In the midst of the pandemic, when larger countries around the world are struggling to provide basic services, the Valletta Cultural Agency continues to build on the hard work and efforts that have taken place over the past years while supporting the arts. Investment in the arts is an investment in our quality of life now more than ever and, despite the hardships being faced, efforts will continue.
By means of a €10.4 million investment, the Valletta Design Cluster – located in a historic building that had fallen into disuse for over 50 years – has opened its doors to designers, artists, creatives and the Valletta community, who may benefit from its membership scheme and the various programmes being developed.
Songs of Hope, a heartfelt performance celebrating the resilience of the arts and artists, featuring leading international singers and musicians coming together to perform a set of beautiful songs from the classical repertoire under the artistic direction of Malta’s Cultural Ambassador Lawrence Renes, will be televised on the 1st of May on TVM at 9pm.
May also brings on the Valletta Green Festival – which will be spreading across the city – starting at City Gate and spanning towards St George’s Square, where the main activities will be taking place. This year’s infiorata is designed by Zach Ritchie on the theme of ‘Zero Pollution’. One may also enjoy the Roof Garden at the Valletta Design Cluster, which is expected to be in full bloom.
Strada Stretta Concept, under the artistic direction of Prof Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci, continues with the filming and release of Loin des yeux du Monde, a performance of the Russian-born composer Olga Vassileva and French author Anna Civert of their cycle collaboration of 30 songs. In the same month, one of Malta’s leading jazz musicians Sandro Zerafa, together with two different ensembles – a duo and trio – will present ‘Last Night When We Were Young’. In this project, which is supported by Arts Council Malta, free masterclasses will be delivered.
The collaborative visual arts exhibition and research project fuse takes place at the Valletta Design Cluster (Il-Biċċerija l-Antika) and opens virtually on the 30th of April. Curated by Elyse Tonna, it responds to the communities surrounding the Old Abattoir building through site-specific, public art interventions by eight contemporary artists and artist collectives.
The photography project TNAX continues with an online competition, while a number of calls will be issued for artists hailing from various artistic disciplines to join the VCA programme.
Due to the ongoing situation, the Valletta Cultural Agency reserves the right to amend dates and other event details at any time. Updates will be posted on this website and on the Valletta Cultural Agency Facebook page .
