The Arts Council has taken the first step towards putting a retractable roof over the Teatru Rjal in Valletta, with a tender issued yesterday for a company to handle a nationwide consultation process.

The Labour Party pledged in its 2017 electoral manifesto to look into ways to overcome the problems resulting from having an open-air theatre, including sound pollution and vulnerability to the weather. 

The suggestion made in the manifesto was for a retractable roof, which it said could be done with aesthetic sensitivity.

The tender says that the former opera house, which was destroyed by enemy bombing 77 years ago, could be turned into a “fully-equipped performing arts space”. 

It also says that the space could be used for conferences and exhibitions “of a more commercial nature”.

Previous attempts to reach consensus on the theatre have always been fraught, with controversy over everything from the architectural style to the amount of retail space within the building. Eventually it was included in designs for the entrance to the capital city by Italian architect Renzo Piano and it opened again as a performance venue in 2013.

The consultation process is meant to ensure that the Arts Council obtains feedback from internal and external stakeholders, experts from relevant multidisciplinary backgrounds and the public, according to the tender document. 

The process will start with the setting up of an advisory council and will entail interviews, focus groups and panel discussions with stakeholders, as well analysis of the feedback. The project is envisaged to start during the second quarter of 2019 and to take 14 months.

Once the process is completed, the Arts Council will issue a position paper on the way forward.

The tender closes on May 14.