Ministry announces European Capital of Culture evaluators

The Ministry for Tourism, Culture and the Environment as the National Managing Authority has announced the panel of evaluators who will be assessing Malta’s bid for the title of European Capital of Culture for 2018.

12 January 2012, 12:00am

2 min read

A selection panel of 13 members is set up to assess the applications of cities bidding for the title. Seven of the panel members are nominated by the European institutions, and six are nominated by Malta. These are: Mario Azzopardi, director of the Malta Drama Centre, theatre director, poet and journalist, Prof. Vicki Ann Cremona, an academic specialising in theatre studies and a diplomat, internationally renowned architect Prof. Richard England, Prof. of Philosophy, poet and playwright Joe Friggieri, Cynthia de Giorgio, curator of St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation, and Sandro Zerafa, Paris-based musician and artistic director.

The seven European members are: Constantin Chiriac (Romania), former vice-chairman of Sibiu 2007 and currently director of the national theatre Radu Stanca; Manfred Gaulhofer (Austria), Director-General of Graz 2003 and manager of many European projects who has acted as chairperson of former ECOC Evaluation Panels; Mr Steve Green (UK) consultant and researcher in cultural policy; Sir Jeremy Isaacs (UK), television producer and executive, and former General Director of the Royal Opera House and Covent Garden; Mr Jordi Pardo Rodriguez (Spain), scientific coordinator of the Culture Lab at Barcelona Media Foundation. He directs and develops projects in Europe, Latin America and Asia; Erna Hennicot-Schoepges (Luxembourg), former Minister for Culture, MEP and member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, currently chairwoman of many national and international cultural organisations; and Dr Elisabeth Vitouch (Austria), a member of the Committee of the Regions' Commission for Culture and local councillor in Austria.

The panel members were chosen on the basis of their substantial experience and expertise in the cultural sector, in the cultural development of cities or in the organisation of a European Capital of Culture. The structure of the evaluation panel guarantees a balance between local and national interests whilst safeguarding the European dimension.

The panel will convene for a pre-selection meeting next week in Malta to assess the application presented by the candidate city of Valletta.

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I am looking forward to this. And to think that the Grand Flotilla of the Tall Sailing Ships and Fleet from all across the World (all 400 Tall Ships) will be arriving to commemorate the end of the Second Great Siege of Malta in a sail around the Islands and through the Gozo Channel ending up in the Grand Harbour. What a fantastic year to behold.