It witnessed one of the fiercest battles of the Great Siege of Malta before welcoming several students sitting their O-level exams – and it is now preparing for a completely new chapter.

A historic building within Fort St Elmo, Valletta is set to be transformed into a national centre for the performing arts.

New facilities will be built at the centre, including professional rehearsal studios, spaces dedicated to dance, theatre and music, technical facilities, administrative offices, and deviated spaces for workshops and community meet-ups.

It will be managed by the National Agency for the Performing Arts (NAPA) and will serve Malta’s natural cultural companies, ie. Teatru Malta, KorMalta and ŻfinMalta.

This new centre will create a new physical space in the capital city where artists can gather, brainstorm new creative ideas, rehearse, and collaborate with each other.

“This centre will be far more than an administrative headquarters,” NAPA CEO Mro Galea said.

“We are creating a permanent home for performative arts in Malta – a space where theatre, dance and music can meet under one roof with all the necessary facilities, and where collaboration will become a natural part of the creative process.”