The capital city of Valletta comes alive tonight in a nightlong festival of arts and culture spread out all over town during the Notte Bianca.
This year the festival is expanding beyond the walls of the city for the first time, making use of the harbour and the Three Cities, with events taking place in and around the ferries and public transport areas.
Hereunder is a highlight of some of the activities taking place. Most events run all night, starting at 7pm and ending at 2am, unless otherwise indicated. All events and entry to museums are free of charge.
• Gospel in colourful icons – An exhibition entitled Transfigured Beauty that presents a blend of traditional iconography with a touch of modernity opens tonight at Il-Bottegin ta’ San Martin. The 15 icons are by Nathanael Theuma, a renowned iconographer whose works may be found in different parts of the world. His icons are spiritual works of art that portray the gospel in beautiful colours. Theuma will be on site tonight to explain his works and techniques. The exhibition runs until the end of October with viewings daily from 9am to 1pm and 4pm to 7pm except for Sundays when it is open between 6pm and 9pm.
• Open Parliament – The House of Representatives will be open from 6pm to midnight with guides on hand providing information about the functions of the institution, parliamentary procedure and other matters. Also on site is an exhibition inaugurated during Science in the City yesterday focusing on research being carried out by the University of Malta in the fields of neuroscience, ICT, engineering and medicine. Those wishing to enter the Parliament building will need to present their ID card. Children must be accompanied by their legal guardians.
• Design4DCity – Paris-based visual and audio artists Nonotak Studio will be contributing their unique light and sound creations to the project Design4DCity, an experiment in engaging with city spaces in new and innovative ways. Founded in 2011, Nonotak Studio is comprised of illustrator Noemi Schipfer and the architect musician Takami Nakamoto. In a relatively short amount of time, the pair has become renowned for creating ethereal, immersive and dreamlike sound and light environments meant to envelope viewers. The Design4DCity project will be taking place at the Piazza d’Armi at Fort St Elmo between 9.30pm and midnight and also includes work from Berlin-based activists Urban Action and Maltese musician and sound designer Mario Sammut also known as Cygna.
• Kanvas Karnival – The Big Friends Guggen Musik Malta AD 2008 has a unique and innovative style. It consists of 60 musicians using percussion and brass instruments, most of which are only used locally by this band, such as plastic blocks, huge drums held by straps, wash boards and sousaphones. Hailing from various localities, the musicians also dance and sing during the band’s performances with the musical repertoire covering past and modern pieces, as well as Maltese music. Tonight, the band and its dancers will be joined by hundreds of other dancers from various schools who together will put up a carnivalesque show starting at 7pm and reaching its climax at midnight at the St Elmo Granaries.
• Central Bank – The Central Bank of Malta’s main premises at Castille Place will be open to the public between 6pm and 11pm. Visitors will have the opportunity to tour the Bank’s currency museum with its splendid selection of coins and banknotes in circulation in Malta over the ages, including a display of recently acquired old coins. A special exhibition of fiduciary copper coinage issued during the rule of the Order of St John will certainly whet the appetite of numismatic connoisseurs and the general public alike.
■ More information can be found at www.lejlimdawwal.org. Notte Bianca is organised by Arts Council Malta with the support of Valletta 2018 Foundation, Valletta Local Council, Floriana Local Council, TVM, Shadeena and MSV Life.