Festalingwi, a one-day festival celebrating language in all its forms, is back for its third edition at the University of Malta Valletta Campus Theatre, on Sunday, October 19 from 11am onwards.
The programme offers something for people of all ages, from reading sessions for babies and toddlers, to talks about topics as varied as interpreting and inscriptions on tombstones.
Younger people are well catered for: highlights include Skont id-Daqqa Niżfnu, a multilingual musical performance by Mariele Zammit, Justin Galea and Albert Garzia, 24 Languages in 24 Minutes by Sean Briffa, and reading sessions by the National Literacy Agency.
At its core, Festalingwi celebrates and promotes multilingualism, encouraging people to learn foreign languages while nurturing their mother tongues. This is why together with opportunities to try different languages, including language taster sessions and Lingo Bingo, it also includes activities such as Kwiżżikk and Żanżan Kelma, which encourage a deeper appreciation of the Maltese language, as well as a workshop aimed at helping parents raise children to speak more than one language.
The festival also has an interactive stand area representing various languages and entities. Here, visitors can try their hand at interpreting in a fully-fledged interpretation booth, or, quite literally, at Maltese sign language, with the help of the Maltese sign language community.
Like previous years, Festalingwi will come to a close with Ħoss il-Malti, a concert showcasing the beauty of the Maltese language through music. This year, trailblazing band Brikkuni will be headlining this concert, with Cher Camilleri and her band opening.
The festival is the local celebration of the European Day of Languages, an annual celebration of Europe’s rich cultural linguistic heritage that is still going strong in its 25th edition. It is organised by the European Commission’s language office in Malta and the University of Malta, with the support of the EC Representation in Malta, and the participation of around 20 different bodies associated with languages, including university departments, institutes and centres, EU institutions, government entities, embassies, cultural institutes, NGOs and student organisations.
Entrance to all events is free, but registration for some events is required, including for Ħoss il-Malti. The full programme is available here.