Antoine Farrugia, new artistic director for the biggest festival in the capital, tells Ramona Depares about how he intends to leave his mark.

You’ve been working on Notte Bianca for a long while. To what do you attribute its popularity with people? 

I’m not sure but this might be my 10th or 11th edition,  as I have had the role of production designer for the last four  years. Let’s face it, the Maltese people love to cheer and celebrate. I can easily give you the usual rhetoric statement that Notte Bianca is the biggest event in Valletta and so forth, but the truth is that this particular festival is an important platform not only for those ambitious artists grabbing the opportunity to show their creativity. It is also a great event for an audience with high expectations. I believe that it has become an annual appointment for all without exception. 

There is also the fact that all events are open for free. However, popularity might be interpreted in various ways. It may be popular because it is a bustling event, or maybe because it includes various arts genres, or maybe for the huge amount of outdoor spaces where to dine or maybe even simply for its quality of entertainment. 

When did work on this year’s programme begin? 

We started straight away after the previous edition. Our main objectives were two. To have a  proper visitors’ strategy to reduce queues, bottlenecks and to reduce time taken  from one project to another and, we also had the very hard task to transform Notte Bianca into a performing arts festival were all the importance is given to the artist and his act.

Will you be bringing your signature to the event? What changes can we expect? 

Yes. I hope so, of course. I cannot accept a situation where an artist takes the event for granted. I am working hard to change a perception that for Notte Bianca we can reproduce something that was already performed elsewhere. Nowadays, our audiences flock everywhere and visit every single festival and event. This could easily be a dangerous trap for us since they might choose not to deal with heavy crowds just  to experience something that had been already produced. I don’t mean that, for instance,  a band cannot play a song that has already been played elsewhere, of course. But without any doubts, we can produce a spectacle than a mere repetition, we can produce a show  with some magical moments. And the artists are very happy to do that. 

Your speciality is fine arts – will we be seeing a bigger presence of that during this year’s event? 

No. However, I am giving an important highlight to MUŻA. In fact, the museum has been included on our television commercials, with one of the promos filmed on site. 

Will the presence of MUŻA be affected by the recent mould infestation? 

To be honest, the mould does not really trouble me. There are other issues that I would have done differently. But this may not be the right channel to speak about my feelings.

What are the biggest challenges organising this nature of event?

 We are producing a mass event in a living city with residents, an important business community and various commitments such as State appointments. So we have to find the best solutions to all this. The public needs to bear in mind that we also take care of the rubbish collections. We want to produce the best in respect to our audience but without being invasive to the everyday living in the city.

Can you mention some of this year’s highlights that you are looking forward to? 

It-Tfajla li Stunat, a musical jury written and directed by Simon Bartolo  shall be produced in the actual court main hall where juries are celebrated.  Can you imagine the thrill of performing in the law courts? The main stage will hold a glamourous show for those who love to party,  with a vast music offering  from folk to RnB, pop to blues and to close with a vocal gig from Christina Novelli and JJoy. Pjazza Teatru Rjal will host an official opening for the festival with a concert by Malta Youth Orchestra with tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens, mezzo-soprano Claire Ghigo, singer Jasmine Abela and some fantastic surprises. 

We will also have high quality choreographed dancing acts from Moveo, Żfin Malta, Zugraga, Cheryl Lofreda and many others. There will be theatre productions in various halls and spaces around Valletta, one of which I really look forward to is NotteImprov at Valletta Campus. There is also a contemporary circus and a children’s theatre in Piazza d’Armi at Fort St Elmo. Look out for one of the best European clowns, as there will be a number roaming around. Maestro Libertucci, the Vatican organist, will be giving concerts in St John’s Co-Cathedral. Then we have the red route, hosting shows for an adult audience such as the seductive tango, burlesque and sensual jazz during the early hours. One must follow his preferred route to plan his visit and enjoy as much as possible from what we are presenting.

How do you see the event growing in future years? 

I believe that we have to focus on the principal factors: audience and the artist. We have to invest more in the artists by giving them the tools to concentrate on their work rather than taking care of the rigging, crowd-handling and other logistics. The artists are the front liners. They must own the festival. Our audience is much more than ready for the next step. Let’s be more adventurous in what we produce because our work is approximately like that of a doctor. His mission is to prolong our lives, our mission is widening the people’s thoughts, visions, and the well-being through the arts and culture. 

Notte Bianca takes place in various localities around Valletta on October 5. A full programme is available online.

https://www.festivals.mt/nottebianca