Team Herald
MARGAO: The Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG) has appealed to the government for an increased allocation of funds to implement various schemes and new projects planned for the future.
In response, Chief Minister Pramod Sawant assured the delegation that the auditorium and unused space of Kala Bhavan in Sancoale would be handed over to the TAG to facilitate its activities.
A TAG delegation, led by president Anthony Barbosa and vice-president Marcos Gonsalves, met the Chief Minister at his office in the Secretariat.
During the meeting, they submitted a memorandum outlining several new proposals and requested additional financial support. The Chief Minister assured them that their demands would be met and instructed officials to initiate the necessary process.
Regarding the request for a plot of land to build a Tiatr Bhavan, the Chief Minister extended his full support. While the land acquisition process is underway, he offered to take charge of Kala Bhavan in Sancoale, enabling TAG to carry out its programmes, including the staging of tiatr shows.
The Chief Minister promised to table a resolution in the Assembly concerning TAG’s proposal for UNESCO recognition to Tiatr. Additionally, he committed to providing extra funds for a three-day Tiatr Festival in Goa.
TAG’s delegation also requested staff for a music school, funding for the commemoration of jubilees and birth anniversaries of legendary tiatr artistes, and other support. The Chief Minister assured his full backing for these initiatives.
Sawant was impressed by TAG’s proposal to take Tiatr beyond the boundaries of Goa. The delegation informed him that tiatr shows are regularly staged in Rajasthan, Gujarat, Nagpur, Mumbai, and even abroad.
He encouraged the TAG committee to document these efforts, with an emphasis on tiatr’s national and international reach, and assured to recommend a prominent tiatr artist for Padma Shri award.
TAG president Anthony Barbosa expressed gratitude on behalf of the committee, stating that the CM’s support was crucial.
He said that the Chief Minister had also endorsed a proposal to start a research journal on tiatr and support the renovation and reconstruction of the old house of Pai Tiatrist Joao Agostinho Fernandes in Margão.
The delegation included Fr Doel Dias, Avito Pires de Menezes, Pradeep Naik, Jesus Antao, William Fernandes, Aplon Rebello, Antoneta D’Souza, Pedro Vaz, and Simon Rebello.