Members of the new Tiatr Academy in UK along with Fr Lucas Rodrigues.
THE GOAN NETWORK | LONDON
The newly formed Tiatr Academy in UK has got its new Ad-hoc Committee, with Carlos Fernandes being selected as the president for a one-year term.
A meeting to select the Ad-hoc Committee took place at St Anselm’s Catholic Church hall in Southall on July 23 at 4 pm.
Fr Lucas Rodrigues, the parish priest of St Peter’s Church and Goan Chaplain who is also a noted Tiatr actor, writer and director, highlighted the future of Tiatr and emphasised the need to involve the younger generation.
He suggested the establishment of the Tiatr Academy in UK to address this issue and those present at the meeting voted in favour of establishing an Academy.
Fr Lucas strongly recommended having an Ad-Hoc Committee, as members of the full committee would need to be well-versed in the constitution to be elected.
Fr Lucas explained that the Ad-Hoc Committee would be responsible for tasks such as designing the membership forms, collecting the initial fee, and setting up a bank account.
The Ad-Hoc Committee selected comprised Carlos Fernandes (President), Felcy Rebelo (Vice President), Mark Silva (General Secretary), Peter de Merces (Treasurer) and Lawrence Mascarenhas (Member).
The Ad-Hoc Committee's next tasks include fixing a date for a larger board meeting, conducting discussions in a forum, understanding the constitution, registering the club, opening the club, releasing the membership form, setting a subscription fee, and finalising the club logo.
The new Ad-hoc Committee of the Tiatr Academy in UK along with Fr Lucas Rodrigues.
Ad-hoc Committee President Carlos Fernandes appreciated Fr Lucas for all the hard work he had put into this project to form the Tiatr Academy in the UK.
“I promise you that as president, I will do my best to listen to everyone and to ensure transparency. I appreciate the trust and overwhelming support the members have given me.
While there are still many obstacles, it is up to us to overcome them. Let’s mark this meeting in history and let’s get it done as a team,” he said.
When contacted, Fr Lucas said Tiatr needed not just to survive but to prosper.
“For many years, the idea to form the Tiatr Academy in the UK gripped the minds of many Tiatr lovers and writers to further develop the Konkani stage and popularise it in a way that does justice to all the stakeholders," said Fr Lucas.
“After many attempts by many passionate tiatrists, we finally see the birth of this academy. With the current Tiatr scenario and with one’s own ambitions, the Ad-Hoc Committee will have its challenges and tasks cut out.”
“But, looking forward, for the goodness of our heritage, culture and identity for the future generations, this day was the need of the hour. If tomorrow’s generations are to enjoy Tiatr, then Tiatr needs not just to survive but prosper. It can come only through discipline and following guidelines for the common good.”
“I pray all tiatrists will put their hearts and minds together for the common good of the present and future generations, in the interest of our Konkani heritage,” he added.
