From today, they are officially sister cities. In this way, they solemnly express their intention to strengthen the cultural, collaborative, and friendly ties they have been forging through various projects and activities over the past few years. The solemn ceremony, held this Sunday under the majestic barrel vault of the Refectory of the Cloisters of Santo Domingo in Jerez and presided over by the mayors of both cities (María José García Pelayo -Jerez- and Briam Azzopardi -Victoria), served to formalize this commitment.

In this context, and with the support of the Jerez Athenaeum, Rabat Città Victoria signed a twinning agreement last November, strengthening institutional ties and cultural collaborations between the two municipalities in their candidacy to become European Capital of Culture in 2031. This process culminated this morning with a twinning ceremony attended by a large number of municipal government teams and representatives from the cultural, social, heritage, and educational sectors of both cities.

Over the past few months, the technical offices of the Jerez and Victoria candidacies for European Capital of Culture have maintained close collaboration, which has already allowed them to define and finalize various shared projects that are jointly included in the cultural programs of their respective bid documents. This series of actions strengthens the international dimension of both projects, involves the active participation of cultural stakeholders from both cities, and shares a common strategy for defending European values ​​through initiatives that, through culture, promote inclusion, diversity, and equality.

To this end, the Culture PIE project, promoting culture through inclusion and equity, has been underway for years with funding from the European Union. Driven by the Ateneo de Jerez, it includes the participation of various cultural stakeholders from Victoria (Malta), as well as other European partners.

To further this collaborative approach, the Alcázar of Jerez (in the morning) and the Ateneo (in the afternoon) hosted an intensive day of workshops yesterday, bringing together nearly one hundred cultural, social, and educational associations from Jerez and Rabat Città Victoria (Malta). Through workshops and specialized roundtables, the aim was to promote cultural projects that champion the values ​​of inclusion, diversity, participation, and equality.

The active participation of these associations strengthens the social and international dimension of both cities' bids to become European Capital of Culture in 2031 and consolidates the twinning of the two cities. Examples of participating associations include Pequeño Orfeo, Jerez Club Deportivo, Jerez Deportivo Futbol Club, Hogar La Salle, Teatro El Ateneo, Scout La Salle, Proyecto Hombre, Musicry, Camerata del Ateneo de Jerez, Siloé, and the Coro del Teatro Villamarta.