Team Herald
MARGAO: At a interactive session with the tiatr fraternity, held by the Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG) on Monday at Margao, a number of key concerns and suggestions were raised by tiatrists regarding the future of tiatr, the iconic Goan theatrical tradition.
The meeting, chaired by Anthony Barbosa, the President of TAG, was attended by tiatr directors, writers, actors, and technical professionals, besides members of the TAG committee, who collectively presented their grievances and gave recommendations to the newly formed TAG committee.
One of the issues discussed was the increase in the pension for senior tiatrists under the Kala San'man scheme.
Senior tiatrist Sharon Mazarello advocated for raising the monthly pension from Rs 2,500 to Rs 5,000. Barbosa assured that TAG would take up this issue with the government and seek a resolution.
Anthony Barbosa shared TAG’s plans for the next three years, which include: Hosting a three-day Tiatr Festival, constructing a dedicated Tiatr Bhavan to provide a space for performances and rehearsals and introducing insurance for tiatr artists.
Barbosa also assured that TAG would request increased government grants to ensure the continued growth of tiatr.
TAG clarified its policy that tiatrists holding Portuguese passports would no longer be eligible for the tiatr awards given by the academy. This decision reflects TAG's commitment to supporting only Goan citizens for these prestigious recognitions.
Several prominent tiatrists provided valuable suggestions on improving the art form, wherein Fausto V Da Costa, a tiatr expert and editor of Gulab magazine, emphasized the importance of preserving tiatr for future generations and offered several recommendations to raise its standards.
Teotonio D’Costa suggested that TAG engage with the government to offer financial concessions to tiatr directors when staging performances in auditoriums, given their financial challenges.
While, Sharon Mazarello also proposed financial support for promoting tiatr in places like Mumbai and the village level, in addition to advocating for the increased pension.
Pradeep Gaonkar expressed concern about the growing trend of vulgar comedy in tiatr, urging the need to maintain the art form’s cultural integrity and raise its technical and artistic standards.
He suggested initiatives that focus on enhancing the overall quality of tiatr performances.
Other suggestions included introducing tiatr workshops at the school level to engage younger generations and restarting popular tiatr competitions and one-act play competitions to further promote the art form.
Various other tiatrists, including Agnelo Dias, Xavier Mascarenhas, Arnaldo D’Costa, Evon Fernandes, Antoneta D’Souza, Pio Esteves, C D Silva and others, voiced their concerns regarding the financial difficulties, lack of institutional support, and the overall decline in the technical quality of tiatr performances.
Barbosa concluded the session by assuring the tiatr community that TAG would work to resolve the issues raised. The academy has committed to improving the infrastructure, securing financial assistance, and raising the artistic and technical standards of tiatr.
“The meeting was seen as a productive and forward-looking dialogue, with a clear emphasis on preserving and advancing tiatr as an integral part of Goan culture. TAG's efforts to secure better support for tiatrists, improve the standards of performances, and engage the next generation through education and competitions were warmly received by the tiatr fraternity,” said President.