Mayor’s Reception
His Worship the Mayor, Mr Christian Santos GMD, hosted a reception in honour of all Cultural Youth Festival Winners. The event was an acknowledgement of the hard work, dedication and commitment shown by these artistic young members of the community in the pursuit of their goals.
The reception was one of the first held in the City Hall as part of His Worship’s ‘We Are One’ campaign, highlighting and celebrating achievements.
Summer workshops & Activities
Gibraltar Cultural Services is offering a number of workshops and activities for young people to enjoy this summer. The programme includes two art related workshops at GEMA Gallery with short gallery tours included, and a Summer Reading Challenge at The John Mackintosh Hall Library. This aims to encourage young readers to keep up their reading, explore new texts and advance their reading skills over the summer months.
Tuesday 13th July, 11am: Zoe Bishop ‘Move to Create Workshop’
This workshop will offer a series of games in which children can collaborate in creating art through enjoyable activities. The workshop is suited to children aged 6-11. Suitable and comfortable clothing should be worn.
Monday 19th July, 11am: Ermelinda Duarte ‘Recycling and Art’
The artist will be running a creative workshop using unwanted plastics and non-recyclable materials into art, based on her recent installation at GEMA, titled ‘Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Mandala’. Participants are encouraged to bring clean, empty crisp packets and bottle tops. The workshop is suitable for children aged 10-14.
Summer Reading Challenge at the John Mackintosh Hall Library
Young readers will set their own reading goal for the summer months with books of their choice. They will meet every other week and will be encouraged to discuss their favourite characters, plots, book choices and more. Sessions will be led by young leaders and take place every other Wednesday throughout July and August, starting on Wednesday 14th July, from 11am to 12pm.
Street Art Mural Tour
A guided tour of Gibraltar’s street art. An opportunity to learn about the artists and their murals whilst walking through Gibraltar’s iconic streets. Under 12’s must be accompanied by an adult. This will take place on Tuesday 27th July at 10:30am.
Booking is essential for all events. Call 20049161 or email
development@culture.gov.gi for more information and bookings.
National Theatre Project
Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar has revealed plans for a new “National Theatre and Cultural Hub” at the John Mackintosh Hall complex.
The aim of this ambitious project is to develop new cultural facilities that will include the creation of a 900 to 1000 seater National Theatre, a new national lending library and a multi-purpose performing arts studio. New visual art spaces as well as ancillary spaces that will cater for broadcasting and live programming and will include other mutli-purpose areas, are also part of the vision.
The proposed redesign, construction and expansion of this site supports the Government’s strategic plan for Culture and the Arts. However, given the profound and lasting effect of Covid-19 in the community, the Government cannot at this time commit the amount of funding that this project requires to achieve the standards that Gibraltar will expect. Therefore, as it believes in the importance of this project, it has spearheaded the creation of a Gibraltar National Theatre Foundation, as an avenue for raising the funds necessary to make this a reality.
The Gibraltar National Theatre Foundation will have of a Board of Trustees, chaired by the Minister for Culture, whose purpose will be the raising of funds to make this project a reality. HE the Governor, Sir David Steele KBE, has agreed to be Patron of the Trust. The Foundation will seek support from philanthropists, companies and businesses, cultural entities and trusts, from Gibraltar and abroad.
The Trustees are Peter Montegriffo, Kishin Alwani, Nyreen Llamas, Charles Sacarello, Keri Scott, Dale Cruz and Maxi Torres.
The Minister for Culture, The Hon Prof Dr John Cortes MP commented, “Gibraltar has a rich tradition in the arts since the early 1800’s and today thousands of people take to the performing arts. We have world champions, professional performers in the West End, professional artists, actors and musicians abroad and they as well as Gibraltar, deserve this project that will have ramifications throughout the community.
We need a new cultural hub to achieve the revolution in Culture that the community deserves. Grand, majestic, and modern. A cultural hub that will be a lasting tribute to the thousands of Gibraltarian performers and artists and a major contribution to Gibraltar’s social and cultural evolution.”
CLUBHOUSE COURSE
Gibraltar Cultural Services staff attended an Introduction to Mental Health course, delivered by Clubhouse Gibraltar. Trainers Mary-Anne Nacimiento and Glen Simpson covered a range of sensitive issues which impact and concern the whole of the community, with the overriding message that “there is no health without mental health”.
Attendees received an overview on various diagnosable mental health conditions, risk factors, how to recognise signs and symptoms, and coping mechanisms to use when feeling anxious or stressed.
GCS staff members learned about the vast range of work Clubhouse undertakes in Gibraltar.
