Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/352862
Events 42 Vodafone encourages athletes to become leaders Encouraging digital citizenship MADC thanks President for patronage Vodafone Malta has recently sup- ported Special Olympics Malta with the organisation of an Ath- lete Leadership Training seminar (above) held at SkyParks Business Centre which allowed athletes to explore opportunities beyond training and competition as coach- es, spokespersons, ambassadors and board members. The Special Olympics Athlete Programme gives athletes the op- portunity to spread the word about the transformations Special Olym- pics can bring to individuals with intellectual disabilities, and to their families. It also provides a way for athletes to showcase talents and interests that may have gone unnoticed, such as public speaking and presentation skills. Through the seminar athletes were given an insight on the pro- gramme which teaches them how to be interviewed by the media, men- tor and speak up for other athletes, dicuss their opinions with policy makers and prepare for fundraising events and presentations. Naupaca Dance Factory presents Di- vina, a contemporary dance adapta- tion based on La Divina Commedia, an epic poem by Dante Alighieri. This variation will plunge audiences in the midst of truths and meanings, and present it with the entangle- ments and wordiness of the poem in all its effectiveness. The purpose of the allegory can find itself in the body, as the physi- cality and the realness of the danc- ers' movements will further concre- tise abstractions. We believe that a theatrical stage can offer this sense of being in, of a journey being taken, of movement occurring in a spatial universe. Dance, as a medium, would realise these figures, and seek to explore and make palpable the lines of the poem, those facts of life that Dante himself searches for throughout his journey. Divina will open its doors on 17 October at the Medi- terranean Conference Centre with a repeat performance on 24 October at the Aurora Opera House in Victoria. Directed and choreographed by Joeline Tabone; Produc- tion Management by Debo- rah Agius; Concept and Text by Maria Theuma; Produc- tion Design and Cosumes by Luke Azzopardi. In the lead- ing roles, Sergey Kheylik (RU) will dance the role of Dante, Francesco Mariottini (IT) will dance the role of Virgil, and Naupaca Dance Factory's Deborah Agius will be danc- ing the role of Beatrice. Naupaca is launching an online funding system through which we hope to give back to the individuals who invest and show their support towards our dance company. The help we seek ranges from personal donations and extends to large com- panies as stakeholders. Depending on the amount of help received for this project to be real- ized, we will be giving back full ac- knowledgement during both the marketing period and the nights of the performances. The following link is of our on- line funding campaign, which will be opened for public donations in 3 days. For more information about the upcoming production or the funding campaign itself, please visit www.naupacadancefactory.com. maltatoday, Sunday, 27 July 2014 Naupaca Dance Factory presents 'Divina' Internet infrastructures capable of providing broadband download speeds of 30 Mbps or more are available nationwide as opposed to 62% coverage in the EU. This is not the only area where Malta is performing better than the EU average. As at the end of 2013, 79% of Maltese households had a broadband connection, again above the EU average of 76%. Other important statistics show that broadband subscriptions to high speed connections has gone up to 14%; and 66% of Maltese in- dividuals access the internet on a regular basis. Keeping Malta at the forefront of the ICT game is a top priorit y for the Government. In March 2014, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat launched the Digital Malta Strat- eg y, which aims to set out a vision to transform Malta into a knowl- edge based societ y, which by 2020, 'will prosper as a digitally-enabled nation in all sectors of societ y', and already there have been some substantial steps forward. Among the actions emanating from the strateg y there is the eS- kills Malta Foundation, which was launched in early 2014. The Foundation works with partners to implement the underpinning policies, frameworks, incentives and initiatives that will foster the future eSkills for a leading Information Societ y and Digital Economy. "It's exciting to see what has al- ready been implemented and what is currently planned," explains Hon. José Herrera, the Parlia- mentar y Secretar y responsible for Competitiveness and Economic Grow th. "These initiatives will have a substantial impact on the island 's future, especially when it comes to how we will compete in this area on an international level." The Student Advantage Scheme was also launched in the first quarter of 2014 and the relevant sof t ware was made available for download. This scheme makes it easy for students to use the lat- est version of Office at school or home, and they are now able to use various Office 365 Education cloud-based productivit y tools to communicate and collaborate more efficiently, and to access as- signments in shared workspaces. The education sector has been a clear focus of the Strateg y so far. In fact, the Malta Informa- tion Technolog y Agency (MITA) is currently working with the Fac- ult y of Management and Account- ancy and the Facult y of Education to contribute to the Universit y's launch of a new BSc. Business and ICT course, within which MITA will deliver a credit. Also in joint partnership with the Facult y of Education, MITA is exploring a programme for B.Ed students so they can develop an understanding of cross-discipli- nar y approaches and embrace technolog y. "This programme will celebrate innovative teaching and aim to build a communit y of best practice," explains Mr. Tony Sultana, Executive Chairman of MITA. "Meanwhile, MITA and the Ministr y for Education and Employment are collaborating to revise the 'ICT' and 'Computing' curricula, and are working to cre- ate new materials and pedagog y." The Malta Communications Authorit y (MCA) embarked on a number of social cohesion and eInclusion initiatives. The BeS- martOnline! Project, is a national initiative that brings together various efforts for the establish- ment of a Safer Internet Centre in Malta. This initiative aims to raise awareness and educate chil- dren and young people on the safe use of the Internet. Her Excellency President Marie Louise Coleiro Preca met Martin Azzopardi, Chairman of the Malta Amateur Dramatic Club, and two other members of the committee in connection the club participa- tion in the open weekend charity activities in aid of the Malta Com- munity Chest Fund. The Club was involved in the organisation of a performance depicting Maltese festive customs held in the small open theatre within the private gardens. During the meeting, Martin Azz- opardi thanked Her Excellency for gladly accepting to be the Patron of the Club. MADC is proud that the Head of State has been the club's Patron since its formation in 1910. Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice is currently being staged in San Anton Gardens, courtesy of the President's office. The President, Marie Louise Coleiro Preca with committee members of the Malta Amateur Dramatic Club