In 2012, Malta's capital - Valletta - was declared European Capital of Culture (ECoC) for 2018.  The Valletta 2018 Foundation is responsible for the implementation of the Cultural Programme which aims to foster citizen participation while promoting a European dimension. Valletta 2018 will enable the participation of European citizens and will form an integral and sustainable part of the long-term social, economic and cultural development of Malta. The Cultural Programme is built around four themes: Generations, Routes, Cities and Islands, with a number of activities specifically targeting young people. In conjunction with the Cultural Programme, the Foundation is developing a programme of consistent, accessible and comparable research and evaluation directly linked to culture.

The Culture Directorate is in the process of formulating a new culture policy which looks towards 2020 and beyond. It is the Directorate's intention to target young people in becoming more interested and participative in culture and arts, as well as to build a young cultural audience that appreciates more culture and arts.