Team Herald
PANJIM: The Charles Correa Foundation has said that it will not be in a position to provide assistance and consultancy to the Kala Academy Task Force unless structural audit of Kala Academy is carried out by IIT-Madras.
In a letter written to Santosh Mhapne, Chief Engineer-I, Public Works Department (PWD) and Member Secretary, Task Force Committee, Arminio Ribeiro, Managing Trustee, The Charles Correa Foundation, said while there were numerous concerns raised regarding the repair works at Kala Academy, the Charles Correa Foundation was left out of the process.
The letter also mentioned that despite being a primary source of information for the drawings and other resources pertaining to the Kala Academy, it was prevented from accessing the site.
He also pointed out that there were numerous instances following the repair works such as the collapse of the roof over the open amphitheatre, leakages through the centre of the building resulting in the collapse of false ceilings, all while being told that the repair works were still on-going as per your contract.
"This poses a fundamental question whether the structural stability of the building can be relied upon. Having such fundamental concerns, we believe any discussions, inspections done will only be of the most superficial aspects of the building and not address the core structural issues. This is something we as a foundation do not agree to participate in unless a complete new structural audit is carried out and the building is certified to be safe for the use of the public," he said.
"We hope that you will carry out a detailed and meticulous structural audit of the Kala Academy. We would only accept this if the audit was carried out by IIT Madras with the expertise of working with and conserving old concrete," he said, adding the foundation would consider providing its assistance and consultancy to the task force if it agrees to its terms and condition, although it would not be in a position to do it on a pro-bono basis.
Artistes want cultural contests moved from ‘Rs 60 crore’ renovated Kala Academy
Give thumbs up to venues with ‘proper facilities and healthy enjoyment’, not Goa’s once-upon-a-time iconic culture venue
PANJIM: Once upon a time, the Kala Academy was Goa's biggest and brightest icon of art and culture. Today, the very artistes who called it home for generations, want all competitions “to be shifted to some other venue which is better equipped with proper infrastructure facilities and healthy environment to perform”.
The Kala Rakhonn Mandd, a body of artistes fighting to restore Kala Academy's glory and is represented in the Vijay Kerker Task Force, looking into the aspects of Kala Academy's controversial renovation, has made this demand.
It has also asked the Art and Culture department “to refrain from holding any such competitions at KAG till the old glory of the Kala Academy is restored.”
In a letter written to Kala Academy Goa (KAG), Chairman Govind Gaude, Kala Rakhonn Mandd Secretary Cecille Rodrigues has said, “The KAG has announced that the most prestigious drama competition of the state, the 'A' Group Marathi Drama Competition will be held at DMK auditorium. This competition is not only an opportunity for experimentation for the theatre artistes but our drama groups also excel in the final round of this competition, held in Maharashtra.”
"In recent years they have won the country's one of the most prestigious competitions consistently and brought glory to the state of Goa. Against this background it would be grave injustice to make our artists perform this year in an ill-equipped theatre which has neither proper sound and light systems nor the acoustic system that the auditorium had before the renovation work started," Rodrigues said.
"Holding this most prestigious competition at Kala Academy Goa would certainly discourage our young Goan artists and would result in a big blow to the reputation Goa has held in the theatre circles in the country," she said.
"The Kala Rakhonn Mandd demands that the venue of this competition be shifted to a venue which is better equipped with proper infrastructure facilities and a healthy environment to perform" she added.