Valletta has launched a preview of its 2018 European Capital of Culture program. A collection of artistic, cultural, and community projects as well as festivals and carnivals, the island is thrilled to be showcasing its eclectic history and heritage.
The program will kick off with a ceremony on 20th January 2018 to mark Vallettaโs crown as Europeโs Capital of Culture 2018. As part of the opening festivities, various dynamic shows will be using Vallettaโs open squares, namely the Triton Fountain, Castille Square, St. Johnโs Square and St. Georgeโs Square, as the backdrop for their performance, which will include the participation of international acrobatics company La Fura Dels Baus, performances by ลปfinMalta dancers and digital projections around the city.
Valletta 2018 Chairman Jason Micallef said, โThe European Capital of Culture festivities will take on the spirit of an island-wide festa, an event where people and families meet to celebrate and talk and which serves to infuse localities with warmth, life and colour, while bringing the community together.โ
โThe Valletta 2018 Cultural Program is filled with innovative participatory cultural events, performances and projects, the likes of which have never been seen in Malta before. It is a great opportunity for people to come together and participate in arts and culture,โ Program Coordinator Margerita Pulรจ said.
The program also includes Valletta 2018โs multi-site visual arts exhibition curated by internationally renowned curator Maren Richter, Aฤงna Refuฤกjati – an operatic work by young Maltese composer Mario Sammut, Altofest Malta – a Maltese edition of the Naples arts festival hosting interdisciplinary projects in diverse spaces โ and Malta Calls; a set by international DJ Per QX, dances from ลปfinMalta and projections by London-based artists Shaun Prickemage and Dan Strutt.
Peter Vella, MTAโs UK Director is looking forward to the program: โThe whole city of Valletta is a Unesco World Heritage siteโฆ the city needs to be discovered and Valletta 18 is an amazing opportunity to make the UK aware of its beautyโ. There will be plenty of incentives for British holidaymakers to travel to Malta to discover Valletta themselves during the celebratory year, with airlines and tour operators expected to join in with the promotion of the program.
However, the city will revel its title of European Capital of Culture long after the program ends: โThe Valletta 2018 is a long term project to preserve the cultural heritage and create a legacy that is enjoyed by locals and tourists alike to foster cultural heritage as a reflection of our identity as Maltese, Mediterranean and Europeanโ, said Minister for Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici.