Leeuwarden

The theme of the Leeuwarden-Friesland programme for 2018 is "iepen mienskip", open community. With more than 800 projects, the aim is to show an open community to the Netherlands and the rest of Europe, including being sensitive to and curious about each other’s ideas, opportunities and challenges. Among the 800 events are an exhibition of Escher’s work, the graphic artist who was born in Leeuwarden; Tall Ship Races, a theatre play with 100 Frisian horses; and the cultural landscape project Sense of Place.

Dutch ALDE member Jan Huitema, who is an active partner in a family-owned dairy farm in Friesland, which is also known as Fryslân, said: “As a born Frisian, Fryslân is and will remain my home. I am proud of the land, the water, the space and the hard-working entrepreneurial people. I think it is important to see that during Leeuwarden Cultural Capital, these elements will be combined to close the gap between the city and the countryside. In addition, Europe will get to discover Leeuwarden’s hospitability.”

Valletta

The Valletta 2018 programme is a collection of more than 140 projects and 400 events. At the centre of the programme are several infrastructure projects designed to evolve and expand well beyond 2018, such as the Valletta Design Cluster, a project to transform the abandoned Old Abattoir site into a hub for community and economic development. Among the other events include the Valletta Pageant of the Seas, a spectacle in the Grand Harbour; the Malta International Jazz Festival; and Notte Bianca, an evening during which people can visit numerous museums and cultural spaces for free.

Maltese EPP member Francis Zammit Dimech, a former minister of tourism and culture in Malta, said: “I am proud that Malta’s capital city Valletta has been declared the Capital City of Culture in Europe. To me it represents so much of our European heritage, identity and history. Please visit and appreciate Malta’s capital city.”