Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/643092
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2016 9 News Mario, the tip of the iceberg MARIO Philip Azzopardi is not an easy person to work with, at least if reports and testimonials emerging in the media over the past couple of weeks are to be believed. Serving as both the Artistic Director of the Valletta 2018 Founda- tion – though with an important caveat: more on that later – as well as the exec- utive producer of the Maltese-language theatre production company Stagun Te- atru Malti (STM), Azzopardi once again made the news after his friend and loyal collaborator Sean Buhagiar resigned from two separate posts which had him working closely with Azzopardi. First, MaltaToday was informed that Buhagiar had stepped down as direc- tor of the most recent STM production, Habbilni Ha Nirbah, following a vitri- olic row with Azzopardi over workplace conditions on set. On February 11, sources told MaltaTo- day that Azzopardi – who only attended the first full rehearsal of the show on Sunday, five days before opening night – threw several tantrums while kicking the set and shouting vulgarly. Sources also said that Azzopardi threatened to sue Buhagiar if he does not follow his orders, aggressively de- claring that Buhagiar should "obey". Buhagiar was a partner at STM – a post he also resigned from after leaving the play, which also saw the departure of set designer Adrian Mamo days prior to Bu- hagiar's own resignation. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Buhagiar then also resigned from his post as the Val- letta 2018 Foundation's assistant artistic director – a post which had him working side-by-side with Azzopardi – officially citing a "breakdown" in his relationship with Azzopardi. In response to Buhagiar's departure from the play, Azzopardi insisted that in the world of show business, these conflicts happen all the time. "Tension is a hazard of the job," Azzopardi said, presumably drawing on his experience of working on television shows such as Degrassi, Stargate and Robocop during his stint in Canada and the US. Later, Azzopardi took a more concil- iatory tone, saying he believed Buhagiar is a "very talented" person who has a "bright future" ahead of him in the arts. Azzopardi also praised Buhagiar's work with Habbilni Ha Nirbah despite his premature departure from the produc- tion. For many people working within the Maltese creative sector, the news was significant. Occupying various impor- tant positions in the field – among them as Artistic Director of Notte Bianca and Science in the City, over and above his posts at V18 and STM – the young and affable Buhagiar was often seen as Azz- opardi's 'friendly face', leveraging his collaborator's 'difficult' personality and building bridges to promote and facili- tate their productions. So his departure opened the flood- gates of public reaction, with some feel- ing that a sense of omerta' surrounding Azzopardi was finally being lifted. But Azzopardi – who directed promotional material for the Labour Party's electoral campaign before taking on the post of Valletta 2018 Artistic Director – still appears to be a touchy subject for some of his former collaborators. The few sources that eventually agreed to speak about their experience with Azzopardi, only agreed to do so anonymously. "Mario Philip's problem is his atro- cious temper. He gets these wild mood swings, one moment he's the cuddly blue-eyed sweet talker, the next he's throwing tantrums and abusing anyone in close vicinity," one source tells us. "It unsettles us and it unsettles the cast. He has this habit of taking over from the director during the last week of production, humiliating him or her, shouting and swearing for no reason at all. I've seen this happen a dozen times at least. "His justifications – that Malta isn't used to that kind of language and so on – are really shallow. A producer is still bound by professional courtesy. That's not the way to treat artists. There is no dignity in this behaviour and on their part they should also speak up. Many actors already refuse to participate in his productions, at this rate things won't go for the better." Other sources described how Azzo- pardi proved to be incorrigible even in more official meetings, lashing out at those he deemed to be in opposition to him with nary any respect for decorum and manners. As if to corroborate the fact that Azzo- pardi's questionable behaviour is some- thing of an open secret among local creatives, former Maltese ambassador to France and theatre studies lecturer Vicki-Ann Cremona said that "everyone knows what his character is like by now, and that he's got a terrible temper". However, Azzopardi turned down MaltaToday's request for an interview this week, which would allow him to re- spond to these accusations. The reason being that, a couple of years back, a pre- vious interview with him published by this newspaper proved to be too sarcas- tic in its approach for his liking. It appears as though Azzopardi is as fragile as he is uncompromising. But is this – doubtlessly interesting – figure really the Valletta 2018 Foundation's biggest problem? Quo vadis, V18? While she pulled no punches when commenting on Azzopardi's character – saying that he clearly needs to "learn some manners" and "answer for his be- haviour" – Vicki-Ann Cremona also underlined how we shouldn't ignore the fact that Azzopardi forms part of an in- stitution, an institution whose job it is to bring him to heel if necessary. And it was perhaps prudent and logi- cal for Valletta 2018 Chairman Jason Micallef to stress, in his first public appearance after Buhagiar's resigna- tion, that it was not within his remit to comment on any "personal disputes" between two creative professionals, and that he would only take action against Azzopardi if the end products of his work with the association do not end being up to scratch. But then, of course, there's yet another twist in the tale. Last December, Azzo- pardi also confessed – in a seemingly abrupt move that must have left his V18 superiors red-faced – that he wasn't the 'sole' Artistic Director for the Foundation, and that he's only responsible for "five or six events" un- der the Foundation's remit. While this presumably exonerates Azzopardi from any executive responsibility (taking care of the "character" issue outlined above), it still paints an unflattering picture of the Foundation. If Mario Philip Azzopardi is not the "main" artistic director for Valletta 2018, why was he appointed as such? Why wasn't the brief that comes with such roles released to the public straight away? If the answer is that this brief was vague to begin with, then we have a bit of a problem, don't we? It is precisely this vagueness – at worst, it points to a lack of transparency – that will continue to muddy the waters of the V18 Foundation before it's addressed in a clear and satisfactory manner. Please, let's get this right By all accounts and allowing for the most optimistic predictions imagina- ble, the Valletta 2018 project, taken as a whole, has been beneficial for Malta. Sure, we can justifiably criticize its stag- gered planning, its sporadic approach to events and the unfortunate internal shake-ups that come with – ultimately – being a government-powered founda- tion prone to political prodding. But the fact remains that it has put culture on the national agenda in a way that we have probably never seen be- fore. And I should know: having served as Culture Editor for this newspaper for some years, the shift since Valletta 2018 became a 'thing' has been palpable. Funding, events and international col- laboration have all been given a boost, and while this may not be directly at- tributable to the Foundation, it would be hard to deny that the 'Capital of Cul- ture' ripple effects have been felt. If nothing else, 'legacy' projects under the V18 umbrella like MUZA – facili- tating the transfer of the Fine Arts Mu- seum from South Street to a revamped venue at Auberge d'Italie – and the proposed Valletta Design Cluster would doubtlessly have a lasting positive effect on the Maltese cultural scene if they continue to operate as planned beyond 2018. Which is all the more reason why the drama and confusion surrounding Mario Philip Azzopardi – and the as- sociated institutional problems therein – should be ironed out sooner rather than later. Make your plan of action, and your ap- pointments clearer. Hire more people if needs be. Work on your outreach on the ground. Work on whatever needs to be done. We're all rooting for you, V18, but please don't mess this up. treljic@mediatoday.com.mt The resignation of Valletta 2018 assistant artistic director Sean Buhagiar, following a clash with his infamously volatile former colleague and superior Mario Philip Azzopardi, has put into relief the V18 Foundation's structural problems, TEODOR RELJIC finds Mario Philip Azzopardi: not easy to work with. Inset: Sean Buhagiar