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A must for classical music lovers
posted on 2 April 2012
The 6th
International Spring Festival will take place at the Manoel
Theatre from the 10 to the 14th April. This has
now become a yearly event. In his introduction to the
programme the Artistic Director Karl Fiorini notes that the
Festival “brings together musicians who despite their
diversity, effortlessly unite through their love of music,
an international language that knows no bounds, which they
re eager to impart to each and every one of us.” An
event not to be missed by all music lovers.
Read more;
http://www.teatrumanoel.com.mt/
European Capital of Culture in 2018?
from
The Malta Independent on Sunday , 1 April 2012
In this
opinion piece, Pamela Hansen analyses various Valletta
projects and initiatives and expresses doubt as to whether
ECOC 2018 will eventually be successful.
read more:
http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=142157
Restoring fortifications:
An anthropological perspective
from
The Sunday Times, 1 April 2012
Inglorious bulwarks:
Mark Anthony Falzon offers an interesting perspective of
fortifications and their restoration. “Restoration is
fine but it wouldn’t do to strip the walls of their mundane
history and to ‘elevate’ them to some abstract notion of
heritage. They may soon be a uniform colour but without the
circuses and shady characters and stories they’d be, I dare
say, quite colourless.”
Sustainability and Fort St. Elmo
from
The Times, 31 March 2012
Adoption of
sustainable development principles:
(see post below) In his letter to the Editor and referring
to the SPED, Godwin Cassar states: “In determining
applications for development permission it must be made
absolutely clear that new issues will have to be taken into
account such as energy use and conservation, air quality,
CO2 emissions, biodiversity, health indicators, water
conservation, etc.”
If this
were to happen, the development control process will grind
to a halt. Processing a development application will
become far too complex resulting in endless delays.
There are
not enough personnel within MEPA with adequate planning
expertise (as opposed to experts on biodiversity,
conservation, air quality or whatever). Instead of taking a
holistic view, some MEPA officers seek the refusal of an
application on one particular aspect, blissful ignoring all
beneficial aspects of the project.
I will use
the development applications for the restoration of Fort St.
Elmo and Carafa Enceinte to illustrate the point. (My
involvement in the project is obo the applicant). The
applications were approved recently. During processing,
MEPA officers tried to torpedo the project ( by putting up
all sorts of obstacles and hurdles) on the pretext that the
use of the area as a museum and ramparts walk might (and I
emphasize might) increase traffic and pollution along
Marsamxett Road. These same MEPA officers ignored the
significant benefits that the restoration of this important
historical monument will bring. (Incidentally, they also
ignored the fact that the relocation of the police academy
out of Fort St. Elmo will decrease traffic.)
In the name
of sustainability, MEPA was inches away from doing the most
unsustainable thing possible – obstructing the investment of
15 million euros in restoration and reuse of Fort St. Elmo
and Carafa Enceinte.
(comment by John Ebejer)
Dealing with Derelict Areas
from
The Times, 31 March 2012
Adoption of sustainable development principles: Referring
to the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development
(SPED), Godwin Cassar states in this letter to the editor ,
“The SPED should also require identification of areas
that are derelict, having a high percentage of vacancy,
having low space standards, in multiple ownership and do not
provide decent accommodation, where the intervention of the
government is required to acquire the property for
redevelopment with the participation of the private sector
and the involvement of the current owners who would benefit
from a return on their holding. It is only through this
measure that one can hope to arrest the decline of
population numbers in places like Valletta and the Three
Cities.”
Read more:
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120331/letters/Adoption-of-sustainable-development-principles.413452
Valletta 2018
Candidate European Capital of Culture
By now most people know that Valletta is Candidate City for
European Capital of Culture (2018). But what does it
involve? What preparations are being carried out? How can
each one of use get involved when year 2018 comes around?
Karsten Xuereb - Valletta 2018 Project Coordinator will be
giving a presentation on the V.18 bid for the European
Capital of Culture (2018). This will be on next Thursday
29 March
2012 at 7.15 pm at the Exchange Buildings, Republic Street
Valletta. Everyone is invited to attend.
The presentation will be the introduction to the Annual
General Meeting of the Valletta Alive Foundation.
Restoration works at Grandmasters’ Palace
from timesonline.com, 27
March 2012
Restoration works on Valletta Palace facades underway: The
main façade of the Grandmaster's Palace in Valletta has been
extensively restored and work is currently going on the
remaining facades.
Read more; http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120327/local/restoration-works-on-valletta-palace-facades-underway.413010
Church of Our Lady of Victory
from The
Malta Independent on Sunday , 25 March 2012
Contributors thanked… but much more needed for Our
Lady of Victory Churchrestoration: Noel
Grima reports on a fund raising event organised by Din l-Art
Ħelwa in aid of the restoration of Our Lady of Victory
Church. He gives a brief overview of the historical
relevance of the Church. The following is an excerpt: “OLV
is not just the first church to be built in Valletta in
thanksgiving for the 1565 Great Siege victory over the
invading Turk armada. It was also the first parish of
Valletta, the first burial place (its crypt was the first
burial place of Grand Master de Valette), also the first
meeting hall for the Order’s Council, and also the first
court of the city. Even more than that, while St John’s
Co-Cathedral is a wonderful monument to all that the
multinational Order brought to Malta, OLV is the church that
highlights the signal contributions made by Maltese to
Malta’s cultural legacy. A Maltese, Ġlormu Cassar, built it
and its paintings are by Maltese artists Stefano Erardi and
Francesco Zahra. It is a place that encapsulates the Maltese
identity, that which differentiates Malta from the other
islands of the Mediterranean because only Malta is a people,
a state, a nation.”
Read more: http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=141751
Art Museum proposed for the Valletta Market
from The
Malta Independent on Sunday , 25 March 2012
Idea brightens up cold spring night: Architect
Chris Briffa proposes an arts museum for the Valletta
market. The proposal is described as follows; “he proposes
first of all to bring the building back to the Merchants
Street line of buildings by digging a series of steps down
to what today is the basement of the building and turning
that basement into the first level of the museum. On top, he
proposes a cantilevered extension of the building jutting
out to reach the Merchants Street line of buildings. This
could be an extension of the museum itself but it could also
house the administration offices. It could also provide
shelter for open-air activities such as the showing of
films, concerts and the like underneath it while people sit
on the steps. With access at the lower level, the side
ditches of the building can become artistic venues where
artists can showcase their creations. The clerestory roof
should be restored and the escalator fixed so that the upper
levels of the museum can be opened up to the visiting
public.”
Read more: http://www.independent.com.mt/news.asp?newsitemid=141753
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