THE actors union Equity has called for the board of the major arts body on the Isle of Mull to resign "en masse" after it made two key artistic directors redundant.
Comar was formed in 2013 through the merger of An Tobar and Mull Theatre, but now the organisation is in "crisis", Equity says.
The body, funded by Creative Scotland, has made Alasdair McCrone redundant just three days into the rehearsals for its new production, Stones in His Pockets.
Gordon McLean, the former artistic director of An Tobar, has also been made redundant.
The body is also funded by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Argyll and Bute Council.
Equity said in a statement: "These redundancies are the result of the failure of the board of Comar to produce an adequate business plan despite being in receipt of the best funding package Comar or its two predecessor bodies, Mull Theatre and An Tobar, have ever received; £416,666 per annum for three years.
"Comar’s business plan, funding application and funding agreement with Creative Scotland were all predicated on the contribution Alasdair and Gordon had made over many years to the communities on Mull and Iona.
"Mull theatre, under Alasdair’s leadership, has been one of the success stories of Scottish theatre over the last 20 years maintaining a producing base on Mull against all the odds, commissioning over 24 new plays from Scottish playwrights, providing significant amounts of employment to theatre workers and establishing a UK wide reputation."
A public meeting has been called by Councillor Mary-Jean Devon on Monday in the Aros hall in Tobermory, which will be attended by staff from Creative Scotland and other funding bodies.
Lorne Boswell, the Scottish official for Equity, said: "Making Alasdair redundant is a stupid decision, but to do it on the third day of rehearsals reinforces the argument for a change of personnel on the board.
"No credible theatre company would make their director redundant and then expect him or her to produce their best in the rehearsal room.
"The theatrical community will be slack jawed at the callous behaviour towards a respected colleague.
"This has been a deeply unpleasant time for those involved in the theatre on Mull. Theatre is made by dedicated, passionate individuals, not by robots."
Comar said that it is to restructure its creative director posts to "work within the funding resources available."
The three existing directorial posts will be replaced by the creation of one artistic director post.
Norah Campbell, acting chairwoman at Comar, said: "Having assessed the resources available to Comar and after consultation with funders, board members and staff - the difficult decision was taken by the board to restructure to ensure Comar's long-term sustainability.
"The board remains committed to ensuring Comar is a well used and vibrant arts organisation serving Mull and Argyll, creating opportunities for artists and touring quality art productions within Scotland and beyond."
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