Hand-over period for old opera house begins

The hand-over period for the old opera house in Pjazza Teatru Rjal has officially begun, according to a news conference by parliamentary secretary for culture Jose Herrera.

He said the government is committed to making the most of the realities of the roofless theatre, adding that the government's aim was to generate jobs within the culture industry.

Herrera explained the meaning behind the name Pjazza Teatru Rjal - "the government wants to retain an historic aspect of this site mixed with the reality of open spaces."

He said it will accommodate 900 people in a seated capacity, or 1,500 standing, and includes various facilities to aid artistic expression.

"The emphasis of the secretariat for culture is to work on establishing synergy between cultural activities and momentous events that will be experienced during this legislation, including Valletta 2018," he said.

He went on to say that the coming month would see various cultural activities taking place during the Malta Arts Festival, which starts on Sunday June 30, and in a few weeks' time, the date will be announced for the official opening of the theatre.

Malta Arts Festival artistic director Mario Frendo spoke about how the space was changed for use in the festival and how performances would be taking place by artists of a professional caliber.

Albert Marshall, chairman for the National Council for Arts and Culture spoke about the balance that must be reached between political and artistic efforts, so as to create a "cultural, comprehensive and inclusive politics".