The Valletta 2018 Foundation has moved into new headquarters to accommodate its growing organising team before the city assumes its role as European Capital of Culture in January.

Culture minister Owen Bonnici, together with parliamentary secretary for V18 Deo Debattista and Foundation chairman Jason Micallef, yesterday toured the new office, adjoining the Chamber of Commerce in Republic Street, which he said would allow the different V18 departments to better work together.

The foundation also maintains separate premises in Old Bakery Street housing the organising team for ‘flagship events’ including the opening ceremony and Pageant of the Seas, led by artistic director Mario Philip Azzopardi.

“Our investment in the foundation is part of a strategic investment exercise to achieve three pillars in the cultural sector: bringing culture to the people, increasing employment within the cultural sector and having this sector actively contributing to our GDP,” Dr Bonnici said.

Dr Debattista stressed that the work done for V18 would not stop at the end of the event, with the government committed to continuing and strengthening the Capital of Culture legacy.

“We will continue to emphasise the importance of not having a highly ambitious programme for 2018 in terms of various strands the Foundation is working on but also leaving behind a legacy to continue working on, thereby ensuring the work done by the Foundation will continue to flourish” he said.