Fresh plans for a carnival village that will double as a rehearsal space for local bands are being submitted to the planning authority in a scheme intended to eliminate the “silo mentality” in the arts world.
The €6 million project should be completed by 2018. A total of €80,000 has been spent so far to prepare the plans which Culture Minister Owen Bonnici yesterday said would be submitted “immediately” to Mepa .
The five-storey Centre for Popular Culture will be built in Marsa on a site currently occupied by what is known as the Government Garage – which will be relocated – near Albertown.
The lack of storage facilities for floats has bothered carnival participants for years and in 2012 Mepa granted a permit for the construction of a carnival village in Corradino. However, it was later decided that the village would be shifted to Marsa.
Plans will be sent in immediately
The suggestion was welcomed by participants who preferred a site closer to Valletta.
Malta Arts Council festival director Annabelle Attard said the new complex would consist of 20 three-storey warehouses for floats, workshops for grotesque masks and dress makers, rehearsing spaces for carnival dance groups and a section where music bands and artists can rehearse and perform.
There will also be an amphitheatre, an interactive museum and parking facilities.
The news comes 20 months after singer William Mangion, who featured in Labour Party adverts in the run-up to the 2013 election, was controversially offered a one-year contract by the government as a coordinator for promoting local bands.
He was tasked with identifying rehearsal areas for bands and his contract was renewed last June in spite of criticism.
Dr Bonnici said Mr Mangion was involved in this project and would offer technical advice.
The minister said the new centre would bring together different artists under one roof.
“We need to do away with the ‘silo mentality’ that different arts live separately. Artists need to cross-pollinate,” he said.
Also present at the press conference yesterday, carnival director Jason Busuttil said this year’s activities will be “of a very high level”.
Festivities kick off on Thursday with the hoisting of the Carnival Flag and the reading of the Carnival bandu at Pjazza Teatru Rjal, and will come to an end with the Grand Finale along St Anne Street, Floriana.
Once again, St George’s Square in Valletta will remain the centre of carnival. Last year, carnival returned to the square for the first time in 40 years.
Last year’s return of the humorous and irreverent marriage contract known as the qarċilla and political satire after an 80-year absence will also form part of this year’s programme.