New lease of life for 'city for all seasons'

A lease of life is to be breathed into the streets of the capital city thanks to a colourful programme of music, culture and art - the first BoV Streets Alive initiative.

Organised by the Valletta Alive Foundation in association with the Bank of Valletta, it is being held on four consecutive Fridays over a one-month period, starting July 28.

The events are aimed at reviving Valletta in the evenings through a series of artistic and cultural events, and the creation of synergies between the arts, leisure and business, foundation chairman Alfred Zahra said.

BOV Streets Alive was in line with the philosophy of the foundation, a voluntary organisation that strives to regenerate the complete cultural, social and economic potential of Valletta, he added. The evenings include a variety of activities between 6.30 p.m. and 9 p.m., with the possibility of shopping late, until 8.30 p.m., and being served dinner at 11 p.m. Restaurants will be remaining open to cater for and encourage the patrons of the Malta Arts Festival to remain in the city for after-performance dining.

A select number of shops will also be offering special discounts on the four consecutive Fridays, Mr Zahra said.

Outlining the programme of events at the Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise, in Valletta, foundation deputy secretary Claude Zammit Trevisan said it also includes live musicians, spontaneous painting by visual artists, children's entertainment, a classic car show and sport exhibitions, including open-air table tennis and karate.

Museums will be staying open, with last visits at 8.30 p.m. and special discounts, while guided walking tours will be held at 7.30 p.m.

Most events will be taking place in Republic and Merchants' streets, while the main stage will be set up in front of the law courts, Mr Zammit Trevisan said, auguring that Streets Alive would become part of the annual cultural calendar.

Tourism and Culture Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said that one of the benefits of cultural events was that they generated economic activity.

He referred to what are known as "the creative industries" - activity that emanates from the arts and leads to revenue - in Europe, adding that BOV Streets Alive showed that the concept worked in Malta too.

The initiative is complementing the Malta Arts Festival, organised by the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts, extending it into the streets, and bringing life, animation and character into the capital city, outside normal office, or shopping hours, Dr Zammit Dimech added.

It seeks to extend the programme of the Malta Arts Festival, which consists of 25 major cultural activities, spread over a period of 24 days from July 28 to August 20, into the city streets. Valletta mayor Paul Borg Olivier said the foundation, set up about 18 months ago, was the fruit of synergy between all stakeholders in Valletta.

Never before have there been so many initiatives in Valletta by both the government and the private sector, and it was a cliché that the capital city was dead in the evenings, Dr Borg Olivier said. It has strongly secured cultural activities even in summer, becoming "a city for all seasons", offering quality initiatives on a regular basis.

BOV CEO Tonio Depasquale said the bank has supported the Valletta Alive Foundation since inception and hoped its backing would contribute towards enlivening Valletta's streets.