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maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 MAY 2015 16 APPOINTED artistic director for Strait Street under the auspices of the Valletta 2018 Foundation ear- lier this week, Art history lecturer, curator Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci appears confident and comfortable in his new post, and if he appears jumpy about its implications, I get a sense that it's enthusiasm rather than nerves that are talking. "My family has quite a history with Strait Street – we were all involved with it in some way, not least my fa- ther, who was among the musicians competing for supremacy of the best spot on the street," Schembri Bonaci said when asked why the Valletta 2018 Foundation approached him in particular for the artistic direc- tor spot. But while turning Strait Street in- to a bona fide artistic hub has been something of a dream for Schembri Bonaci since the late '80s, it doesn't mean he has a regimented master plan in mind. "I don't think it's a good idea to start rigidly programming everything to death at this point. Of course, we'll have a timetable further down the line – you'll know when certain performers will be performing, and where – but I would love to cultivate a spontaneous spirit. It's like I'm clutching a bunch of marbles in my hand, and I'll be throwing them on- to Strait Street to see where they'll land…" Notwithstanding this ad hoc ap- proach – and the fact that poten- tial early participants are still be- ing drawn up – Schembri Bonaci has strong opinions on the kind of philosophy that should underpin his Strait Street project. Asked about what he thought of the more re- cent 'regeneration' of Strait Street – which saw establishments like Tico Tico, Str.Eat and Loop inject some life back into the street – Schembri Bonaci admits to being "happy, and a little bit jealous" about this devel- opment. "I'm only jealous because I've been wanting to do that myself for quite some time, but didn't have the fi- nancial means to do so!" Schembri Bonaci said, adding that he's "very happy" that the area has been given a lease of life, and that he would "love" to work hand in hand with the private sector on his project. "However, I must admit I am a bit wary of this tendency to copy the 1950s and '60s," he said, referring to the overarching war/post-war aes- thetic that informs the milieu the majority of the new establishments in Strait Street. "It runs the risk of becoming trendy in a negative way. And while I understand why it ex- ists, we have to find a way of dealing with it…" The best way of "dealing" with this, Schembri Bonaci suggests, is to recognise that a place is defined by its "spirit". "In this case, the 'spirit' of Strait Street has a lot to do with live enter- tainment, and I think it would be a mistake if these establishments es- chew live music altogether. Because apart from contributing to the vi- brant atmosphere of the place, the competitiveness between musicians could also have a positive financial impact on these establishments…" In the true spirit of a 'hub' – a term Schembri Bonaci acknowledges as being ripe for trendy exploitation – the project will seek to incorpo- rate various art forms, and Schembi Bonaci admits to being at something of an "advantage" in this regard, since his interdisciplinary profes- sional life already supplies him with a hefty contacts book from creatives of various stripes: from musicians to poets to visual artists. "But this doesn't mean I'll be lim- iting myself to people I'm famil- iar with – not at all! But it goes to show what my process is like – first I'll consult with whoever is close at hand, and hopefully they will lead me to fresh talents…" More artists and performers, how- ever, may mean that more spaces need to be opened up. And this is yet another small mission that Schem- bri Bonaci would like to undertake within the context of his new post. "It's frustrating: there are plenty of good spaces in Strait Street that are boarded up and not in use, and that could make for great venues. The problem here of course is that they're owned by the government. But I'm a lawyer myself, and I know how this could potentially be cir- cumvented: if the government will allow the building to be classified as 'in uso' [in use] by any individual artist, it would be a great compro- mise: the artist will be charged with taking care of the venue – it's in their interest not to have any water leaking from the ceilings for exam- ple – and the government would still retain the property." Because as Schembri Bonaci re- minds us, "Strait Street only looks small until you actually step into it…" treljic@mediatoday.com.mt News No time for nostalgia Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci is looking forward as much as he is looking back, in his new role as Artistic Director for Strait Street, he assures TEODOR RELJIC PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD "The spirit of Strait Street has a lot to do with live entertainment" Giuseppe Schembri Bonaci: "Strait Street only looks small once you step into it"