I refer to the review by Jo Caruana regarding the performance by the Notik Dance Company at Pjazza Teatru Rjal (The Sunday Times of Malta, September 14), as well as to the letter by Anne Zammit on September 21.

Caruana remarked that Notik’s performance could have been better attended and asked where were the Valletta 2018 personnel. The following week, Zammit repeated the question and mentioned that Valletta 2018 was also not represented during a concert by the Upper Rhine Youth Wind Band, on September 8 at Pjazza Teatru Rjal.

The Valletta 2018 Foundation appreciates that writers and members of the public are associating cultural activities with Valletta 2018 even when the foundation is not directly involved.

This is appreciated since while Valletta 2018 is managed by a foundation, it is not exclusively made up of its core team of people but also by the audiences that attend and participate in cultural events.

It is not just the structure or a model of an event that makes Valletta 2018 successful since other participants have a vital role to play.

The foundation would like to clarify that at times it is represented (as was the case with the performance by the Notik Dance Company which the foundation’s executive director Karsten Xuereb attended) but does not always draw attention to itself.

Regretfully, due to limited human resources, it is not always physically possible for the foundation to be present. Nonetheless, the foundation gave all the necessary material, physical and technical support possible for the September 8 concert to take place at Pjazza Teatru Rjal.

The European Capital of Culture is about thinking afresh, regenerating city life and citizens’ wellbeing, involving people and facilitating an environment for exchange. Valletta 2018 is not only about highly-visible projects and ideas but also about fostering talent and seeing small-scale activities take shape across the islands and among community groups.

It remains open to meeting individuals, artists, performers, and cultural entities while developing the cultural programme in preparation for the European Capital of Culture year.