Editorial

Every effort to bring life to Valletta - day or night - deserves our support. While this World Heritage city may be buzzing with office workers and tourists alike during the day (less so in the afternoons in summer), it is mainly in the evenings that there is a lull. Some actually like the city at this time; yet, for the many businesses that rely on a constant stream of visitors, it is all to the contrary.

First reports on last Friday night's initiative by the Valletta Alive Foundation to bring the city back to life in the evenings, with a stimulating variety of culture and commerce - art, music, museums open until late, apart from shops - show that the initiative has been a success. People of all ages were in Valletta, giving it that atmosphere that cannot be replicated anywhere locally and is seen only rarely in our travels abroad.

VAF teamed up with the Bank of Valletta - commercial support is essential in these ventures - bringing together the unique location that is Valletta (how often do you look up when you walk Valletta's streets, even into the distance and the sea, visible from many streets?) to launch BOV Streets Alive, which continues for the next three Friday evenings. The initiative to create synergy between the arts, leisure and business is indeed praiseworthy.

There should truly be something for everyone, from displays of classic cars to an open air table tennis tournament; street musicians, live bands and entertainers; spontaneous painting sessions and children's shows. There will be organised walkabouts of the city and, of course, late night shopping until 10.30 p.m.

The foundation, in its short lifetime has gone a long way to raise awareness and put Valletta back in the forefront of the national consciousness. Valletta was once our national centre, the fulcrum of society. That has been lost to the entertainment satellites that are Paceville, Bugibba and Marsascala. Yet, without detracting from these locations, Valletta has a place right at the top where nostalgia, class and excellence have a permanent home.

Apart from the BOV Streets Alive initiative, last Friday saw the start of the Malta Summer Arts Festival that will also have Valletta as its central focus. City Gate and the old opera house have been suitably 'dressed up'. The old opera house site has been converted into an open air theatre, hosting a venue of activities and other venues hosting events include Freedom Square, St James Cavalier Centre for Creativity, the Mediterranean Conference Centre and the MITP Theatre.

The organisation and logistics behind this event are enormous and the Malta Council for Culture and the Arts are to be praised for the initiate to hold these events, including exhibitions, dance, theatre and literature. Once the three-week festival is concluded, preparations will continue for another big, all-night event to be held after the summer.

Finally, there is another private initiative, the Strada Art and Wine Festival, aimed at livening up Strait and South Streets in Valletta, now in its second edition. Long may there be many more.

On a concluding note, something must be done to bring Valletta's pavements up to scratch, whether it be through European Union or central government funding. Irrespective of the materials used to build these pavements, a concerted plan should be put in place to ensure that specific streets are targeted for the replacement of their pavements over a number of years.

Some effort at maintaining uniformity would be desirable but if specific materials (not concrete) have been used, like natural stones and lava, these should be retained as much as possible. Ultimately, more than aesthetics, the pavements should be safe to walk on, free of puddles in winter and up to the standards of a capital city, which is a showcase for the country and our heritage.