Founded
in 1970, in the heart of the City of Panjim, it’s been standing strong for a long time now. It
has seen little kids train, play, learn artistic skills, it has seen friends
relaxing on the soft green beds, people walking out of the library, tiatrist
entertaining, celebrities walking and a venue for major events. Yes, Kala
Academy has been one of the most significant architectures in Goa. Over the
years this place has made many locals into great artists.
This year Kala Academy celebrates its 50th
anniversary and the inaugural programme of the golden jubilee celebration of
Kala Academy (KA) was held on Monday at Dinanath Mangeshkar Kala Mandir in the
presence of Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant, Minister for Art and Culture and
chairman of Kala Academy, Govind Gaude.
Many artists who have grown through their ties with Kala Academy
are making Goa proud in many ways.
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Sandeep Kalangutkar, Lecturer for School of Drama in Kala
Academy has spent many years in different posts and will retire in 2020. He
feels proud to be a part of such a monumental place. Joined in 1987,
Kalangutkar has seen the difference then and now.”Earlier when Kala Academy was
built there were few activities, but now I see people coming and going all the
time. There is always something or the other going on, we are busy all the
time,” he shares from his experiences. It has indeed become a busy venue; at
the art gallery if there is an exhibition then at the Black Box there is a
conversation… each place has something to keep people of Goa occupied.
Kala Academy has given a lot of opportunities to the people in
the field of arts. In fact, it was the first place to introduce the college of
performing arts, and it has been two years since people are embracing the
course. Minister for Art and Culture and chairman of Kala Academy, Govind Gaude
expresses his gratitude towards shaping him in the right way. “Many of our Goan
artists have taken inspiration from Kala Academy and I are one of them. I am
closely attached to it. I spent days performing on those stages. If you
actually compare our Art Academy to any of the other places on a national level
there is nothing like it. Like I always say, Kala Academy has been naturally
blessed.”
Today, Sachin Surlikar, an ex Radio Jockey, and current
production co-ordinator has got his fame and recognition through Kala Academy.
“It’s my second home!” he exclaims. “Had not I stepped into this place ten
years ago, I wouldn’t be where I am today. I did the Theatre art course and it
changed my life, began performing in many Dramas. This widened my opportunity
and led me to be a Radio Jockey,” he shares.
Says Datta Prasad Shetkar, brand consultant and event curator
“Kala Academy has been the epicentre of art and culture performances in Goa
providing a great auditorium in terms of acoustics and spaces that breathe life
into artistic expressions. Through music and theatre training it has shaped
many artists and the taste of audiences too. Honestly, this is the place that I
fell in love with during college days and it continues to pull me towards it
every evening,”
Locals
still love visiting the Art Academy during no events, because of its spacious
surroundings. You can expect people, who would ignore its beauty? In every
corner of this venue there is something artistic, from the wide stairs to the
open theatre, the statues, the landscape when sit on those benches watching the
sunset, the view of the lighthouse and laterite walls. “I come here often to
find peace; this place educates people, and enlightens them with the depth of
imagination through the architecture. It’s not just what the place gives us,
but what we feel here,” says Pakhhi Bannerjee, Panjim. In many years to come
Kala Academy will be still a beacon of hope for many aspiring youngsters in
Goa.
