Since its inception in 2014, the Malta Airport Foundation has championed numerous projects, investing in Malta’s tangible and intangible heritage and its environment. The goal has always been to contribute to a better tourist offering, but to do so through the appreciation of our heritage and safeguarding it for future generations.
Lorna Refalo and Elyse Tonna are the latest additions to the Foundation’s board of administrators, and they join a multidisciplinary team from diverse professional backgrounds. They are all united by one shared commitment: to give back to the community and create long-term value.
For Elyse, joining the Foundation represents a natural progression of her career as an architect and artistic curator, as well as a personal commitment to cultural heritage.
Meanwhile, Lorna had grown a fondness for the work of the Foundation through her interactions with it as part of the Malta International Airport’s (MIA) Marketing and Communications Department. When the opportunity to join the team presented itself, Lorna took it.
“I find that the work of the Foundation is extremely rewarding, especially its cultural focus and tangible impact on the communities we support. Over the years we have built close ties with neighbouring localities such as Żurrieq and Ħal Kirkop, where a good number of our employees hail from. Such projects go beyond the cultural and artistic interventions, as they are built on human connection,” Lorna acknowledges.
Lorna and Elyse join Josef Formosa-Gauci who chairs the Foundation, Inġ. Andre Cauchi who serves as treasurer, Kevin-James Fenech who serves as secretary, together with board member Prof. Timothy Gambin.
In the neighbourhood of the MIA, the Foundation has undertaken extensive projects such as the restoration and rehabilitation of Torri Xutu in Wied Iż-Żurrieq, as well as the restoration of one of the seven Mattia Preti paintings found inside the Parish Church of Żurrieq. “Seeing the satisfaction in the eyes of our employees closes the loop in a very meaningful way,” Lorna notes.
Elyse describes her motivation for the work of the Foundation as rooted in the interconnection between cultural expression, community wellbeing, and environmental responsibility, all of which she describes as values that define her as a person.
“Many of the Foundation’s initiatives revolve around preservation not as an abstract concept, but as a lived legacy involving real places, stories and communities. This approach aligns closely with my own experience in curation, education, and project management, as well as my work with NGOs and cultural institutions,” she adds.
Beyond land-based heritage, the Foundation has also invested in Malta’s maritime legacy, which is increasingly attracting some much-deserved attention. One such initiative that is being supported by the Foundation is Heritage Malta’s pioneering work to declare an underwater site off Xlendi the world’s first deep-water archaeological park, complemented by outreach efforts to raise the visibility of this unique site.
“We are aware that not everyone can access these sites through diving. So, to increase accessibility to the extraordinary heritage that these wrecks hold and share their story with a wider audience, we are releasing a series of short documentaries entitled Submerged World,” Lorna explains, while also referring to documentaries about the waters surrounding Filfla and Comino released in 2016 and 2018.
Environmental collaboration has also featured strongly on the Foundation’s agenda, including support for Żibel, an NGO dedicated to cleaning the environment. They were assisted by way of acquiring sea bins and a RIB vessel, to assist in marine conservation efforts.
The Foundation’s cultural reach beyond neighbouring areas can be seen in Malta's Capital City of Valletta. The regeneration of the Combined Operations Room, within the underground war headquarters, managed by Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna, the restoration of the antique Via Sagra at Ta’ Ġieżu Franciscan Friars, as well as supporting the Victor Pasmore Gallery in St Paul Street – these projects are all in line with the Foundation's goal of contributing to a better tourist offering.
As Elyse explains, the Foundation’s restoration projects are selected not only for their artistic merit, but because of their relevance to the identity and story of place. “Preservation carries an inherent responsibility, one that includes encouraging active participation by communities rather than treating heritage as something static or distant,” Elyse explains.
One recent initiative saw the commissioning of new sacred art in Ħal Kirkop featuring contemporary saints, by Maltese artist Anthony Spagnol. The artwork is intended to complement the existing religious artworks, hence underlining the Foundations aim of contributing to contemporary artistic expression as well as the restoration of heritage.
Looking ahead, Lorna highlights the restoration of the frescoes inside the Chapel of the Annunciation at Ħal Millieri as one of the Foundation’s most significant commitments.
“The three-year project will focus on conserving medieval frescoes affected by salt damage and is expected to be the longest art restoration initiative supported by the Foundation to date. Remarkably, it will also provide hands-on experience for Master’s students in restoration, reinforcing the Foundation’s emphasis on education and skills transfer,” Lorna adds.
Another major project which is currently in its second phase, is the restoration of the Siege Bell Memorial in Valletta, being carried out by Heritage Malta with support from the Malta Airport Foundation.
“Following structural and mechanical repairs completed in the first phase, the Foundation’s contribution focuses on embellishing the podium and surroundings, enhancing security, and restoring the internal bastion walls, superior slopes and the bronze sculpture that symbolises the burial at sea of the unknown soldier,” Elyse concludes.
For more information about the Malta Airport Foundation and its work, visit their website here.
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