A new petition has been started to save Charles Correa's Kala Academy from demolition by the State Government in India. The project has become one of the only government-run arts institution with a diverse set of cultural offerings across Western and Indian programming. As Goa’s cultural center, the late 1970's structure is a rare example of an equitable public building in India.
As the petition states, "the Kala Academy ”has been host to Konkani tiatrs, drama, film screenings and music competitions across all genres and languages; there are exhibitions and book fairs in the foyer and the art gallery. We hold Z-Axis, our biennial conference on architecture here. It’s really a much-used venue for a diverse set of programs. And it is truly accessible — a number of citizens come to visit daily." This diversity is not restricted in use, as Alexandre Moniz Barbosa says in his editorial ‘Hold it, re-think the demolition of that pièce de résistance’.
The Kala Academy faces demolition this month due to a series of repairs that are needed, include water leaks. The petition requests the Government heed the advice of the Charles Correa Foundation and appoint an experienced consultant to undertake the repairs to the structure so that the building can be used again. The Charles Correa Foundation announced the petition to the Minister of Art and Culture, Government of Goa, with the aim to undertake sensitive conservation measures with proper consultation, together with the Foundation, with the goal of preserving Kala Academy.
You can sign the petition to save the Kala Academy here.
