MARGAO
Calling for greater opportunities and encouragement for young artistes, chief guest Fr Ave Maria Afonso said the future of tiatr depended on giving the younger generation a platform to discover and develop their talent.
“Give them the stage. Give them opportunities. Give them encouragement. Their talent and abilities may surprise all of us,” he said, while speaking at a function organised by the Tiatr Academy of Goa (TAG) where young artiste Maicon Anthony Pereira was honoured with the Josephine Dias Puroskar–2026. The function also saw the distribution of prizes to the winners of the 4th All Goa Inter-School Tiatr Competition.
He said the inter-school competition should not be viewed merely as a contest to identify winners, but as an initiative to discover and nurture young talent. Among the children performing on stage today could be future actors, singers, musicians, comedians and other prominent tiatr personalities, he said.
Describing tiatr as much more than entertainment, Fr Afonso said it was an integral part of Goa’s cultural identity. For generations, tiatr had made people laugh, encouraged them to think and question and, at times, moved audiences to tears.
Through stories, songs and humour, tiatr had portrayed the experiences of Goan families and society, including their values, struggles, dreams and aspirations. The tiatr stage, he said, was in many ways a reflection of Goan society.
Fr Afonso urged aspiring tiatrists to learn from senior artistes by listening to their experiences, watching their performances and studying their roles and techniques. At the same time, he stressed the importance of respecting Konkani and developing originality.
Guest of honour Magarete Dias, Principal of Rosary Higher Secondary School, Navelim, appreciated TAG for its efforts to preserve and promote Goa’s cultural heritage. She highlighted the inclusion of tiatr as the 56th element in the National Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage of India, describing it as a significant achievement for the art form and Goa.
Senior tiatrist Josephine Dias, special invitee, said tiatr had always helped protect Goa’s identity and the Konkani language. She expressed pride in seeing younger generations continuing to remain connected with the tiatr stage.
Arvind Dias also appreciated TAG’s efforts to involve young talent in tiatr and related activities, saying the younger generation had an important role in preserving Goan culture.
TAG President Anthony Barbosa highlighted the Academy’s recent achievement regarding the inclusion of tiatr in the National Inventory and appealed to students to join its mission of seeking UNESCO recognition for tiatr.
TAG Vice-President Marcos Gonsalves, who proposed the vote of thanks, said the Academy and its council members were working towards securing wider global recognition for tiatr.
