lockdown Festival Malta was held in March 2020
The Lockdown Festival Malta was awarded the Citizen’s Prize 2020, an award by the European Parliament for exceptional achievements by citizens in EU Member States. The award recognises projects promoting better mutual understanding and closer integration between citizens of the Member States or facilitating cross-border or transnational cooperation within the European Union.
For the first time in 2020, the ECP was open to nominations by the public. The prize has been awarded by the European Parliament in the different Member States since 2008 and consists of a symbolic plaque or medal of honour.
This was the first initiative in Malta that aimed to support freelance artists as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The festival organisers reached over 60,000 viewers along with thousands of engagements and hundreds of shares in only five days. Via digital technology, connections were made with artists in Malta and other countries, and a sense of community created, with people watching, sharing and donating to the performers.
The Lockdown Festival Malta brought together 17 acts both locally and internationally to perform live from their own indoors. The festival was streamed through its Facebook page between 20 and 22 March 2020 and provided a space for artists to share their art, bringing positivity and energy to the audiences experiencing it and creating a feeling of togetherness on the web.
Past winners of the prize in Malta include the ALS Foundation, l-Għaqda Każini tal-Banda, the Richmond Foundation, Dar il-Kaptan, Hospice Malta, Puttinu Cares Children's Cancer Support Group, Caritas Malta, and Chris Delicata, President and Regional Chair of the International Diabetes Federation Europe Region (IDF Europe).
This article is part of a content series called Ewropej. This is a multi-newsroom initiative part-funded by the European Parliament to bring the work of the EP closer to the citizens of Malta and keep them informed about matters that affect their daily lives. This article reflects only the author’s view. The action was co-financed by the European Union in the frame of the European Parliament's grant programme in the field of communication. The European Parliament was not involved in its preparation and is, in no case, responsible for or bound by the information or opinions expressed in the context of this action. In accordance with applicable law, the authors, interviewed people, publishers or programme broadcasters are solely responsible. The European Parliament can also not be held liable for direct or indirect damage that may result from the implementation of the action.
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