Kevin Naudi wants to bring the street art and music culture of London’s Covent Garden to Malta.
The marketing professional will be launching his new venture, Cultural Events Brand (CEB) Malta, this weekend at Fort St Elmo, with the aim of providing a platform for street artists to professionalise and promote their work.
“There’s a lot of enthusiasm for street art at the moment, so the timing is right,” Mr Naudi said. “The more multicultural we can make it, the more it’s going to grow and improve.”
The launch event, entitled Electrifying Elmo, will be held on September 5, bringing together Maltese and foreign street artists, who will be performing throughout the evening, with fire dancing, acoustic sessions, magic shows and more.
Headlining the busking line-up is Australian-born Tony Roberts, a world-class street escapologist, and member of the prestigious London Magic Circle, while Airport Impressions and No Snow/No Alps will be playing the main stage.
Mr Naudi said he was driven to create the new venture by the number of public spaces that are lacking the exposure they deserve, a thought inspired by a walk through the Mosta Bride public garden (Ġnien l-Għarusa tal-Mosta).
“Even well-known locations like Hastings Garden are usually only used once or twice a year,” he said, “often either for small private events or for mass events with huge crowd.”
Electrifying Elmo will be followed by seven flagship events over the course of the year, each in a different location and with a different theme, almost all with a touch of foreign culture. The long-term goal, according to Mr Naudi, is for CEB to evolve into something of an agency, working with buskers to ‘take over’ public areas collectively with their art, and commissioning them for corporate events.
“I want to keep what is raw about street art, while at the same time upping the visuals and branding,” he said. “That’s what’s impressive about Covent Garden, there’s a guarantee of quality.”
This weekend’s launch will be followed by open auditions for street artists, open to everyone from musicians to mimes and jugglers, who, Mr Naudi said, have already captured the interest of several established artists.
Electrifying Elmo is a paid event, with tickets on sale for €15, including admission, food and a welcome drink. A fully stocked bar will also be available. Tickets can be purchased from www.ticketline.com.mt.