It was once the notorious entertainment hub of Valletta and now a four-month programme of events on Strait Street aims to "combine the unusual with the accessible".
Under the artistic direction of Kevin Drake, the Valletta Cultural Agency programme begins on September 26 with a series of Monday night film screenings at the Embassy cinema, that include cult classic titles like North by Northwest and La Dolce Vita.
September will also feature a concert commemorating the 'father of jazz' in Malta, Charles ‘is-City’ Gatt, that will showcase a variety of Maltese jazz acts. A celebration of local blues music is also in the works with a concert featuring George ‘il-Puse’ Curmi, which will feature a celebration of tango music as well as the world of legendary Argentinian jazz composer Astor Piazzolla.
December will also welcome an artisan market to Strait Street where artists will be invited to showcase and sell their work. The program is set to finish the year with a musical event Bejn is-Sagru u l-Profan (Between the Sacred and the Profane), a two-part concert that will showcase traditional Christmas music, as as a set by the New Victorians, who will bring the popular and contemporary to the stage.
Strait Street, or Strada Stretta, was once full of music venues, entertainment halls and was the red light district area of the city during the British era.
“Some look at Strada Stretta with nostalgia and see it as the vibrant heart of Valletta’s past,” Drake said.
“I believe that we should celebrate our nostalgia because so much genuine Maltese talent has emerged from here. But nostalgia alone does not account for much of our present needs as artists and it doesn’t look to our future.
“The thought behind this program is to marry the unusual and the accessible, to think outside the box and move away from more traditional ways of thinking.”
Drake added that the programme had plans to continue operating into next year, with plans for theatre and dance performances as well as photography and art exhibitions in 2023.