At the end of March 2019, a new entity replaced The Valletta 2018 Foundation (Malta) as our project partner. The Foundation ceased its operations after the completion of the activities held in 2018 within the program of the European Capital of Culture year. The Valletta Cultural Agency (VCA) was established as a legacy organisation of the Valletta 2018 Foundation, and is tasked with sustaining and strengthening the capital city’s vibrant cultural life through the creation of an annual programme of creative events developed in collaboration with artists and other Public Cultural Organisations. The VCA will also uphold standards of excellence in the coordination and organisation of cultural events in the city, while encouraging access and participation by a diverse audience.
Currently, the VCA is building a Cultural Programme via a two-pronged approach. Firstly, it is carrying over projects previously overseen and organised by the Valletta 2018 Foundation such as the Valletta Green Festival, an event which transforms one of the largest urban spaces in the capital city into an artistic space with a large installation made of flowers, while also raising environmental awareness. This year, the installation’s theme highlighted and contrasted the beauty of nature with the devastating effects single-use plastic is having on our environment. Other projects inherited from the Valletta 2018 Foundation include the national New Year’s Eve celebrations which are held annually in Valletta, the Valletta Pageant of the Seas, a bi-annual large-scale event that is held within the Grand Harbour, flanking Valletta’s right shore, together with other community initiatives that were also present in the European Capital of Culture’s programme.
In order to select events that will make part of its Cultural Programme, the Agency is also publishing various calls for proposals for established and emerging artists, collectives and public as well as private organisations to submit their project ideas, thus giving creatives a platform to showcase their work and continue to develop as artists in the local creative and cultural sector.
Furthermore, the Agency is overseeing two legacy projects focused on regenerating the city; namely, the Valletta Design Cluster and the Strada Stretta Concept. The Valletta Design Cluster is a community space for cultural and creative practice which supports and promotes user-centred design as a catalyst for innovation, and a multi-disciplinary approach that can create positive impacts for various communities, groups and individuals. The good practices identified through Design for Innovation are inspiring both the layout of the Cluster space as well as the service offering. The key human contributors to this major regeneration effort are the Valletta residents and neighbouring communities together with cultural and creative professionals in design-intensive practices. Meanwhile, the Strada Stretta Concept organises a cultural programme of small events which inject a cultural element in Valletta’s entertainment area. Both the Old Abattoir site (home to the Valletta Design Cluster) and the Strait Street area were given a new lease of life thanks to the European Capital of Culture program, after having been neglected for decades.
The Agency is also tasked with further supporting and enabling traditional cultural community celebrations which are an important part of Valletta’s social fabric. It will also be responsible for creating a comprehensive cultural plan for the city and with coordinating the bidding process for the next European Capital of Culture city for the Maltese Islands in 2031.
