The legacy of Valletta 2018 as the EU’s Capital of Culture would come from infrastructural projects – many of which had languished for years, Valletta 2018 Foundation chairman Jason Micallef told Times of Malta.
When Malta submitted its Capital of Culture bid in 2012, it pledged to spend €48 million on the event, of which 50% would go towards programming, 33% on administration and 10-15% on communications. The programme covers the period 2012-2020 and was agreed with the European Commission and its team of experts.
Deadline provided impetus to finally get them done and dusted
The programme included 400 events in Valletta and Gozo featuring over 1,000 people, from artists to workshop leaders. Some events which were already on the cultural calendar, such as Notte Bianca and the Jazz Festival, were given a “tremendous boost” by being associated with Valletta 2018, he said.
Although figures for attendance at all the events are not yet available, the foundation said that over 110,000 attended the opening ceremony, 70,000 went to New Year’s Eve, 40,000 went to the Festa l-Kbira, 30,000 the Valletta Green Festival and 50,000 the Valletta Pageant of the Seas.
In all, it said that 350,000 had attended Valletta 2018 events.
Describing the programme as a success which put Malta on the international map, Mr Micallef believes, however, that the lasting impact would come from the physical infrastructure, such as national arts museum MUŻA and the Tritons Fountain and its surroundings.
In all, over €57 million should be spent over the 2012-2023 period.
Mr Micallef declined to say how much he was getting paid as chairman. His predecessor was earning around €14,000 a year.
What is the money being spent on
▪ €17.3 million for the Triton Fountain, surrounding piazza and the ditch
▪ €10 million on the Grandmaster’s Palace
▪ €10 million for MUŻA
▪ €9 million for the Valletta Design Cluster
▪ €3 million for Castille Square
▪ €8.1 million for various Valletta projects
Note: Some projects are scheduled for completion in 2019-2023