Goa artists & writers launch movement for restoration of Kala Academy

Panaji : Prominent artists and writers of the coastal state on Tuesday launched a movement over the restoration of the Kala Academy and demanded ‘White Paper’ on the entire episode of refurbishment work.

Artists and writers, who gathered outside the Kala Academy launched the movement traditionally by breaking the coconut. They demanded that the government release a white paper on the entire issue and also requested a joint meeting to discuss the issue of restoration.

Earlier on June 17, they had demanded the resignation of Art and Culture Minister Govind Gaude over alleged wrong-doing and "sub-standard work" carried out during the refurbishment of the Kala Academy building.

Designed by architect Charles Correa and started in 1970, the Kala Academy has emerged as the premier art and culture centre of the state.

These artists and writers have now formed a forum “Kala Rakhan Maand Goa (KRMG)” to intensify their agitation.

KRMG convener and stage artist Devidas Amonkar, addressing the media after launching the movement, said that they will decide their next step if the government fails to take this issue seriously.

“The artiste community of Goa is deeply concerned that the iconic complex of Kala Academy of Goa at Panaji is presently in shambles even after being shut down for over three years for renovation. When it was partially opened for cultural performances, the artists found that not only was the structure leaking but the infrastructural facilities, such as sound, lights, and acoustics, had been replaced with low-quality material and equipment, making it difficult to have smooth and quality performances,” the memorandum submitted to the government stated.

They have demanded that the ‘White Paper’ should be prepared by a committee of experts headed by a retired High Court judge.

Renovation work started at the Kala Academy in 2021 and it was reopened in November 2023. However, since its reopening, the Academy has been in the news for water leakage and other issues. In December 2023, the mirror in the green room collapsed a month after it was reopened.

In April, people vented their ire against the government after the false ceiling of the Academy building collapsed.

Irked over a series of such incidents, theatre artists, writers and those associated with the Kala Academy on June 17 held a meeting here and vented their anger against the government for not resolving the Academy's issues.