Capital's rebirth is Valletta 2018's legacy, minister says

The legacy of Valletta 2018 would be the rebirth of Malta’s capital city, culture minister Owen Bonnici said in Parliament on Monday, dismissing claims the project had fallen flat. 

Winding up amendments to the Cultural Heritage Act, Dr Bonnici pointed to MUŻA, the new University Campus Theatre (formerly known as MITP), and the refurbished Tritons fountain as evidence of the real impact that the programme had had on Valletta.

He also waved away concerns over the the use of direct orders by various cultural agencies, arguing that it was impossible to do otherwise when a specific performer needed to be engaged.

The minister was responding after Opposition MP Karl Gouder claimed that after years spent agonizing over how to use Valletta 2018 to instill a greater appreciation for culture amongst the Maltese, this aim had not been reached, and the events of the past year would be forgotten as they had not left anything tangible behind.Meanwhile, addressing the content of the Cultural Heritage Act amendments, Dr Bonnici insisted the amendments would not, as Opposition MPs had claimed, reduce the power available to the cultural heritage watchdog, but would reduce its duties in order to...