Virtual Words

There is a highly charged debate going in the Mediterranean. In Malta to be precise. It’s politicians against theatre and the performing arts.

After more than 65 years as a highly visible reminder of the horrors the Maltese endured during World War Two, the Prime Minister of these islands has announced that the Opera House bomb site will not be reinstated as a place of theatre but as …. parliament itself!

This has infuriated thousands of Maltese and foreigners who are up in arms about what must be one of the most ridiculous proposals in decades.

There is a highly active Facebook “Group” based on this debate here.

Me, as a mere foreigner, have brought this issue further into the worldwide web here.

www.cultel.com

This morning I had this from Alex Simpson from Guildford, who is up the wall over the Prime Minister’s decision, referring to the whole matter as a cultural “scandal”:

“Dear Ian,

Well done on this website. In my view this whole thing is a scandal.

I first started visiting Malta in the 1960’s with my late mother and father. As dreaded “tourists” we never partook in “fish ‘n’ chips” we did go to Theatre and my father always insisted in absorbing the culture in preference to the sun whilst taking time out to remember the many who died in the defence of Malta, the Mediterranean for the free world.

We used to wonder past the ruins of the Opera House and we always paused to gaze at this painful sight. I can still recall my father, year in year out, wondering when the theatre was going to be rebuilt.

The 1970’s came and went and by the 1980’s I was bringing my own children and family to Malta. Something’s never changed – we never partook in “fish ‘n’ chips”, we carried on going to Theatre and taking in the culture. Like my father I took my own children past the Opera House ruins which remained painfully and apparently ignored.

The 1990’s came and went. By now my parents were gone, my children grown up. The Opera House still not rebuilt as theatre. I was beginning to wonder why. I couldn’t understand why “they” (the elected power house) just still left it in ruins disrespecting theatre. Perhaps “they” simply had no respect for the creative arts.

Here we are. I am now retired. My children are married and I am a grandfather. In October my wife and I, my son and my grandchildren returned to Malta. We ate good Maltese food as usual, we ignored “fish ‘n’ chips”, took in the culture, stood exactly where my father stood more than 45 years ago to pause and remember. We strolled again past the ruins of the Opera House. We stood and stared as I tried to explain to my inquisitive grandchildren what this wreck was. My grandson asked me why it was in ruins and not a theatre. I told him (because I honestly don’t know the answer) that “they” are still thinking about it.

Through all these years we have always thought that one day a theatre or performing arts centre would replace the Opera House in Valletta. My grandchildren’s great-grandfather believed it, as have I and my now grown-up children.

I am sorry. I am so really sorry that after all these years of waiting, of questioning that a politician has ignored the wishes of his people. This bomb site is a long lasting reminder of the fight for democracy for which thousands died to preserve freedom. One man has decreed that the wishes of his people are ignored. The site of theatre is to wiped out completely to be replaced by a building for his fellow politicians.

I am appalled, my father and mother would have been disgusted, my children are bemused.
After all this, after standing as a ruined theatre, a bomb site. Malta suffered long dark days in the war – it will be a another dark day when the doors open again on this site, not as a theatre but as parliament.

I wish you well with your efforts.

Alex Simpson”

After more than 65 years as a World War Two bomb site the Malta government plan to place a Parliamentary building at the entrance to Malta’s historic capital city, Valletta.

Thousands of Maltese and a great many non-Maltese oppose this action in favour of having a place of Maltese theatre, arts and culture. maltaoperahouse.com is adding pressure to an already energetic campaign to persuade Malta’s Prime Minister, Dr. Lawrence Gonzi to reconsider his plans and give his citizens and the thousands of visitors to these Mediterranean islands what they want.

On Facebook:

No to House of Parliament instead of Opera House (Malta) – Link

“Dr Lawrence Gonzi has again announced that his government intends to develop the site of the Old Opera House into a new Houses of Parliament. This is a group for people who oppose this initiative and who believe that the Old Opera House site should be developed for the Arts, Theatre and Culture”.