Amid conflict and confusion over the leadership of Teatru Manoel, the national theatre said on Saturday that it would be issuing a new call for an artistic director "in the coming weeks", a day after such a call was published and then retracted without explanation.
"An international call for an artistic director will be issued in the coming weeks by the Manoel Theatre specifically focusing on the artistic development and implementation of its cultural programme," Festivals Malta and Teatru Manoel said in a joint statement.
Current artistic director Kenneth Zammit Tabona will be moved to Festivals Malta where he will serve as artistic director for three initiatives that fell under the remit of his present role at the Manoel: the Valletta Baroque Festival, the Valletta International Baroque Ensemble and the Monteverdi Project.
The two cultural entities said the restructuring would strengthen their collaborative efforts "as part of a more holistic strategic vision to ensure a more cohesive national cultural programme".
Confusion over the leadership of the theatre has intensified in recent weeks since the absence of Zammit Tabona, who has held the post since 2014, for the launch of the theatre's programme for the season ahead.
This came amid reports of disagreements between Zammit Tabona and the theatre's newly appointed CEO Massimo Zammit.
On Friday, Teatru Manoel issued a public call for a new artistic director but this call was withdrawn within hours. Zammit did not respond to questions about the cancelled call, nor did the theatre provide any explanation in its statement on Saturday.
It is understood that the published call drew criticism from key artistic figures in part because it suggested that the new artistic director would work with the CEO "in a consultative role" to implement the artistic strategic direction and ensure the theatre operates a sustainable business model.
A theatre's artistic director typically holds sole responsibility for its artistic programming.
The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) said on Saturday it had sought to address issues with the published call and that while it welcomed "the recommended changes", it would continue to monitor the situation and work towards a long term solution."
"MEIA can never accept a situation whereby the leadership role of artistic director in any public institution is undermined or subsumed," the association said. "In addition, the politicisation of our public cultural organisations threatens the integrity and legacy of the institutions and most of its professionally trained employees. It also has a direct impact on the private industry, artists and cultural professionals."